| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Castle Mountain - West Peak, Sugarloaf, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Logging roads, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 9, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked near the end of Bourdeau rd. Bog Rd is gated. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing significant |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None yay! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Drove out to the gate on Bog rd. I walked in to Stratford Bog Pond and continued past the dam up Mcmann Brook rd. Roads are in pretty good shape. Several spots of mud that covered my boots. Someone had driven it earlier in the day. I assume they had a gate key and a manlier truck than mine. I followed Mcmann up until it turns East. Not wanting to climb the steep face of Sugarloaf I took a logging road roughly North toward Castle West. This took me most of the way to CW. I followed various old logging roads ( they are everywhere) to get me toward the summit. I ran into a great band of cliffs and ledges. It took a while to work my way up through it. Once above this band I hit snow and put on my snowshoes. It was very thick getting to the summit. From there I followed the arcing ridge line as best I could. I often dropped lower down to avoid thick woods. Once over closer to Castle the woods at the ridge opened up nicely and it was easier to cross over to Sugarloaf. Great views from Sugarloaf despite the overcast and light rain. It was hard to turn away from the well packed trail that comes up from Nash Stream and head back toward Mcmann rd. The descent off this side of Sugarloaf was very steep with thick woods. I was glad I hadn't climbed up it. The footing was very slick and icy and I took a number of falls. The spikes I had taken off my pack would have made this much safer. Eventually the terrain gets more moderate and the woods open up. I began hitting old logging roads and followed ones that approximated my route. I popped back onto Mcmann rd about a hundred yards from where I had left it. The road walk is dull but has some nice little vistas. Bog Pond was dead calm when I got back and made for some great photos. A challenging but fun day out in a beautiful spot. |
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 | Name: |
Gritty Coil |
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 | E-Mail: |
Pfwayne@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-05-10 |
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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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