| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bear Mountain (Bartlett), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bear Notch Road, skidder roads, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, February 27, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Bear Notch Road is gated, beyond the gate is all snomo trail. Parking is found roadside prior to No Parking signs, or at the xcountry trailhead back down Bear Notch Road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridged on Bear Notch Road, properly hoppable-bridged with snow/ice off trail |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All good |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Bear Notch Road is snowmobile road in winter, upper Bear Mountain is dense spruce along my route - sure they could do the whack but I'll leave that discretion up to the owner - at least there was no evidence of moose or bear for dogs to startle |
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 | Bugs: |
Not so much. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found some orange duct tape used as Flagging along the summit ridgecrest, carried it all back out as trash. Pack it in, pack it out. |
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 | Comments: |
After much time spend consulting old, historic maps, new maps, as well as loads of aerial images of various years - I found a favorable route which I could discern had hardwood venturing the furthest upslope - much further than the other west-facing ridges. Pays to do your homework, kids!
From Bear Notch Road, I followed frozen/solid groomed snowmobile corridor to about 1,450' - where I intently placed myself between two drainages to aid in navigation to a cleared/logged patch around 2100'. Entered the logged patch - which has grown in considerably since whenever my aerial photos were taken, still easy to follow an old skidder road/single sled track upslope to catch a sweet lookout to Passaconaway.
From the clearing I sidehilled until I could pick a route steeply, directly up to the ridgecrest. Snow at 2,800' transitioned to fully supportive and crusty to totally UNsupportive and powdery. In deep powder (6-12") I trekked along what would be the old corridor of Bear Mtn Trail, which has grown in and become brushy with fir since the 1960's - as the ridgecrest drops away ferociously on either side, its not hard to find the old trail/herd path across the ridge - while navigating and swinging around bushy balsam all the way.
After signing into the register and removing all orange duct tape I could spot from the summit area, I followed my ascending snowshoe tracks back downslope; back through very very thick spruce twigs initially, finally opening back up to decent mixed woods, then wide open hardwood for the snowshoe trail run back to the snowmobile road - had to take advantage of the hardpacked crust one final round.
There is a link provided for those looking for a more in depth write up with color photography. Great day roaming lesser known hills!
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 | Name: |
Erik Hamilton |
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 | E-Mail: |
ehamilton9481@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-02-28 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.atalkinthewoods.com/trail-reports/bear-mountain |
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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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