| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Scarface Mountain, Big Bickford Mountain, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Skookumchuck Trail, bushwhack, Garfield Ridge Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 22, 2025 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The Skook trailhead is a nice big paved parking lot with plenty of room. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All rock-hoppable. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There's some bigger blowdowns requiring detouring up higher. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Snow Report: There was about 1" of fresh snow from overnight. The ground was bare with no base underneath that from the trailhead up to about 3000ft. Above that it was garbage spring base. Skookumchuck doesn't get as much winter traffic, however there was definitely some sort of an established consolidated base going up towards the Garfield Ridge. But, it was definitely an ankle breaker posthole Armageddon. There are plenty of bare boot postholes, and I had a lot more success using my snowshoes up until I got above treeline on the Garfield Ridge. By the time I cam down the mountain, almost all of the new snow had melted and the trail was just mud.
Bushwhack Report: I started in on the Skookumchuk Trail. Soon after crossing Jordan Brook, I saw an old logging track going uphill towards Big Bickford off to my left. I followed the old logging tracks as long as I could, slowly angling more northwards, towards to col between Scarface and Big Bickford. After signing the Scarface log I headed back up the ridge to Big Bickford. There's a wide open blowdown swathe on the southeast face of the summit with excellent views of the back of Lafayette & Lincoln. I went down the south side of Bickford just west of its ridgeline, heading south along the 3000th contour. This path allowed my to walk through some of the lovely open birch glades described in other reports. Eventually I started to go up the ridge again to reunite with the Skookumchuck trail. The woods throughout the bushwhack are nice and open even at the ridgeline, so you can feel free to choose any route you like. I decided to strike out on the logging track when I saw it, but in hindsight to include Lafayette with Big Bickford, I think it might've been a little easier to go straight up Lafayette first, then hit the lower peaks on my way down.
|
|
 | Name: |
Khiggs |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-23 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
