| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sandwich Dome, Jennings Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Flat Mountain Pond Trail, Bennett Street Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, September 17, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
At the Bennett Street trailhead in Sandwich. The final unmaintained section of Bennett St. is a little rough but fine for any vehicle with common sense driving. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. Right now there is plenty of water shedding from the mountain for both humans and dogs. Even the drainages above 3,000 ft. are flowing well. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Flat Mountain Pond Trail has several large birches down. Fortunately, nearly all of them are easy stepovers. The stone water bars on this trail are full of debris and don't look like they have been touched in a while. Sandwich Mountain Trail has a waist-high blowdown between the Sandwich summit and the Jennings spur. Blazing on Bennett Street Trail outside the wilderness boundary is old and faded. Inside the boundary, lots of old blazes are still visible. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None! Huzzah! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
How to hike Jennings Peak the long way: Start at the Bennett St. trailhead almost six miles away. :D
The plan was to revisit Bennett St. Trail to Sandwich Dome, as it's been several years since I was last on it. I was thinking I'd just go to Sandwich then head back. But it was such a beautiful day, I was feeling good, and I was making good time, so I continued on to Jennings. What's an extra 1.3 mi. each way, right?
All of these trails were mainly dry except for the railroad grade section of Flat Mountain Pond Trail, which was muddy. I used this for part of the return trip. It was longer but the gentle/flat grades were knee-friendly. I was expecting Bennett Street Trail is be more primitive inside the wilderness boundary but it was in excellent shape and the corridor was as clear as can be.
I'd read some previous mentions of the view on Sandwich being recleared by parties unknown, but it looked the same to me. Trees have been cut but none of the cuts are new or even very recent.
As expected, I ran into other hikers around the summits but saw no one in either direction on Bennett Street Trail. Definitely the quiet way to Sandwich and the long way to Jennings! |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-17 |
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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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