| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Wilderness Trail, Carrigain Notch Trail, Shoal Pond Trail, Ethan Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, September 4, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Started and ended at Ethan Pond/Arethusa Falls lot off 302 |
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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: |
All very manageable rock hops |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Surprisingly not bad! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This is day 2 of a 2 day backpack.
We enjoyed breakfast and coffee at our camp at Stillwater, and headed out to Stillwater (trail) junction. We dropped our packs for an out and back of Carrigain Notch trail. This .8 stretch has easy grades with lots of camp sites by the Carrigain Branch. We noted a few decaying blowdowns on the trail, and kicked them to the side on our return trip. We also ran into GN making his way to Nancy Pond trail.
All crossings for Shoal Pond were very manageable, and Nordic gal was surprised at how dry the trail was. It wasn’t all roses, as it still has a few stretches of wet, muddy, decaying bog bridges (watch out for exposed nails/spikes!). We did our best to keep our feet dry, but slipped off the bridges or stepped on fake rocks a few times. Quite a number of blowdowns in the beginning of our jaunt, making it hard to get into a rhythm. We kicked a few out of the way where we could. Moving past the second crossing of Shoal Pond Brook (south to north) we found some cool artifacts, and some fine stealth sites that we agreed we would stay at. The water level at the pond confirmed Nordic gal’s earlier comments on the trail conditions. Impressively low considering the heavy rainfall this summer. Reaching the Ethan Pond trail quicker than we expected, it seemed to have dried a tiny bit. A few southbounders, and groups moving out to their cars on 302.
A fine time in the forest! |
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 | Name: |
Nordic_gal, bria |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-06 |
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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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