| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Osgood Hill, Kulish Ledges, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Priscilla's Path, Holt Trail, Kulish Ledge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 28, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area is plowed, but space is limited - maybe 4 or 5 cars. Old Stoddard Road is unpaved, but was in good condition today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns that were easy step-overs. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Snow fleas. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was a fun hike! A good snowshoe track starts from the parking area. At the junction with Holt Trail, the trail to the left was well packed out with snowshoes, while the trail to the right had seen snowshoe use but by only a few people. We went to the right to do a counterclockwise loop. Since only a few snowshoers had used this section, it was still very choppy, and it showed the common pattern of the later snowshoers trying to step in the same tracks as the first one - this is very annoying IMO, since it does nothing to help create a nice solid snowshoe trench. We tried to smooth things out as much as we could, but there were only two of us, so the trail is still pretty choppy and soft. If we didn't have snowshoes, we would've been postholing up to our knees with every step. There's a nice new-looking sign at the summit of Osgood Hill, but Ridge Trail toward Hurd Hill was completely untracked. We continued toward Kulish Ledges, and this section going down from the summit of Osgood Hill was very drifted in places, so sometimes we were sinking in despite having snowshoes and staying within the very choppy existing track. When we reached the junction with Link Trail to Brickyard Road, it was completely untracked as well. The side trail to the cleared viewpoint was packed out and nice, but the view from East Pinnacle was the best of the day. Once we got past that point, the trail became smoother and in better condition, probably because some people had just done out-and-backs to East Pinnacle from the trailhead without doing the whole loop. The descent back down was nice, smooth, and easy. At the lower junction of Kulish Ledge Trail and Holt Trail, Kulish Ledge Trail going toward Bailey Brook Trail was also packed out - in fact, it was the only packed-out trail today that we saw but didn't hike. Instead, we followed the lower Holt Trail on a mostly-flat section past several beaver ponds and marshes back to Priscilla's Path.
The winter woods were beautiful, but we still didn't see anyone else on the trails today - in fact, we saw more porcupines than people! I'd definitely come back and do this hike again. Right now, the conditions are such that SNOWSHOES ARE MANDATORY. Don't even think about trying to do this without snowshoes - you will both destroy the trail and have a miserable time. But if you wear snowshoes, you will have a great time here. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-02-28 |
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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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