| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Imp Shelter Spur, Carter-Moriah Trail, Moriah Brook Trail, Wild River Trail, Wild River Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, October 7, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of space at Baldface Circle trailhead when we finally got back there between 5:15 and 5:30. Wild River Road is still closed, and it has a whole bunch of stony, gravelly areas that will need to be fixed as well as a few deeper washouts as well (that take up half the width of the road). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The many crossings of Moriah Brook on its eponymous trail were doable with rock-hopping, though a few of the rocks were slippery. For the crossing of Wild River right at the bottom of Moriah Brook Trail, my friend managed to make it across by rock-hopping very carefully (using a slightly different route than where the trail technically goes), while I just used my waders since I had them. The water was not deep at all. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Tons of blowdowns on Moriah Brook Trail. Plenty of wet and muddy areas on Moriah Brook Trail as well, mostly on the upper part of the trail, and they are frequently obscured by fallen leaves. Signs are all in place, though there are no cairns marking the crossing of Wild River on Moriah Brook Trail nor any of the crossings of Moriah Brook (those weren't always obvious). |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
While walking down Wild River Road, we met a man who gave a demonstration of everything dog owners should *not* do in the woods. His two dogs were at least 200 feet ahead of him, meaning there was a significant period of time when I could see only the dogs and not him. Both dogs were aggressive and poorly trained, running toward me and barking at me. This man had absolutely zero control over his dogs, and never made any attempt to get control over them even after I told him I was not a dog person. And, sadly, this man didn't seem to have learned any lesson from the situation afterward. It is the responsibility of dog owners to keep their dogs under control at all times, especially when it's clear that people nearby are uncomfortable with their dog(s). To any dog owners who are reading this - don't be like this man. Be respectful of your fellow hikers, and understand that some hikers don't want to pet, play with, or interact with your dog(s). |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This way Day 2 of a backpacking trip, and we stayed at the Imp shelter the night before. In the morning, Brandon, the caretaker at the Imp Campsite, gave us the weather forecast, which was now even worse for Monday than it had previously been. Therefore, we decided to change our plans and get out of the woods on Sunday, before the rain hit. The portion of Carter-Moriah Trail to the junction with Moriah Brook Trail had plenty of ups and downs and some rocky, ledgy areas. As we turned on Moriah Brook Trail for the long descent into the Wild River valley, it almost immediately became covered with fallen leaves, which made footing more difficult because we couldn't see the rocks or mud under the leaves. The upper section of Moriah Brook Trail had rough footing and a moderate grade. The birch glades were nice, and we could see up to the cliffs of Mt. Moriah. The size of the water crossings gradually increased, but they never got too bad. At the crossing of the tributary brook at 3.3 miles, the route of the trail looked sketchy, so we bushwhacked around it, and it's clear that others have done the same. The many swimming holes were beautiful and would've been very inviting if it had been 80 degrees. After the crossing at 2.8 miles, we could tell when the trail reached the remnant of the old railroad grade. After the final crossing at 1.4 miles, it isn't completely obvious where the trail goes - it stays close to the brook initially before going along a steep sidehill above Moriah Gorge. Portions of the old railroad grade were wet and muddy.
When we finally reached the junction with Highwater Trail, we had lunch and almost immediately reached the spot where the old railroad grade was washed away and the trail becomes a bushwhack around the washout. This bushwhack was tougher now than it was last year - clearly the landslide area has gotten worse. There were a couple of other spots on the coinciding Highwater/Moriah Brook section where mild bushwhacking was required. The crossing of Wild River was quite doable with waders, and it was easy to tell where the old bridge location (and thus the continuation of the trail on the other side) was, because a piece of concrete from the bridge is still lying on the riverbank just below the former start of the bridge. Getting up the bank, though, is a challenge; there doesn't seem to be any designated route, just a choose-your-own-adventure where you find some place on the high, eroded riverbank that you feel comfortable scrambling up. Once you're up at the former bridge location, you almost immediately see the sign for the junction with Wild River Trail. (Why this bridge hasn't been rebuilt is a mystery to me, since it's outside the Wild River Wilderness.) We then continued the short distance to Wild River Campground.
We did see a Forest Service truck at the campground, but we didn't see the people who had driven it in, so ultimately we had no choice but to hike the 5.7 miles up Wild River Road to Route 113, and then hitched a ride back to the Baldface Circle trailhead, where we had left my car since our original plan would've had us finish there.
While I didn't get every trail that I'd hoped to get on this trip, it was still a productive trip that got me up to 97% complete with redlining (when you're this close to finishing, every new percentage is a cause for celebration!). Hopefully, Wild River Road will be repaired next year so I can finish off the trails in the Wild River valley! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-10-07 |
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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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