| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Carrigain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
This is (IIRC) the second summer of gated closure of Sawyer River Road in to the large trailhead parking area. So, parking is at the "winter lot" right at the intersection with route 302, requiring a road walk of around two miles, with an elevation gain of roughly 400 feet, to get to the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There are some minor drainages, which were dry this time, and the water flow at the main crossing was low enough not to be a serious problem. Still, we looked to either side of the large tangle of logs for a good rock hop route. We chose one over a minor branch of the flow to a small sort of island, past which it was a short and easy crossing over the main flow using rocks, some out of water, others slightly submerged, and onto the large area of bare rock pushed there by prior gully washers. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a few blowdown logs, most of which had been limbed. Some were on the ground and easy step-overs, others easy duck-unders. There were a few of muddy puddle areas in the low forest with a lot of obvious foot traffic at the edges, continuing to widen the puddles. A few rocks tumbled into the puddles would provide an easy route across. In general, though, the trail is in good shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None today, but this would be fairly easy for a dog, with no steep pitches requiring use of hands. |
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 | Bugs: |
There were plenty of mosquitos in the low woods, but DEET and staying in motion seemed to avoid most of them. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Around a mile up the road in from 302, there is a large washout area, with orange plastic fencing to keep people off the edge. The slope of forested ground to the south of the roadway (left side going in) is very steep down to the river far below anyway, and there has been a large (perhaps 30") diameter black plastic culvert passing under the roadway from a large uphill gulley, likely placed after some prior washout. Much of the road surface itself remains undamaged at that point, so that the washout seems to be a collapse of saturated, unstable roadside there. The slope of this collapse at road edge is very steep, and a lot of material obviously got washed out and down to the river below. While more than sufficient width of roadway remains at the collapse area for vehicle to pass, I suspect there would be a good chance of further collapse if a vehicle did try to pass. Fixing this will be a challenge for roadbuilding experts.
As for weather, it was more damp, with light showers at times, than had been expected. After the shower sprinkles passed, the trees continued to drip on us much of the way up. Up higher, we were in the cloud deck, with a cool, very light mist, and absolutely no view. It was a peak-bagging day for us OTHH, with one getting #47 of a first round, another getting #6 of an over-80 round, and another getting #36 for over 80. These long hikes are hard on us, though. |
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 | Name: |
Pappy |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-06-18 |
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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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