| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cardigan, NH |
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 | Trails: |
West Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, September 22, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
8 cars already in lot upon arrival at 7AM and room for many more. 3 more drove in while I was getting gear out of car. Parking area is at end of Cardigan Mt Road, which starts out as Orange Road at junction with NH118. About halfway to parking road alternates between gravel and partially paved with several small potholes and some narrow areas. None of this should cause any problems if you are moving at speed limit or lower and are vigilant for the potholes and oncoming traffic.
There are two port-a-potties at one end of the parking area and were adequately stocked with tp. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Two small streams are bridged. Several drainages or very small streams are easy step-overs as water level is very low. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Trail would be ok for any dogs who don't mind moderately pitched slabs. There is running water within earshot of the trail most of the way up |
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 | Bugs: |
None today. Temp in the 40's to start, so probably too cool. Above tree line was windy enough to keep them away. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Trail is very well maintained and blazed (on trees lower section, on rock slabs upper section). Several cairns assist with navigation on the open slabs near the summit and one marking a sharp left turn near the beginning of the summit slabs. The worst wet areas had adequate stones (and two planks in one area) to avoid the mud/standing water.
There are several parallel "trails" along side some of the wet and steeper rocky pitches. It was not necessary to use these for today's condition. Trail is wide enough to provide several options to navigating these obstacles without the need to go off trail. Perhaps these were made earlier in the year when conditions may have been worse. Many of these are blocked with branches/tree trunks to discourage use. Sign at the trailhead asks hikers to stay on trail to prevent excess erosion.
My first trip to this mountain as it is a few minutes short of a 3 hour drive for me. The trails on the other side would require even more driving. I am sure those trails would be more interesting, but definitely are longer options.
I started at a little after 7AM and met 3 couples descending in the first .1 mile. Must have been people who hiked up for sunrise.
Trail is pretty steady moderate grade for most of the way with a few steep pitches on trail and exposed rock slabs. Lower half is less rocky with several rock steps and switchbacks. There are several wet areas, but all can be stepped around while remaining on trail or have adequate flat rocks providing a way to avoid wet feet. Some of the mud is only damp, so can be walked on without incident.
Footpath is generally easy to follow, even without the many orange blazes, but there are several bypass paths around some of the wet areas and steeper rocky sections. Many of these are blocked with branches to discourage use, but others are not. If you find yourself on a path that appears less used than what you have been following, you are probably off-trail. The lower half of the trail is wide enough to provide several navigation options to avoid any obstacles without leaving the designated footpath, so please stay on trail to help prevent excess erosion and trail creep.
Near the half-way point, the trail takes a sharp left through probably the wettest area of the trail and also narrows. This footing is short lived as the trail becomes very rocky (mostly exposed slabs) and then near the summit the trail is all on slabs. I missed this turn as the path continues beyond the turn, so it appears to be more of a trail than the path going left. (I missed the tree with an orange blaze marking the turn, looking at my feet.) This path continues for maybe 50 feet and continues through an open area with knee to waist high grass and ferns. Looking left at the opening, you can clearly see the correct path and orange blazes. There is a convenient path from this point back to the trail. This path looks more worn than the actual trail, so I don't think I was the first one to do this.
There were only 2 spots on the upper half that could cause some difficulty. There was one rocky pitch where I put my hand out for balance, but didn't need it on the ascent. On the descent, I needed to put my hand on the rocks as my feet were in an awkward position. Further up trail, there was a section on the slab where I actually had to use both hands and had some tricky foot placements. I didn't see this on the descent, so there is obviously a much easier path through this section that I missed on the ascent. (I often can find the easier paths from the high viewpoint that I don't see on the ascents.) There were no other areas that required any skill or flexibility. I mention this in case people may be considering taking along young children or people who may have some difficulty with rocky terrain or scrambles.
I will mention one warning for the descent. There are several steeper pitches on the summit area slabs. These can be avoided or mitigated with careful route planning or navigation techniques such as zig-zagging rather than heading straight.
Some of the rocky areas were quite wet, but all rock surfaces were grippy and not slippery. However, I use mostly footwear that has highly grippy outsoles for this very reason, so with less capable footwear, this could possibly be an issue.
With the few issues noted, I would recommend this hike for groups with younger children and people who might have trouble with steep rocky or slab areas like you might find on some of the 4000 footers. Also, this route is fairly short (1.45 mi one way). The summit area is exposed but there are great views, so there is a great reward for the effort ratio. Just bring an extra layer for the summit.
None of the above would be of concern to the younger, nimble, experienced 48er. I make my notes with the less experienced, elderly or partially physically impaired hiker in mind.
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 | Name: |
SpartyHikerfromMaine |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-22 |
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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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