| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Victor Head, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Snowmobile trail, Old Summer Club Trail, Cohos Trail, Victor Head Side Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, April 8, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
with permission we parked at Percy Lodge, thanks to kindness of owner. FWIW their camp store is open if you need last minute items. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
hat and bag on Old Summer Club road, left it hanging on the tree |
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 | Comments: |
Not knowing snow depth and conditions given the recent storm, we didn't want to commit to trekking to North Percy from the lake, and one of our party didn't want to do the 2-mi Nash Stream Road hoof up to the Percy trailhead. So we settled on Victor Head, and it was plenty fine. The delay of another of our of our party underscored this choice since our start time of 12:45 pm ruled out much else for us. The trees atop Victor Head obscured a lot of views lately compared to a 2011 era blog (thank you as always, Steve Smith), but there are still great peeks at the peaks available, and we and 12-15 of our new best hiker friends shared a ledge looking west and south overlooking Christine Lake. during a blissful totality.
It was a stunning, once in a lifetime moment for ages 2 and well north of that on our little perch, who ooooh'd and aaahh'd in unison during nature's light and color show. There were probably 40 people on the summit at the time including a large ?college? party of about 20 plus maybe 10 others were elsewhere on this peak. I'll never forget how the deep blue "night" sky and white-fire corona chilled the earth, while yellow and orange tongues licked the feet of the Pliny and Pilot range peaks that stood sentry, eternal, to the south.
We didn't know where the trailhead was on Christine Lake (first time doing this trail) and were confused by a yellow blaze and old sign on a tree by the parking lot, thinking that was a trail. So donning snowshoes we cut across the ?north? shores until finding a snowmobile corridor, then realizing we were off, turned right/east to the Old Summer Club road. Snow depth was maybe 6-12 inches in pocket there but rapidly melting. We ditched the snowshoes in the woods after 0.4 mi when the Old Summer Club trail splits from the side trail to the right (not named on my Cohos map, although All Trails calls it the Lamphere trail angling toward Bald Mountain). From this junction the old logging roads were a mix of remnant snow and mud all the way until the Rowell Link joins the Old Summer Club and becomes the Cohos. (per the map). It was slushy but not too difficult. The Victor Head Side Trail sign was clearly evident and we barebooted out of laziness until the final 0.1 mi when the trail was too slushy and chopped up for easy footing. Thank you to previous poster Peakbagger who I believe trimmed a blowdown there. We kept spikes on thru descent on spur trail then down for another 0.3 to where the snowmobile trail crosses/Rowell Link heads east. The Victor Head Side trail is pretty chewed up and postholey but more solid than I expected, although spikes were definitely the preferred choice that day.
As always I remain very proud of my sons whose profound autism brought us to these trails, and who never cease to amaze me at what they take from our experiences. One was so enraptured by the eclipse-glasses viewing of the partial eclipse I had to tear him away from the ledge to walk home. Nature is the ultimate healer, and teacher, if we but open ourselves to its lessons, and believe. |
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 | Name: |
TwinMom+1 |
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 | E-Mail: |
mk@mkmarinac.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-04-09 |
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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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