| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, October 17, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We arrived around 8:45 AM at the depot by the AMC Highland Center. There was ample parking. When we got back around 4:00, it was almost full. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Just a few rock hops. Water level seemed quite low. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Encountered one friendly half-poodle, but he went up the Avalon Trail, whereas we ascended the A-Z Trail. |
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 | Bugs: |
One pesky mosquito near the summit of Mount Tom. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Mrs. Ridge Warrior may have lost a piece of one of her hiking poles somewhere between the trailhead and Mount Tom, but good luck finding it in all the leaves (we're also not sure this is when it was lost, but she noticed the problem somewhere on the A-Z trail). |
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 | Comments: |
The bottom section of the Avalon trail is fairly easy. The A-Z trail had one tricky stretch soon after it branched from Avalon Trail (down and up in a huge valley), but was otherwise reasonable. Probably one of the easier climbs we've done. We started around 9:00, reached the top of Tom by 11:30, and reached the Field summit around 12:45. We got caught in a passing shower on Mount Tom. After Field, we chose to descend by the Avalon Trail, which was probably a mistake (everyone else we saw went up Avalon and down the A-Z; I don't think we even saw anyone on the A-Z the whole time!). It is quite steep in many sections, and with the rain and leaves, the rocks were very slippery and tough for us to navigate. Thus, "saving" 0.4 miles of hiking by not backtracking down the Willey Range and A-Z likely didn't save us any time. We finished up just before 4:00.
The birds will come right up to you on Tom and Field... especially if you are trying to have a snack! One guy we saw on Field even had them landing on his hand/arm. |
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 | Name: |
The Ridge Warrior |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-10-17 |
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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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