| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Orange Mountain, Crane Mountain, Church Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Skyland Trail, Woodland Trail, Clark Trail, Vistamont Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, November 26, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking for a few vehicles on the side of the road at Alexandria Four Corners. (Per AMC Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, don't block any driveways.) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Not an issue. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Skyland Trail: in excellent shape, with recent blazing (thank you, trail maintainers). Some of the logging skid paths cut a few years back have matured and grown in a bit, and the corridor across these is more obvious now and breaking in nicely.
Woodland Trail: trail is need of significant brushing from intersection with Skyland Trail to the area with the beaver ponds. Five decent-sized blowdowns (most a couple of years old) block the way in this section, too. [To be honest, this section could be back in good shape with a couple of people working on it for a day.] Beyond the beaver ponds and to the intersection with the Clark Trail, the route is in good shape.
Clark Trail: in good shape. One part of the new trail sign at intersection with Vistamont Trail has been broken off (already reported to the AMC).
Vistamont Trail: in excellent shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This has been one of our favorite loops (with a back and forth over the initial short section of the Skyland Trail) for some time. It's quiet, and at this time of year (on Thanksgiving Day, no less), you're likely to see no one else at all. The beaver ponds alone are worth the visit; the views of Mt. Cardigan from Orange Mountain make the route that much more enjoyable.
We encountered some bits of blue/black ice here and there, but nothing that could not be easily avoided. No need for even light traction.
(The Mt. Cardigan area is really fortunate to have such an extensive trail system, on all sides of the mountain, a number of dedicated people who maintain these trails, and private land owners who allow access on those trails outside the AMC reservation and the adjacent state forests -- thank you to all of them.) |
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 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-12-01 |
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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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