| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Gunstock Mountain, Belknap Mountain, Piper Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gunstock Mountain Trail, Winter Shortcut, Brook Trail, Saddle Trail, Blue Trail, herd path, White Trail, Old Piper Trail, Piper Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, September 23, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking this morning at the lower Carriage Rd. lot. The gate was already open at 8am when I arrived. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The relocated start of Gunstock Mtn. Trail leaves right from the lower Carriage Rd. parking at the gate. After about 500 ft. it bears left onto the original route. Blazes for this section are not up yet. Above the overlook where the path gets steep again, Gunstock Mtn. Trail has a lot of erosion and trail creep from hikers bypassing ledges. Noted a new short relocation on Piper Mtn. Trail as well as a new drainage ditch project. Someone has taken it upon themselves to blaze the herd path to the Belknap plane crash site with white spray paint markings of various shapes and sizes. The markings are on ledges and trees, and one is even on moss. This is on top of the existing flagging. The top of the herd path is also now marked with a cairn. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I did a clockwise loop over these peaks today to check out the Gunstock Mtn. Trail relocation and to refresh the SNHTG descriptions for some other trails along this route. I encountered several other folks along the way, nearly all of whom were doing the loop in the opposite direction.
Trails were mainly dry with just some scattered areas of mud and a few wet ledges. The reconstruction of the Belknap Mtn. fire tower is proceeding, but there was no work going on today. Caution tape directs hikers around the work site.
Temps were cool and skies were overcast but the views were still good. Nice to meet and chat with Dave and Shelby along Blue Trail. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-23 |
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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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