| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cabot, Terrace Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Cabot Spring Spur, Terrace Mountain Spur |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 11, 2024 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
When I arrived at the York Pond trailhead at 8 AM, the small lot was full so I was the first car to park along the road. When I got back just after 4 PM, there were cars parked quite a distance up and down the road from the trailhead. I also helped point two hikers in the right direction who had started their hike at the Unknown Pond trailhead and weren't sure where exactly it was in relation to the York Pond trailhead. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Three major crossings on this route. The one large crossing on the lower Bunnell Notch I was able to rock-hop and then take a very large step at the end. The two crossings on the lower York Pond were running high and not rock-hoppable. However, they are of the same stream and quite close together, so I bushwhacked around them on the right (from a descending perspective) side of the stream. This bushwhack was along a sidehill, but it wasn't especially thick and I just had to stay close to the stream. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One highly annoying blowdown on Kilkenny Ridge Trail between Middle and South Terrace. Several blowdowns on Cabot Spring Spur. Lots of running water and mud in many places - several large mudpits near the junction of Bunnell Notch and Kilkenny Ridge, and on the lower York Pond Trail. One section of Bunnell Notch Trail had an entire large stream of water flowing down it - some work will definitely need to be done here to reroute either the trail or the brook. All signs are in place, though the sign for the viewpoint at Bunnell Rock is small and easy to miss. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw only one today, but the conditions would've been good for them - plenty of water and moderate, sheltered trails with no rock scrambling. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Only a few, and they generally weren't bothersome. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Bunnell Notch Trail had plenty of mudpits and sections of water running down the trail, including one section where an entire stream was running down it. However, the trail never goes beyond moderate grades, and the footing wasn't terrible. Kilkenny Ridge Trail up to Cabot is rocky, with more water running down the trail in spots, however the footing was better than expected considering the rocks - I was able to make good time descending this section. Hiked the Cabot Spring Spur - it's narrow and steep, with slippery rocks in places and several blowdowns. The spur is more like 0.2 miles instead of the 0.1 shown on the Redlining Spreadsheet, and the WMG says it's steep but doesn't provide any more information about how much elevation it loses. Allow me to provide that instead - almost 250 vertical feet. The issue, of course, is having to regain that 250 vertical feet on the way back up. You know you're at the end of the spur when a white plastic pipe is disgorging water from the spring - it was flowing well today. Still, unless you're either completely out of water or redlining, there's really no reason to use the Cabot Spring Spur.
Descended back to the junction with Bunnell Notch Trail. On the way, I encouraged several hikers to check out the view from Bunnell Rock - it's the best view going up to Cabot. At the junction, I met a family of four who were hiking Cabot for their 48 and only needed about five more to finish the list - good luck on your finishing soon! The young boy in the family seemed particularly impressed when I told them that I was 95% complete with redlining. After finishing my lunch, I headed up Kilkenny Ridge Trail toward Terrace Mountain. This section is MUCH lesser-used than the standard route up Cabot, and is narrower, drier, and in some places smoother. There were a couple of places where the ferns on either side almost met across the trail, but I never had any difficulty following the trail. The climb up North Terrace gets a little bit steep in places, but is mostly moderate. The summit of North Terrace has a sign but no views. Middle Terrace has no sign. Along the ridge, heading toward South Terrace, the trail has an especially annoying blowdown that completely blocks the trail, and bushwhacking around it would be difficult. It's just about possible to climb over the blowdown (that's what I did). I made sure to redline the Terrace Mountain Spur - it goes up just a little bit and has a limited (but still nice) view from the summit of South Terrace. The descent down to the junction with York Pond Trail was tiring, since this is a somewhat rougher section of trail, but still quite narrow, and I was tired by this point and wanted an easier trail. It was on this section that I met the only hiker I saw after leaving Bunnell Notch - a woman who was thru-hiking the Cohos Trail.
I had done York Pond Trail before, so I knew what to expect. The upper and middle sections are pretty nice - gradual to moderate grades and mostly smooth footing, exactly what I was looking for at this stage of the hike. The lower section, however, is a morass of deep, boot-sucking mud and deteriorating bog bridges that are not always trustworthy. Your boots (and possibly feet as well) will get wet - there are several places where this is unavoidable. I bushwhacked around the two river crossings to avoid them - maybe a short trail relocation could be done to bypass them entirely?
This hike finally completed Kilkenny Ridge Trail for me, and now the only trail I still need in the area is the infamous Landing Camp Trail. Hoping to get that one soon! |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2024-08-11 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
