| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, bushwhack, Black Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of space at LW! |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The water crossings on Franconia Brook were all rock hoppable except the one with the log, and the log was perfect. Lincoln Brook crossings were all rock hoppable noting that the two crossings below the Owls Hesd spurs had slightly submerged rocks (but totally hoppable). |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The Owls Head slide (which I did not visit today) has two cairns, no sign. It looks like the cairn marking the Brutus Bushwhack (which I also did not visit today) has once again been removed and there was a beautiful pile of branches intending to block off that trail … that has been parted and neatly stacked on the sides of the trail. I don’t have a horse in this race but it does appear that the hikers that like Brutus are winning.
FB is in fine shape (thank you Teal Goat!) with just some stepovers that are easy. There is a cluster of obstacles for the last 0.75 miles up FB to 13 Falls, some of which are necessitating a herd path and a few of which will need a chainsaw.
13 Falls has 3 bear boxes and about a half dozen yellow bear barrels. We are not playing, this year!
LB from 13 Falls to the crossing by the Brutus Bushwhack is an obstacle course of blowdowns. Over, under, left, right - it felt like drills for a high school sports team!! That’s a chainsaw party waiting to happen. After the aforementioned water crossing, the LB trail is good to go, as is BP and then LW. (It was a long hike; abbreviations are necessary).
:) |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Sheesh, it’s bedlam. Once again I tried to outrun them, once again, not so successful. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I hiked Lincoln Woods (LW) to Franconia Brook (FB) to 13 Falls, and then Lincoln Brook (LB) to the Black Pond bushwhack to Black Pond (BP) to LW. Hiking the White Mountain Guide shenanigans. I was prepared for near-drowning in the water crossings, swamps to traverse, and mud to my eyeballs. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by mostly dry trails, no swamp at all, and such perfectly behaved water crossings that my water shoes stayed in my pack and my trail runners stayed dry.
The painted trillium are still blooming and I saw some beautiful rhodedra near the “muddy bypass flooded by an enthusiastic beaver colony” on the FB trail (White Mtn Guide 31st edition pg 201). There were 5 hikers overnight last night at 13 Falls, no caretaker, I talked to 3 and they said it was a quiet night. Other than them I saw one other backpacker and two people making a super late start to hike to Owl’s Head.
I could have spent all day at 13 Falls - it was beautiful!
Other than the bug swarms, it was a really perfect day to take on this fantastic loop! |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-05-31 |
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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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