| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Owl's Head, South Twin Mountain, Zealand Mountain, Mt. Isolation, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lonesome Lake Trail, Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Lincoln Slide, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Twin Brook Trail, Twinway, Zealand Trail, A-Z Trail, Avalon Trail, Crawford Path, Mizpah Cutoff, Mt. Clinton Trail, Dry River Cutoff, Mt. Eisenhower Trail, Dry River Trail, Isolation Trail West, Davis Path, Camel Trail, Crawford Path, Westside Trail, Gulfside, Parapet Trail, Osgood Trail, Great Gulf Trail, NH16, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, July 21, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The water crossings were all low and easily manageable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is a blowdown a few minutes past the Owl's Head Path junction on the Lincoln Brook Trail that could cause a little route finding issue |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
All trails not mentioned are in fine shape...Owl's Head Path has two option once on the slide, you can stay to the left and play in the slide some more or stay to the right in the bushes and up lose rocks.
Lincoln Brook Trail north of the slide until the next water crossing is very faint in spots, could be a little hard to follow if you're not paying attention. There is one blowdown a few minutes past the Owl's Head Path junction that can be a trail route issue as the trail is behind the blowdown, but it looks like people have been going below it and not back onto the trail. This blowdown is at a spot where the trail heads up the embankment through a dry stream bed away from the river, then soon takes a left and levels off again. If you find yourself wandering around near the river off trail, head back or uphill to intersect the trail. The rest of the Lincoln Brook Trail is a mix of ok to muddy and wet conditions with some brushiness and minor blowdowns here and there but overall in decent shape for the middle of nowhere.
Dry River Cutoff - narrow in spots and very muddy in a few other places but easy to follow for the most part, one problem area is a washed out water crossing, when you come to this crossing look to your left and you might see a tiny cairn that leads into the woods across the other side of the stream, the trail is very faint for a couple of dozen feet. If you find yourself at what looks like an open area for a primitive campsite, you went the wrong way, head up the steep embankment above this until you hit the trail.
Isolation West - the first half has a few washouts but there are no issues navigating the trail if you pay attention, it's muddy in spots too. The second half of this trail up to Davis Path is in great shape.
Parapet Trail, very nasty rocks, roots, and holes, and an overgrown part along the middle section of the trail when it dips into a scrub tunnel. Not a favorite of mine!
** FYI - below Lincoln Slide I stayed in the stream and rock hopped, then off to the left within an earshot of the stream through open woods towards the bottom.
This was a big hike/run for my Grid finish and the weather was on my side for the H2H + O-Z-I route.:) |
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 | Name: |
Chris |
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 | E-Mail: |
cdailey@hpearce.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-07-24 |
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 | Link: |
 https://dailey7779.blogspot.com/2016/07/hut-to-hut-traverse-owl-head-isolation_87.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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