| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Doublehead, North Doublehead, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, New Path, Old Path, Doublehead Ski Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, August 15, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking for a few cars at the lot on Doublehead Road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Two small water crossings on the ski trail had a significant amount of mud between them. Lots of running water on the trails after the rains of last week. One crossing on New Path hoppable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
New Path is pretty eroded in the steepest sections and could use some attention. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs, but not much water (If is hasn't rained for days) around after the crossing along New Path. But it's a short loop so carrying water shouldn't be a problem. |
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 | Bugs: |
None! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Just my balance a few times in some muddy spots. |
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 | Comments: |
I did a loop starting with a road walk from the parking area on Doublehead Road to the New Path trailhead. New Path started out easy, then gets pretty darn steep. No messing around here, this trail goes straight up the ridge. A few spots were that "reach out and touch the trail" kind of terrain, and as a result, the trail was pretty eroded. It could definitely use some work.
Once reaching the ridge, I took the short side trip over to South Doublehead, where views were a bit disappointing. Tree growth is pretty much obscuring things. Snapping a few pics, I retraced by steps and headed off toward North Doublehead. Along the way, I took the side path to the excellent large open ledge between the two peaks, which offers the best views of the hike. There's an expansive outlook over Jackson and out toward Montalban Ridge, the Presidentials and the Carters.
Arriving at North Doublehead, the official peak on the list, I found there were no views at all, except for one limited outlook down behind the cabin beyond the outhouse. Like nearby Black Mountain, I found it a most curious entry on the 52WAV list. *shrug*
I descended via the Doublehead Ski Trail, which was brushy and overgrown in spots. As a result of the previous few days of rain, both New Path and the ski trail had running water on the trail. One section of the ski trail was a mud bog between two small brook crossings. It was around here I passed a family headed up who wearing white sneakers, who were desperately trying to keep their shoes from getting sucked into the mud. Good luck with that. :) |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-08-19 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.flickr.com/gp/kmacgray/Ldj1Mf |
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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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