| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Basin Trail, Rim Junction, Black Angel Trail, Basin Trail Spur A, Wild River Trail, Moriah Brook Trail, Highwater Trail, road walk |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 4, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the Basin campground trailhead at 8:15a |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All rock hoppable, some risk of dunking a foot on Wild River. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Gnats were rough right by the rivers. Possible wasps at Rim Junction, one of us definitely got stung as we started down on Black Angel. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Day 1 of 3: Basin Trail was in good shape and the swampy muck section for the outlet of the pond everyone talks about being a mud pit had dried out enough to not be an issue, even with the weekend rain. Hermit Falls was flowing nicely. We met four people all day, all descending Basin Trail from overnight outings at Blue Brook and Spruce Brook tentsites. The view point on Basin Trail just before the junction with Basin Rim Trail was spectacular, even with the humid haze. Nordic Gal got stung almost as soon as we started the descent down Black Angel trail, we think it was a wasp of some kind. Black Angel trail was also in great shape, with a few step overs. Wild River Trail between Black Angel and the Moriah Brook crossing was fairly smooth sailing, with only one place leaving us a little stumped where the river claimed a portion of trail. This spot is a very large long shelf like rock, and it quickly returns to the trail, about a 1.5miles east of Black Angel. Crossing the Wild River took a little creativity to get down off the bank where the old Moriah Brook bridge was, but we managed to kept our feet dry for the most part. There is a strand of yellow survey ribbon tied across the river that helps to identify where the Moriah Brook trail is; we did not investigate the pink tape on each bank. After setting up camp, we took our day packs and headed down Highwater trail toward the Shelburne junction. Past reports are accurate, this stretch has a few spots to bushwhack around where the river swallowed the trail, some thick, but otherwise where the trail still exists is nice. We were grateful for GPS on this portion of the adventure. Instead of retracing our steps, we opted to cross over to the Wild River Trail, take the closed road back, and cross the Wild River again. This short stretch of Wild River Trail was very challenging to navigate, especially around the two Bull Brook crossings. Crossing the Wild River to return to the campground requires the acceptance of wet feet, or traversing upstream and then navigating back to the trail. Once again, we were grateful for the aid of GPS. The section of road we walked was in very drivable shape, with no washouts. |
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 | Name: |
bria, Nordic_gal |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-08-10 |
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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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