| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
The Horn, The Bulge, Mt. Cabot, North Terrace Mountain, South Terrace Mountain, North Weeks, Middle Weeks, South Weeks, Mt. Waumbek, Mt. Starr King, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Unknown Pond Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail, Horn Spur, bushwhack, Starr King Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, October 25, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Mill Brook Road in great shape (though it was dark, and I wasn't driving), not sure where the parking area is, probably at the turn-around just up from the trailhead? Only car in Starr King lot in the morning, two more on my return. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of consequence, very little water flowing in Bunnell Notch, and none in Willard Notch. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A giant mud pit, a few tenths up Unknown Pond Trail. A couple large, climb over blowdowns, and a few step overs between Unknown Pond and Cabot. Clear down to Bunnell Notch and over the Terraces. A few stepovers while descending to Willard Notch. I won't go so far as to say that from Willard Notch to Waumbek it was blowdown hell... but there were a lot of them, I lost count after about 30. Some were easy step overs or duck unders, some were climb overs, and some required some graceful moves. Blazing is sporadic along the whole route, the footbed being obscure in sections, especially on Terrace and over the Weeks, with a couple pretty tight, grown in sections. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one with the only two humans I saw all day, on the last half mile of Starr King Trail. Very little water on this route, so if you're going to bring your dog, plan accordingly. |
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 | Bugs: |
Some flying around in the late morning, early afternoon, but never bothersome. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
My water bottle popped out descending from Starr King, but the couple I passed near the end picked it up for me. Thanks! |
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 | Comments: |
While it was definitely a Pressie day, I decided to make this traverse happen. I needed the 4 NEHH peaks along the way, so how better to do them, but all in one shot! This is definitely a trail/area that I will return to often, it's more wilderness than some of the designated wilderness areas in the WMNF. Beautiful woods, soft trails, limited views... though the views from the Horn more than made up for the lack thereof over the rest of the trip. Comfortable temperatures, and solitude, made for an awesome day. |
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 | Name: |
Bill Robichaud |
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 | E-Mail: |
bill.robichaud@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-10-26 |
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 | Link: |
 https://onapathwithheart.blogspot.com/2012/10/wandering-in-kilkenny-102512.html |
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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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