| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Hastings Trail, Shelburne Trail, Highwater Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 29, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There is a nice parking area at Hastings. There were two vehicles there when I arrived, three on return. I have seen it with quite a few cars as tourists stop and walk out the bridge or people go down to the river to picnic or swim. There is parking on the road sides at Shelburne's gate. There were two cars there when we walked by mid am. There is room for just a couple of cars at a pulloff for Shelburne, although another couple could be squeezed in at the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The first Wild River crossing at Hasting is on a nice new bridge. The snowmobile mats have been pulled up. The Wild River crossing for Shelburne was a wade (mid thigh) for me, a swim for Pepper. Water velocity was down from a couple of weeks ago, but I still benefitted from using a pole for stability. I had Pepper on a leash but he swam faster than I wanted to wade, and the rocks were slippery, so that pole saved a swim for me. The crossing just east of the main one was a rock hop. Bull Brook on Highwater was a bit tricky as there is a blowdown that has to be navigated. All the other crossings were easy rock steps/hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is no sign for Hastings/snowmobile trail after crossing the bridge but it is an obvious path and a nice one. After it leaves the old Hasting trail route the snowmobile trail is a mix of nice old road, grass and ferns, and a few spots of wet/soft. It meets back up with Hastings and then intersects a road with snowmobile signs and a Hastings sign. Turn right here if heading towards Rt. 2; there is no sign indicating that but it can be inferred from the general direction one is going in and the way the snowmobile/Hastings signs face. It ends up on the old pavement; there might be a Corridor 19 sign there. If hiking to Shelburne ake a left and shortly one hits FR 95 (no sign); take a left and walk up the road to the trailhead parking at a gate. There is a sign for Shelburne there pointing up the logging road but no other signs for quite a long distance until a Shelburne Trail sign facing towards Rt. 2, and then shortly after that a trail with an arrow to the left where the trail finally leaves the snowmobile trail/old road. Given that there is a road or two that branches off; there really should be a sign/paint blaze or two along this long road walk. Shelburne up was a mix of conditions, some nice, some wet with some erosion, and some brushy (Hobblebush)higher up to the col. Shelburne down to the Wild River is a delightful wilderness trail. It had a couple of blowdowns in the col (I took out one broken stem), then lots of splendid path, and down low periodic blowdowns. After intersecting Highwater, the way to the Wild River is marked by stone cairns which wind around a bit. Between the river and FS road it is a nice path, signed at the road. Highwater upstream to the Moriah Brook is a nice trail with a few bypasses, most old, with a few spots almost undercut but offering river views. The bridge is closed. Just keep an eye in the initial section for the trail, it winds around a bit. Highwater from Shelburne to Hastings is similarly a very nice woods path with an occasional bypass, some new (follow the cairns)due to Irene. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper had fun. I had planned to do this hike yesterday but seeing the heat and sun forecast for it and today's cloudy cooler one, I switched the hikes around. As a result we had very comfy conditions for a long hike, one with lots of road walks with their open canopy, although the Hastings/snowmobile section is pretty well shaded. There weren't any really good sip n dips until down quite a ways on Shelburne towards the Wild River, and after that there were many opportunities. The trail surfaces are very paw friendly, the slopes mostly gentle and the solitude high. We did run into one dog as we neared the end of the hike, who was going in with two humans for camp overnight. Pepper liked wading into the Wild River but he wasn't thrilled about swimming at first, but once in he had no problems. He swam the Swift River for the Sawyer Pond yesterday on our way from a hike and it was very refreshing then, and while not warm today, he seemed to enjoy it. |
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 | Bugs: |
There were a fair number of attacking skeeters at Hastings, and then again on the trail form there so I put on the spray which I try to avoid, even though it is picaridin instead of deet. But just hiking faster wasn't good enough. But as we got a ways up Shelburne they pretty much were gone. Thereafter the only time I noticed them was when we stopped to help four Wild River campground people find their position on my map. I found a few dog ticks on me, and one on Pepper (a full check awaits)from today's hike. Yesterday Pepper had 15-20 and I had 5-10 of them on us from the Weeks Brook trail so today's didn't seem to be too annoying. At least they weren't deer ticks and none bit. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Years ago I did this loop when Hastings was an obvious trail its whole length. After reading Nordic Gal's report from a couple of years ago, I figured we would go with the snowmobile trail, which coincides with the old Hastings trail at both ends. It worked pretty well; it is a fairly fast and easy way to make a loop and the alternative (if your can't get a car spot) is two long drives and hikes that are each almost as long, which is how Pepper did these the first time. Due to the low clouds/fog we didn't go up Shelburne Moriah so this was mostly an old road walk to start, and a lovely woods walk for the rest. We didn't do the Shelburne crossing of the Wild River during the hike to avoid a long break to switch footwear, dry off and then restart. We instead drove over after finishing and crossed the Wild River after switching to sandals (me, not Pepper) and leaving my pack in the car.
This was a perfect day for this hike at this time of year, and vice versa. The Wild River valley is a special place. Thanks Pepper for another great day on the trails. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-05-29 |
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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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