| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Castle Trail, Israel Ridge Path, The Link, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 2, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the Castle trailhead off Route 2 in Randolph. Only a few other cars there today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The first crossing of Israel River on Castle Trail is not rock-hoppable, even if you go upstream. I used my waders for that one. The crossing of Israel River at the base of Israel Ridge Path was just barely rock-hoppable with good balance. The crossing of Cascade Brook on The Link required going slightly upstream - there is a way to cross with just one step, but it's a big step and it's not obvious at all. The other options there involved rocks that were either slippery or unstable. The crossing of Mystic Stream on my bushwhack was easy. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blowdowns on The Link, including one spot with several trunks across the trail at the same place. Very little mud, which was nice, and all signs are in place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
They'd probably need to be carried across Israel River at the lower crossing on Castle Trail. And the crossing of Cascade Brook on The Link is right at the top of a waterfall, so watch them carefully in that area. Otherwise, they'd be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
None - I love cooler weather! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
Apart from the water crossings, it was smooth sailing up Castle and Israel Ridge up to the junction with The Link. I then hiked The Link from there to its junction with Castle Ravine Trail - that's the part I needed to redline. This section starts with a climb but then levels out, and is mostly level the rest of the way. It's clear that this is a lesser-used section of The Link. I didn't identify the old landslide track mentioned in the WMG - there was nothing with horrible footing, it was just a bit rough for the first few tenths and then fairly good the rest of the way. This section is at an elevation of about 3,100 feet, and I didn't see any snow, but it was still cold - probably about 30 degrees. I could feel the water in the hose of my bladder starting to freeze sometimes. Like I mentioned above, there's a large blowdown situation about halfway through this section, with several trunks falling on top of each other over the trail.
On the descent, I had the idea to avoid the two crossings of Israel River by bushwhacking along the northeast bank. I quickly discovered that the best way to do this is to climb to the top of the bank and follow the river that way. While navigation was fairly straightforward (just keep the river on my left and within earshot), the woods had countless blowdowns and I needed to be careful with my footing. The top of the bank gradually descends toward the stream first for the crossing of Mystic Stream, and then for good soon before the crossing on the actual trail. My Alltrails helped keep me on track for when to approach the river to meet up with Castle Trail. I'm sure this bushwhack took more time than the actual trail and river crossings would have, and I honestly don't recommend it unless flash flood conditions make Israel River completely impossible to cross, but it was an interesting change of pace.
Apart from a woman right at the beginning who told me the crossing of Israel River would be tough, I didn't see anyone the whole day. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-11-02 |
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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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