| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
White Horse Ledge, North Moat Mountain, Middle Moat Mountain, South Moat Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bryce Link, Bryce Path, White Horse Ledge Trail, Red Ridge Link, Red Ridge Trail, Moat Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We spotted a car at the mid-large sized dirt lot off Passaconaway Rd at 10am. Room for well over a dozen cars and I think there was less than a half dozen there. We then made the 15min drive over to Bryce Link where there were small areas to park off on the side of Cathedral Ledge Rd. Room for only a few cars in each and they were already mostly full I think but you could probably park roadside. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossings of Lucy Brook both on Red Ridge Trail and on Moat Mtn Trail were both readily rock hopable given the low water. I think any other crossings would have ben pretty trivial. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Some hiking dogs could handle the steepness and minor scrambling on a Moats traverse, others could not. |
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 | Bugs: |
They were out, mostly on our descent of South Moat they were annoying. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Looking at our Gaia track and the guidebook, I think we took one of the branches of Bryce Link from the start, but I don't believe it was signed as such. I think all other signage was intact. I don't recall the blowdown situation. I think the trails by Whitehorse Ledge were blazed in yellow, Red Ridge Link in orange, Red Ridge in yellow, and Moat Mtn Trail in... yellow? Blue? All were pretty easy to follow but Moat Mtn Trail obviously less so on the ledges where you've got to make note of the blazing and cairns. I believe there was some bad erosion on the Whitehorse Ledge trails as well.
It's not a charity hike, it's a "love hike"... today Lil Young and I helped out Crocamole with one of his final redlines. It was great to be back on the Moats. Our route: Bryce Link --> Bryce Path (west) --> White Horse Ledge Trail --> Red Rideg Link --> Red Ridge Trail (north) --> Moat Mtn Trail. Parts of Bryce Path that we were on were very steep and eroded. White Horse Ledge Trail is more gentle. Things were pretty dry I believe until higher up on Moat Mtn Trail as you approached North Moat where the ledge/rock seemed to become more and more wet. Kuddos to Crocamole who missed a spur and went a 1/2mi back to get what he'd missed. Fantastic views as expected but what was less expected was how few people we saw. Stiff climb up North Moat and down South Moat but well worth the effort. Gaia had us at 11.1mi, 3700ft of gain, 9hrs (doesn't included going back to get the spur). |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney, Lil Young, and Crocamole |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-02 |
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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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