| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Old Speck Mountain, Mahoosuc Notch, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Old Speck Trail, Speck Pond Campsite, Mahoosuc Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, July 30, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There were still spaces left in the lot in Grafton Notch when we were dropped off at 8 am |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
none |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Old Speck Trail well blazed and clear-wide open. Mahoosuc Trail to Full Goose Campsite a little mud. Blazes in the Mahoosuc Notch are almost non-existant. The blazes you can find are very faint. Many more herd paths than I recall. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I think Dogs would enjoy the route to Speck Pond but through the Mahoosuc Notch. We pitied the dogs we saw about to start the Mahooscu Notch NOBO. No idea how the owners can lift a big dog through some of the boulder caves. |
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 | Bugs: |
Didn't notice any |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
a sock near Speak Pond |
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 | Comments: |
Day 1: It is a good haul with a full pack up to the summit of Old Speck, we did dump our packs at the intersection of the Mahoosuc Trail for the out to the Lookout Tower/summit. We took a good break at Speck Pond's shore behind the lovely shelter. It is one of the nicest, new-ish, large and you can stand up in it. The Mahoosuc Trail does not hit the true summit of the Mahoosuc Arm it requires a short jaunt up the cut off and we skipped it. So very dry even the mud pits were almost completely dry. Going down the Mahoosuc Arm was steep as ever but it was nice and dry. Dozens of AT hikers were coming up it. The Mahoosuc Notch is as rugged as I remembered but this time there were almost no blazes to follow the route. Lots of dead end herd paths. Just as we were entering the Notch we met a man who had slipped and bashed his head and also broke a tooth, he was a Sobo hiker and had turned around near the end and said he was giving iti up. If he had only known that the Notch Trail would have led him off the AT. There was blood where he had fell almost out. Can't imagine how difficult it was for him to return back through the wild boulders of the Notch. We sure hope he made it out alright. The AT also misses the summit of Fulling Mill Mountain (it requires a bushwhack to hit that summit). Fun how the trail goes right to the Full Goose Shelter. A few thru-hikers were already settled in even before 5 pm! We nabbed the last open tent platform near the path to the Water. Every person that came by asked us is this the path to the water? The sign is a very old and is covered with moss and is being eaten by the tree it is bolted to. Good day, not hot and plenty breezy, chilly actually on all the open ledges. |
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 | Name: |
Nordic_Gal, Bria |
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 | E-Mail: |
amybike@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-08-02 |
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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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