| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ledges-Iron Mine Trail, Marge's Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 18, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The trailhead parking area off Belknap Mountain Road in Gilford is not plowed. It had only 2-3 inches of snow on it, though, so my Subaru Forester with AWD and winter tires made it up the hill to the parking area without much trouble. But I wouldn't recommend trying to bring a FWD vehicle with all-season tires and low ground clearance up there. The driveway to the parking area also has several bumps that need to be taken carefully. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Only a couple of very minor crossings on Marge's Trail, and they were easily rock-hopped. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown halfway along Marge's Trail, and it was a step-over. Signage and blazing are good. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
After redlining Rowe's Revenge last weekend, I decided it was time to redline another trail that had been added to the spreadsheet after I finished redlining the Belknaps - Marge's Trail. As the parking area was unplowed and had no tracks in it, the trail was also untracked (by humans, at least). Most of it consisted of a few inches of snow on top of solid ice, so I wore Hillsound Mountaineering Crampons for the whole hike and I was happy with that. Most of the hike was pretty straightforward, but Marge's Trail goes along a sidehill for a distance and wasn't always obvious (the yellow diamonds definitely helped). In addition, the steep upper section of Marge's Trail needed to be taken carefully. There's one spot in an open area on the upper part of Marge's Trail, where the trail goes up a steep section, there's clearly thick ice underneath the snow, and if you slipped you could slide quite a ways. I took it carefully, and I was fine. The final tenth up to Ridge Trail had more of a snowpack, and it had been postholed in places before the most recent snowfall. When I reached Ridge Trail, it was well packed out from hikers and skiers. I retraced my steps back down.
Good to get one more trail redlined! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-18 |
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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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