| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mahoosuc Notch, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Notch Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, August 5, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ahhhh, Success Pond Road. The road is in fairly good condition - I could go 20 - 25 mph in my Forester for most of the drive - but the Notch trailhead is a long way in. Parking for several cars on the side of Shelter Brook Road just before the start of the trail. There's a sign for Notch Trail at the junction of Success Pond Road and Shelter Brook Road, as well as one halfway up Shelter Brook Road where the road turns right and crosses a bridge over Shelter Brook. Shelter Brook Road is in fairly good condition - if your car can make it this far up Success Pond Road, it can make it up Shelter Brook Road to the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossings of Shelter Brook were straightforward rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Nothing too bad. Overall the trail is in good condition. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would be fine on Notch Trail itself. I wouldn't take a dog through Mahoosuc Notch though. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not an issue. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Second hike of the day in my quest to redline all the trails leading from Success Pond Road to the Mahoosuc Range. This was definitely the easiest one - just 2 miles each way with generally gentle grades. (The WMG says Notch Trail is 1.9 miles, while the sign at the trailhead says 2.2 miles, and my Alltrails had it at 2 miles on the dot.) The lower half of the trail, up to the first river crossing, is quite easy with good footing. The upper half is somewhat rougher and wetter in places (though still with plenty of nice sections). River crossings were straightforward. One somewhat confusing section involved crossing an extremely eroded area with large rocks and holes between the rocks - it wasn't entirely clear where the trail went through this section. The upper part of the trail has bog bridges that are mostly in good condition, but some of them are single-track and thus act almost like balance beams - be careful on those if balance isn't your strong suit. The trail took me about an hour each way.
There were two other cars at the trailhead, but I didn't see anyone else on the hike. I did, however, notice some tire tracks on the lower part of Notch Trail. Those were from ATVs used to carry out a hiker who had died on the trail last week. Fun trail, and a nice easy way to get up to Mahoosuc Notch. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-08-06 |
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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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