| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Carrigain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Signal Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, August 31, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked in the lot just before 9am. Plenty of spaces left. Note that this review is for a Thursday hike, so I imagine it gets pretty full quickly on the weekends. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few water crossings, all easily passed with rock hopping. Didn't get boots wet |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
My pup, a 6 year old German Shepherd, hiked it with no issues. Plenty of moving water for her to drink from (even though I always pack extra water for her regardless)
Only thing to note is the fire tower at the top--the stairs are slotted with grate areas, and the platform up top has a relatively open railing. My dog was comfortable walking up, but I could foresee it being a potential issue for other dogs. I leashed her at the top to be safe and had her sit next to me while we ate lunch. I had my friend bring my bag down the stairs on the way down so that I could focus on making sure she got down safely (leashed) |
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 | Bugs: |
No bugs aside from a few rogue mosquitos |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Beautiful day! First 2 miles are pretty flat/easy and a good chunk of it runs alongside the brook. Lots of muddy spots but most of it is avoidable. After the first 2 miles, steepness grade increases quite a bit and the trail gets rockier. Gorgeous 360 views from the fire tower at the summit. This was my first time doing Carrigain, so when we reached treeline with a rocky clearing, we initially thought we had summitted--but then looked behind us and saw the fire tower, checked our map and realized we had 3/4 of a mile or so to go. Very chilly and windy at the fire tower--it was low 50's up there but apparently registering high 30's with wind chill. I had to break out my puffy and gloves as we ate lunch.
Took us just under 7 hours from start to finish, with a few brief snack/rest breaks on the way up, as well as lunch at the top. We also clocked a little over 11 miles. Something to note as AllTrails says 10.1.
Something I also wanted to mention, especially as we approach colder months. Please please please make sure you research your hike before and pack/plan accordingly. On our descent about 2 or so miles from the trailhead, we encountered a family and their dog. They asked us where the trail goes. Only one of them had a small backpack, which I imagine contained their only source of water. Everyone was in sneakers, shorts, and tee shirts. We made sure to dissuade them from continuing up, and luckily saw them making it back to their car as we were pulling out of the lot. The whites are no joke--even in the summer. Always pack cold weather gear, rain gear, and plenty of water/food if you're venturing into the woods! |
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 | Name: |
Sprouty |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-01 |
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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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