None - Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail - 9-6-2011

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	None, NH

	Trails:	Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail

	Date of Hike:	Tuesday, September 6, 2011

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	parked off the shoulder on 302..will be a bit until this road is open as bridge construction just getting underway. while there were cars in the sawyer river lot I gathered in talking to people they were locals who were trapped bewteen the washouts.. DOT vehicle made it through from the west/north but unsure of road conditions and people I spoke to said it was closed

	Surface Conditions:	Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Standing/Running Water on Trail

	Recommended Equipment:

	Water Crossing Notes:	bridge washed out on rt 302 though foot traffic allowed. a couple of culverts failed on Sawyer River Road leading to a huge washout. Bridge held on road. Bushwacked around lower crossing. Upper crossing seemed unchanged and was easy to cross. Beaver dam blown out just above there making that crossing easier with also a redirected channel

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	some eroded trail on Signal Ridge for sure. a few holes and a blown water bar or 2. much water ran on this trail with scouring evident. One 25 yard eroded bank and disappeared trail will require a reroute..I went up on the banking and it was fine..there were no blowdowns at all that have not been there before

	Dog-Related Notes:

	Bugs:	heard one

	Lost and Found:	a can of spam found


	Comments:	turned out to be a much nicer day than anticipated and wished I had planned on actually hiking today. exploratory look at Irene damage and FOT 48 possibilities for the weekend. Based on what I saw this is a doable route..while I did not summit I did check crossings and they were fine. Other trails hiked and reported on this week showed less damage as one climbed and I can only hope that is the same here. There was one large..probably 200 yard washout on Sawyer River road..up to 20 feet deep..may be a while before that is open to traffic again..a couple of foot route to avoid it exist. Other than that the road was perfect. Bushwack quite open ..is there anything more wet than hobblebush and spruce..oh well..mostly open woods anyway and short. Signal ridge trail eroded above first crossing and in a couple of other spots..many new rocks and ledges in the river. Some trail damage with noted blown out section and a few waterbars gone but pretty good to go ...

	Name:	silverfox

	E-Mail:	marktaub@metrocastdot net

	Date Submitted:	2011-09-06

	Link:	https://www.flickr.com/photos/silverfox777/sets/72157627486901409/
		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.