| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Kearsarge, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Trail, Baker's Ledge Spur, Rollins Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking with room for around a dozen cars on Kearsarge Valley Rd. There were maybe a half dozen or so when I arrived with some parked parallel rather than pulling in. Interestingly, given the number of cars, I only saw one other person on the trail. Perhaps they were headed south on the SRKG but I also wonder if the parking area is often used for anything else?? Also, note that the parking lot is shown as closed on Gaia but it is not. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easily rock hopable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I don't recall the blowdown situation which most likely means that there wasn't much more than insignificant stepovers. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Other than the upper part of Lincoln Trail above the Kearsarge Mountain Rd, Lincoln Trail seems to be a good trail for dogs. Rollins Trail would be easier for them to get to the summit. Given how busy the summit usually is, I'd recommend leashing them. |
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 | Bugs: |
I'm sure they were out and I used bug spray. I'd also be very wary of ticks in the logged area at the beginning but I didn't seem to get any. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
The trail is marked with the white SRKG markers. I don't recall the frequency but it could certainly be more clearly marked and signed at its start which is very obscure due to the logging. Beyond that, the trail could be brushed back perhaps through the logged area and may not be heavily travelled but is easy enough to follow. The spur to Baker Ledge was signed but not blazed I believe and was more lightly trodden/slightly obscure.
First hike of the day on a Cardigan and Kearsarge tab cleanup for SNH redlining. While I didn't exactly find Lincoln Trial to be all that wild and rough, it was less travelled and had mostly pleasant grades. The section shortly before reaching Kearsarge Mtn Rd was steeper than I anticipated though. While overall things were pretty dry, there were also some major mud pits that were quite deep/soft and I believe this were mostly in between Baker Ledge and Black Mtn. There were some remnants of a moose just off trail (or road/snowmobile trail) down low at the 1200ft contour about 1.1mi into the trail on the right. They were a bit scattered and one could easily walk by if not looking. I followed Lincoln Trail to near Kearsarge Mountain Rd, followed what I believe was a herd path rather than the actual connector, over to Rollins Trail which I took to the summit, then descended the rough and somewhat scrambly upper part of Lincoln Trail, then the rest of Lincoln Trail back down to my car. Some would not want to descend this but I really didn't find it that bad, and, being the lazy slacker I'm known to be, preferred to take the easier route to the summit. I'd hiked this smaller loop a couple years ago, but it was good to soak in the views on the summit as the only other time I can remember being on the summit, I was socked in. The firetower is locked but I climbed as far as I could. Only a half dozen or so others on the summit. I don't have accurate Gaia stats for this one but I think it took me roughly 4.5hrs to do what should have been roughly 9.5mi with 2200ft of gain. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-06-18 |
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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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