| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Lamb Valley Brook Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack, Lamb Valley Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at the end of the 1st spur road, diverging SE from Little Dead Diamond Rd, just south of where it crosses Little Dead Diamon River |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Oh boy. Crossing the South Branch Little Dead Diamond river was an adventure. We traversed a beaver dam ascending and descending, we took a mixed approach of giant leaps from trees, puppy toss, and standing on sketchy mostly submerged logs. And we're still in a drought... |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Champ has some cat-like reflexes and was fine in the puppy-toss. Tucker is built like a log and did not appreciate the puppy-toss. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Being in the area for East Pisgah and Tracy Brook, I was eying what seemed like a shorter approach to Lamb Valley from the west. From sat imagery, I saw three potential spur roads to launch from. We were able to drive the northern most spur road to the end and launched from here.
Initially this route was great - we followed a good woods road SE (Garmin maps actually show this road as a dashed line). As this road started to turn SW, we left it heading SE, looking for a spot to cross the river. We got lucky with some stable beaver dams and got across. After the river, we skirting around some real old logging, more or less contouring at 1800 until we hit the overgrown Lamb Valley Rd, which was a relief. We followed it north a bit looking for some decent woods, but everything was either thick or logging regrowth. Finally we headed up some old logged areas in should high, but relatively pleasant tall grass that kind of looked like wheat fields. We meandered on these old logging roads then ducked into OK woods. We aimed just south of the peak, skirting a thick spruce patch just west of the summit. Found the summit and the special cannister.
No one wanted to retrace our steps, so we headed SW off the summit in much better woods, aiming roughly for the junction in the T that Lamb Valley Rd forms. Found some cool red numbered trees down here. Things thickened up as we approached the road, but this was still a much better route than our ascent. We followed the continuation of the right branch of the T until we were roughly due south of the car, then tried to head north, but encountered all sorts of unpleasant stuff (bogs, thick) that pushed us further west than we needed to go. Eventually we fought our way back to the good woods road and made it to the car.
2:20 in total, about 1:10 in each direction, but only an hour was spent east of Lamb Valley Rd. Wasn't always pleasant, but I think we made better time that we would have on the traditional northern approach.
If I were doing this again, I would try from the most southern of the 3 logging spur roads and approach the summit from the SW. If you try this route - send me an email and let me know! I think we could have done this alternate route in 1:45 probably.
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 | Name: |
Big Al Dente |
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 | E-Mail: |
bigaldentenh@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-10-29 |
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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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