| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
The Nubble, Peak Above the Nubble, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gale River Road, herd path, bushwhack, herd path, FR 304A, Haystack Road, snowmobile corridor |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, September 14, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Small parking area with room for 4 cars at the east end of Gale River Road North/FR 25, just don't block the gate |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing noteworthy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
These are all unmaintained herd paths... travel at your own risk |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Not a good hike for dogs |
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 | Bugs: |
None significant |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We chose the slightly less conventional route up Peak Above the Nubble via the slide western slope (NOT the northwestern slide with the large shining slabs) and descended by the conventional herd path that follows the northern ridge and picks up an old logging road before arriving at FR 304A.
After parking at the end of Gale River Road North/FR 25, we followed the continuation of the road, which is a snowmobile corridor, to the beginning of the well-trodden herd path that leads to the Nubble (Haystack Mountain). This path is very easy to follow and ends in a fun little scramble up to the top of this small rocky peak which features excellent views up to Peak Above the Nubble and beyond to North Twin, Franconia Ridge and Cannon.
From the base of the final scramble to the Nubble, we bushwhacked SE through open woods and crossed a small stream on a barely-visible herd path which quickly faded away and from there we navigated on a southeasterly bearing to the bottom of a slide, once called Slide Above the Nubble, which ascends steeply SE on a gentle curve to just below the summit of Peak Above the Nubble. Reaching the bottom of the slide was easy walking through open deciduous forest with few blowdowns and lots of hobblebush, on the south side of the stream. The north side of the stream will leave you cliffed out when trying to break through the edge of the forest and descend to the slide, so it seems better to cross the stream early and pick up the slide on its southern bank.
The slide was EXTREMELY wet and slippery even in the very dry conditions we had today, so we had to be extremely careful since there are some minor no-fall zones that pushed us back into the woods. However, we were able to frequently return to the slide and followed it all the way to its highest point, where it splits in two directions (stay left) and then ends abruptly in a very thick band of spruce that we had to push through. This was the thickest forest we encountered in the entire bushwhack, and after pushing through it for about 20 ft we arrived in an open, mossy-floored woods with numerous braided herd paths that led directly to the summit of Peak Above the Nubble.
We signed the canister, enjoyed the awesome view of North Twin and its epic slide, and descended north-northeast from the summit, following its northern ridge via the established herd path (with some small confusing sections but mostly easily follow-able) down to FR 304A. We continued back to our cars along FR 304A, Haystack Road, the snowmobile corridor/continuation of FR 25.
Highly recommend this route to adventurous and experienced bushwhackers, in dry conditions. |
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 | Name: |
BBQeel |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-09-14 |
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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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