| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Pine Mountain, Mt. Major, Straightback Mountain (North Peak), Cedar Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Major Trail, herd path, Major-Straightback Link, Brook Trail, North Straightback Link, Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, Quarry Spur Trail, Jesus Valley Trail, Beaver Pond Trail, herd path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, December 21, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at the large Mt. Major trailhead lot off Rt. 11. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Several on this meandering loop, but all easily crossed. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
MMT is very eroded. :( JVT is just kind of a mess as it passes through a logged area. BPT has a relocation around a flooded area at the beaver pond. The snowmobile trail disappears into the pond and re-emerges on the other side. All other trails in good shape. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure, even saw one. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
More redlining in the Belknap Range today, picking up some trails in the Mt. Major / Straightback Mt. area. Along the way I also made two short side trips to lesser-traveled Little Pine Mountain (http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=22196) and Cedar Mountain (http://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/viewreport.php?entryid=18583), both accessible by herd paths. Very windy on Major! I almost got knocked off balance a couple of times.
The upper ledges on Major have some large icy sections, but nothing that requires traction, and they can be avoided. Minor icy spots along all the trails, but again, no traction needed.
Going by Bryan's report above for Little Pine, I did eventually find the herd path which begins off the MMT. It's pretty tough to locate now with all the leaves down. Once on it, the footway/corridor is visible, but must be followed with care. I lost the path on the descent so I just bushwhacked down through open woods to the MMT. No views to speak of on Little Pine, but a nice little obscure peak.
Same thing for Cedar, according to Rocket21's report. This herd path is much easier to find, and is marked with cairns and occasional yellow caution tape. Looks like it continues past the summit, but I didn't go beyond. The summit area has two small bumps of about equal height.
JVT and BPT were not too exciting, probably the most unappealing trails in the range I've come across so far. Three miles of snowmobile roads interrupted by some ugly logging in one area. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-12-21 |
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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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