| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Pine Mountain (Gorham), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Pine Mountain Road, Pine Loop Trail, Pine Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, September 28, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
From NH16 in Gorham, 4.4 mi south of junction with US2, Pinkham Notch B (aka Dolly Copp Rd) is mix of paved/gravel after first .5 mile and has many potholes, some repaired, some active. None of these is very deep, but you cannot weave around all of them, so it is a bumpy ride. Any vehicle can navigate with care at low speed. Also note that the road takes a sharp left at .5 mile while straight ahead leads to Barnes Field camping area (large sign for camping area).
Parking area can hold 10 cars if cooperatively parked, but more likely to be closer to 8 if people arrive at different times and park more randomly. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All major junctions signed, but many are difficult to read due to age. Pine Loop Trail well blazed in yellow. Didn't notice any blazes on the segments of Pine Mountain Tr, Chapel Rock spur and viewpoint spurs.
One old tree across trail on Pine Loop Tr shortly after departure from Pine Mountain Road, easy stepover. Some leaves starting to collect on lower portion of Pine Loop Tr. Blazes on slabs are badly faded. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I only saw stagnant water at a few spots along Pine Mountain Road and none along trails. I bypassed the ledges climbs and understand they may be difficult for many. The route I took to avoid ledges would be fine for all dogs, provided you bring water. |
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 | Bugs: |
Only a few flying around near summit, including viewpoints, but none biting. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
I took Pine Loop up and down to avoid ledges. This adds .5 mile to the total distance than ascending the ledges and descending the loop, plus another .2 if you visit the ledges view point beyond the summit. Adding a visit to Chapel Rock adds .5 total between Pine Mountain Tr and Chapel Rock spur. Visiting the three viewpoints between the summit and the loop junction adds another .1 total.
My route today - Pine Mt Rd, Pine Loop, side trip to Chapel Rock, return to jct, Pine Mountain Tr to summit, descent to ledges viewpoint, return to summit, visit 3 viewpoints on descent to junction, Pine Loop to road, Pine Mt Road to parking. Total distance was 4.9 miles and 1200 feet of elevation gain. This includes wandering around at the various view points. The side trip to Chapel Rock involves a descent to a low spot and a fairly steep climb (but with many steps) to the rock. The ledge view point requires a short descent from the summit and then a climb back up. Pine Mt Road also has 2 dips. The road starts out descending for the first .2 to just beyond the locked gate and another short dip shortly before the start of the Ledge Trail. These additional descents/ascents add 250-350 feet of elevation to the hike. On this route, most of the elevation gain is on the road. (If you go this route, it is worth the extra effort to visit the ledge viewpoint to get the view of Madison.)
I met a total of 10 other hikers, 7 were taking the same route as me, only 3 were attempting the ledge scrambles. All of these hikers were several decades younger and definitely more fit than me, so I don't feel so bad taking the easy way up. |
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 | Name: |
SpartyHikerfromMaine |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-09-28 |
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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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