| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Pisgah Reservoir, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Hinsdale Snowmobile Trail, spur road, bypass to spillway, Reservoir Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 3, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We found a pull off with room for both of our cars (I think you could fit at least one or more too if you were careful) more or less directly across from the snowmobile trail. We drove past it on our way in from Hinsdale as the trail faces north from the road. I recommend carefully noting your odometer or dropping a pin on a GPS 0.6mi north of Main St in Hinsdale and looking for a pull-off on the left side of the road. There were a couple of other options for parking further up the road as well. Not sure any of them would be doable when there's snow on the ground though. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water was running over the spillway so my boots got wet but it was not fast or deep. Definitely a place to use caution though. Shortly before this crossing, there's a dam that you'd have to walk atop of if water got very high (right now you could walk on a path alongside it). The drop to the right of the dam is high and you would not want to fall off. The spillway's dropoff is actually much less. I think any other crossings were either bridged or pretty insignficant/easy but note that there's a bridge that's in bad shape and may not be safe to walk over (though of course we did) a ways after the powerlines. We walked across the metal beams rather than the wood which seemed much safer. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Coming from NH 63 as we did, the trail is not signed. There were occasional signs/arrows much further into the trail. It is not blazed or marked beyond occasional snowmobile trail signs. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
None but we probably should have checked ourselves for ticks; definitely could have picked some up through the powerline swath. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Third hike of the day (and second with my friend) after the section of the WMT between Quarry St and Gap Mtn Trail first, then the very start of the WMT between Brattleboro and Mountain Rd second. We hiked Hinsdale Snowmobile Trail, with an OAB along the 0.4mi (one-way) spur to the cove on the western arm of the reservoir along the way, to Reservoir Trail where my friend turned around and I did a 0.5mi (OW) OAB to Reservoir Rd with 275ft of elevation change to the right, and an OAB 1mi, 150ft of elevation change to Chestnut Hill Trail to my left. The 0.5mi OAB was cut into a very steep side of the mountain but switchbacked. The other OAB was much flatter. The hike as a whole was pretty flat with Hinsdale Snowmobile Trail seeming to go up the most at its start.
Note my comments about the spillway, dam, and dilapidated bridge above. The bypass around the spillway was very muddy on the far side. There's a bathroom by the dilapidated bridge if you need to use it though, lol. My friend had heard others complain about this trail and so were were expecting a mud fest, especially given the time of year, but it really wasn't that bad. We also enjoyed the beautiful cove, views from the shore, rhododendrons, brooks, and generally easy grades. What's more, the snow and ice was virtually gone from the trail. It left some large puddles in places but easy enough to go around. There are many roads diverging too and fro before the powerlines and there was some question as to if we were on the correct one. My advice is to follow the most eroded, obvious one that's going in the direction that makes sense. I found a map online but it shows the trail in terms of straight lines and was not terribly helpful. Feel free to reach out if you'd like my track. Gaia had my hike at just over 11mi, 1100ft of gain, 5.5hrs. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-04 |
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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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