| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sunday River Whitecap, Stowe Mountain, Bald Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Slide Mountain Tentsite Spur, Grafton Loop Trail, Sargent Brook Tentsite Spur, road walk |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 26, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Grafton Loop Trail parking area is well signed and was mostly full. Road walk is easy, and the place where the trail turns off Route 26 is well signed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The five or six crossings of the brook along the lower part of the trail were all easy rock hops. Bear River is crossed on a snowmobile bridge. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Countless blowdowns, some of which require bushwhacking around on rough herd paths. Many sections of the trail, from where it diverges off the snowmobile trail at the bottom to about halfway between Bald Mountain tentsite and the summit of Bald Mountain, are difficult to follow - there are few blazes, little evidence of a footway, and, as a passing hiker put it, "lots of washouts that look like trails". This section could be substantially better defined. Some areas in the col between Bald and Stowe are also somewhat obscure, with luxuriant undergrowth and a faint footbed. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
The ladders on Stowe could be tough for them. |
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 | Bugs: |
Plenty. I put on strong bug spray in the morning, and they weren't horrible if I kept moving. But I saw other hikers who were wearing head nets. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was day 2 of a 2-day backpacking trip to redline Grafton Loop Trail, Eyebrow Trail, and both tentsite spurs along Grafton Loop Trail (and thus finish redlining the Mahoosuc chapter). Day 1 is here: https://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=72373. I camped at Slide Mtn. tentsite and filtered water from the brook there (plenty of water at all four tentsites along the western Grafton Loop Trail). The first two miles of the day, contouring around Slide Mountain, were fairly easy. A few sections were a little bit overgrown but not terrible (the reports from last year about having to wade through head-high undergrowth for extended distances luckily did not come to pass). The junction with the unofficial trail in Miles Notch is marked with a cairn, and the trail is obvious if you're looking for it. The climb up Sunday River Whitecap is mostly moderate with a few steep sections near the top, which are in the open. Views are superb in all directions from the summit. Straightforward, gradual-to-moderate descent down to Sargent Brook tentsite, and then ups and downs from there over Stowe Mountain. The descent from Stowe Mountain is very steep, and the ladders definitely help. The climb up to Bald Mountain, my final summit of the trip, was mostly gradual, but still tiring for me thanks to the heat, long miles, and heavy pack. The long descent from Bald Mountain was mostly moderate, but, as mentioned above, the trail takes care to follow in this section. There are several points where it looks like the trail could go two different ways, but experienced redliners who have hiked lots of wilderness trails should be able to find their way out (I was always able to guess the correct way to go). The brook has several scenic water and rock features, but I was too tired to look at them (plus, my cell phone's battery was quickly dying) - next time. The snowmobile trail at the bottom had some muddy areas. The road walk along Route 26 was easy.
This was my first WMG redlining hike in about 5 months, and a big one - Mahoosuc chapter completed. Saw probably about one person per mile on Grafton Loop Trail. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-05-27 |
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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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