| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cranmore Mountain, Black Cap, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Hurricane Mountain Road, Black Cap Trail, Cranmore Trail, Black Cap Spur, Black Cap Connector, Artist Falls Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, January 19, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Left one vehicle at Thompson Road parking area, the other near the end of plowing on Hurricane Mtn. Road, where there is room for 4-5 vehicles if parked smartly. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Jumped across Artist Brook easily enough w/ snowshoes |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Black Cap Connector is blazed in red, not yellow as stated in the WMG. Trails are all in good shape and signed/blazed well. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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|
 | Bugs: |
Couple of snow spiders |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Barebooted the well traveled 1.9 miles and 1000 feet UP Hurricane Mtn. Road to Black Cap Trail. Snowshoes from this point to Thompson Road. Black Cap Trail is apparently snowmobiled and wide for the first part and could be skied.
The out and back to Cranmore was beautiful (my favorite part of this hike), with pretty hardwoods and was surprisingly peaceful given its proximity to the ski area. We broke trail here, but it was easy. There are a few intersecting mountain bike trails in here.
Black Cap summit area was a little tricky to figure out, but there were old footprints to follow. We wandered around so as to get the little spurs although the "blue and salmon" blazes mentioned in the WMG are covered in snow (haha). Next was the out and back on Black Cap Connector before we headed south, then west toward Peaked Mtn.
Black Cap Connector is blazed in red, not yellow per WMG. We followed a partially broken (by a couple of snowshoes) trail here. At a point where an old snowmobile trail splits (then rejoins) the BCC it was a bit confusing as my friend's Gaia app said the snowmo trail was BCC. But it was not. The correct route is well blazed in red and leads over a cool little ledgy section.
The 0.3 mile Artist Falls Trail is supposedly closed now, but it is still listed on the 31st edition trailbagging spreadsheet, and there are no "closed" signs so we hiked it. There are Nature Conservancy markers and arrows near the little gorge which required a little leap to cross. (Looked like an easier crossing on rocks just upstream.) We hit the road and walked the 0.6 back to Car #1.
Except for the top of Cranmore, we saw no one else all day on this ~10.5 mile hike. |
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 | Name: |
Snowflea |
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 | E-Mail: |
muddylegs2004@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-20 |
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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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