Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Bald Sunapee, NH |
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| Trails: |
Mountain Road, bushwhack, herd path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There's no parking on the shoulders due to the snowbanks. I parked 3/4 mile up the road at the Andrew Brook trailhead; it was nicely plowed out. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
None (bushwhack) |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
None (winter) |
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| Lost and Found: |
None |
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| Comments: |
Based on previous trip reports and browsing the Newbury's ArcGIS, I walked down the road from the parking lot 3/4 mile to the entrance to the old 1854 house's field. There's a creek running down the hillside across from the farm field, and a stonewall running up the hillside from the same spot, angling north of the creek. I chose to follow the stonewall up. The land on hiker's left of the stonewall is posted, the land on hiker's right is okay to hike on. There is fairly new pink flagging helping keep track of the property boundary when the stonewall temporarily disappears (careful, there's also some razor wire in this gap of the stonewall too). The woods are open and good for hiking.
I eventually reached a 90 degree corner of the stonewall, with the new segment running across hill towards the south. I hopped over, and kept following the pink flagging boundary through a tight pine stand. On the other side, I ran into the white blazed trail others have previously referenced; it was also marked with new-ish orange flagging. The trail winds through the forest to the summit, finding a nice notch in a cliff band; it is actually maintained, with branches cut off trees and blow downs cut away. The summit handle was there as promised, with nice canister for the register. Choose a clear day like I did, and the blow down area / ledges just next to the summit has excellent views east.
Afterwards, I went downhill along the ridge to the south, to see what the track through the notch in the contour map was like. The woods were tighter than following the line along the stone walls. The notch becomes the stream that meets up at start of the stonewall. Having traveled both routes, going up again I would follow the stonewall and the white blazed trail both up and down. In warmer weather, you could probably park on the road shoulder at the farm field. |
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| Name: |
Khiggs |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-01-24 |
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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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