| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Halibut Mountain, Sheridan Mountain, VT |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack, Lamotte Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, May 25, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
From Granby Rd, I turned S/SW on Fellows Rd, to where it turns sharply left/SE, and continued straight/right on a dirt road (Lamotte Trail/road). There was what I believe was a gated driveway on the right. The dirt road had a sign on it explaining that it was an old town thoroughfare called Lamotte Trail and not recommended for passenger vehicles. I almost parked here, but decided to continue, and it was rough but very doable with mid clearance. I'd also recommend AWD (steep). It was more of an ATV Trail. Narrow and rocky, but no terribly large rocks, so doable. Biggest issue was large dips in the road, which you really need some clearance for. Not much of a place to pull off for awhile, so exercise caution. I parked at the HOL on the road about a half mile up, roughly opposite a driveway. Not many places to pull off before this. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing real significant. My ascent followed a ridge so nothing there. My descent followed a drainage in part, which got large enough that you had to rock hop across down low, but not real challenging. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
Not too bad, probably due to the rain earlier. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
2nd hike of the day after Mt Hale in NH. This was a very pleasant whack! From the HOL on Lamotte Trail, I began whacking SE, more or less along a ridge, though I generally stayed on the south side of it to avoid some elevation and blowdowns. The woods were very open, but there were a lot of blowdowns and debris to avoid, at least at first. Once I worked my way around a small bump and into a sag, I began the gentle ascent to Halibut, still in open woods. Just one wet spot in the sag that was easy enough to hop over. Things were drying out in the rain, so I got a little wet, but not soaked, and the water underneath the sun added an extra layer of beauty :) The woods transitioned a bit as I neared the summit, but they weren't too thick. Much to my surprise, I found myself on a little ledge with a cleared view, a place to sit, and a register. Lovely! Even more to my surprise, though I was only the third or fourth sign-in on the register, someone was there just a few days before me!
I wasn't planning on continuing to Sheridan (I figured I'd do it separately), but inspired by the man there a few days before who combined them both, and enjoying myself so much, I decided to continue, despite the lack of time before sunset. The whack from Halibut to Sheridan was also very nice. There are old logging roads in here, some of which I briefly followed, but I never made great use of them. I once again tended to stay on the west and south side of the ridge and sort of cut the difference between following the ridge proper and making a direct line to the summit, which worked well. Some wet spots if you fell too low. As I hit the ridge proper, I noted some bumps/ledges on the steep east flank of the mountain that looked as if they offered views. I didn't visit them, hoping I'd find something similar on the summit, which, alas, I did not. So visit them on the way!! The woods transitioned a little around the summit, and it looked like there'd been a register here (I noted old surveyors tape on the ground), but a new one had been hung just a few days before.
After signing in at the viewless summit, I quickly whacked down to the road shown on Gaia (Lamotte Trail/Rd) on a W/NW bearing. Good woods and very quick-moving for bushwhacking. Steep at first, but quickly moderated. Intersected a drainage or two along the way, which I sort of followed. As I neared the road, I hit some old roads, pricker bushes, and wetness, which was a bit of an issue. I also came into view of an old cabin, which I tried to avoid. I made it to the road easily enough, though, and the cabin was clearly long abandoned.
I hit Lamotte Trail/Rd on Gaia at the point NW of Sheridan Mtn where the road goes from a white line to a gray one (often denoting a regular road vs a rougher one) on Gaia. The road at this point was definitely not drivable as it was extremely muddy, and thus a bit of a pain to walk as well. I followed the road to a T-jct, and turned right to continue following Lamotte Rd/Trail back to the HOL where my car was. Gained some elevation, but gently. There's a road cutoff shown on Gaia, but it's not much of a road anymore. Very overgrown and with it more or less being dark at this point, I decided not to follow it.
All in all, this was a great evening whack. Gaia had me at 4.5mi, 850ft of gain, 2hr30min. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-05-28 |
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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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