| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Orange Mountain, Crane Mountain, Grafton Knob, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Manning Trail, Holt Trail, Vistamont Trail, Skyland Trail, Woodland Trail, Clark Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at a small pull-out on Shem Valley Road, a short walk from the Clark Trail. There is room there for two cars. (Do NOT park on the open space directly opposite the trailhead -- it's clearly posted with "no parking" signs.) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None were an issue. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All trails in passable shape -- nothing needing immediate attention. (See notes, below.) |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We did an Election Day loop on the southeastern side of Mt. Cardigan -- starting with a short road walk to the AMC Cardigan Lodge, and then up Orange Mountain via Vistamont, before trekking over Skyland to Woodland and then back to the car via the Clark Trail.
Blazes on Vistamont Trail are, for the most part, faded or non-existent (We think that the trail was last blazed a bit over a decade ago?). The same, as well, on much of the Skyland Trail between Orange Mountain and the Woodland Trail intersection (the maintainers are aware of this). On both trails the corridor is mostly pretty obvious, but that could change with winter and any decent snowfall.
On Skyland Trail, there are three blowdowns that merit attention -- none is critical, but in case the maintainers don't know about these: (all distances are measured north from Grafton Knob) [a] ~6-inch delimbed softwood duck-under at 0.3 miles -- not an issue unless one is 6-foot-tall; [b] ~6-inch softwood stepover at 0.7 miles; and [c] brushy rotten ~4-inch softwood stepover at 0.8 miles, with herd path around it.
Ledges were wet on the way up, but drying out nicely as the skies cleared. We saw no one else all day except for a few people in the parking lot at the lodge.
Lovely hike on some of the nicest trails in the area. |
|
 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-11-05 |
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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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