| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Shelburne Trail, Highwater Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, September 30, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Dropped a car at Highwater trailhead on 113, and started at Shelburne North Trailhead on Lady Trooper/Connor Brook Road (FS95) at 8:30a |
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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: |
See comments below for Wild River; all other crossings on Shelburne Trail were fine, with care on greasy rocks. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The logging road portion of Shelburne Trail is in good shape, not overgrown, so we were able to make quick work of that initial mile and a halfish. A little wet this morning, our feet and lower part of our pants became damp from grass and low scrub. All signing is in great shape, we broke left into the woods and found no issues climbing up to the height of land. A little mucky up there naturally, but mostly avoidable. We dropped down the southern side of the Shelburne Trail into the Wild River Wilderness and hardly found any issues. Once we dropped the majority of elevation, we were elated to find a wonderful gradual grade with fantastic footing.
At the Highwater junction we stopped for lunch, and sat by Bull Brook where we were reminded of how jacked up the crossing is here from a previous trip. When we got back to Highwater, we found the first third of a mile just as dreamy as the lower part of Shelburne. We even found relatively new yellow blazing! Our dreamy trail was quickly terminated at the first crossing where a new channel formed during past major storms. We could see the blaze in the woods across the channel, but we couldn't find a safe place to cross: the pockets in the river are deep, and the rocks are sparse. We pondered for a moment, decided to be wise, and stayed on the bank, crossing a much smaller tributary channel knowing that the trail would return to our side of the bank. It appears this is a choice many people have made, as we could see we weren't the first. Sure enough the trail did come back, and we were happy with our decision seeing that this second crossing was even more unrealistic. The remainder of the trail was a breeze. We stopped at sections where the trail is now right next to the river, and were amazed by its new width. The snowmobile bridge across the Wild River is awesome, I hope they never take it out. |
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 | Name: |
bria, Nordic_gal |
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 | E-Mail: |
breahmaria at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-10-01 |
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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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