| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pawtuckaway - South Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Mountain Trail, South Ridge Trail, unnamed trail, Shaw Trail, Split Rock Trail, Woronoco Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 7, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
You cannot park at the trailhead but instead must park at the headquarters and walk about a 1/2mi. We did not know this so went to the ranger station to pay and drive through...they made us pay but sent us back to the parking lot!? So I think that the fee is not for parking but merely for using the park so you should expect them to charge you as you walk by I guess... |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water may have still been a little high but all crossings were easily rock hopable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I think that although Mountain Trail was blazed in white at times as the guidebook says, there were also some red diamonds along it, namely near its intersection with Round Pond Trail I believe. I don't recall the frequency of blazing but it's trivial to follow as it's an old road. I don't recall any blowdowns along it. South Ridge Trail was blazed in white and marked with white diamonds. I don't recall the frequency, but didn't find it hard to follow. The orange-blazed side path was more red than orange and wasn't signed but was easy to follow. I don't recall any blowdowns on it but there was a trivial stepover blowdown 5-10min down from the summit on the NE side and another one somewhere around the jct with Shaw Trail that's a leaner/duck under/widowmaker. There is a huge blowdown near the northern end of Shaw Trail that's a climb over. Shaw, Split Rock, and Woronoco trails were all marked with white diamonds and were not hard to follow. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Leashed dogs are allowed on hiking trails only. Pets are not permitted in the campground or beach area from May 1st-September 30th. |
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 | Bugs: |
We put on bug spray at the car but they really weren't bad...then again we were moving pretty quickly. Even when we stopped they didn't become terribly annoying though. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
A nice SNH redline with a dear friend before heading to Boston for concert (see!! I do other things beyond hike!). Route: Road walk --> Mountain Trail --> South Ridge Trail --> orange-blazed path --> OAB on missing section of South Ridge Trail --> South Ridge Trail to summit and its end on Round Pond Rd --> South Ridge Trail back up to --> Shaw Trail to --> Split Rock Trail to --> Woronoco Trail --> Road walk.
Trails were mostly dry but had some very wet and muddy spots, largely on Mountain Trail as it's an old road. The abandoned 120yd section of Shaw Trail that's been rerouted was indeed flooded. One could argue that this is a spur needed for redlining so I'd hoped to do it if it wasn't flooded but I didn't feel like wading through the water. I believe there were one or two other minorly flooded/puddles of water on Shaw Trail that were relatively easy to walk along the sides of or around.
We enjoyed chatting with two rangers in the tower on the summit which is open when it's actually used for observation. Gaia had us at about 9.5mi with a little more than 1000ft of gain. It took us 4hr15min to complete with a longer break at the summit. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-05-08 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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