Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Moriah, NH |
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| Trails: |
Rattle River Trail, Kenduskeag Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 11, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area fine. There was just one other car there when I arrived and left; it may have been hunters. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Rock hops. Some of the rocks had a bit of snow or even ice but others were snowfree. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I took out a few blowdowns and trimmed several more. There is a major blowdown on Rattle River between the road and shelter that will require an ase, but it is just a straddle over. There is a cluster of major blowdowns on Kenduskeag a short ways up from Rattle River which will also require an axe, but they can be avoided and stay on the trail, although one does require getting on one's knees to get under it. A couple of old stags are in the trail, avoidable but could use a cleaning. A couple of the trees I cleaned enough to be walk throughs could use additional work. Pepper got a bit cold if I took too long. There was perhaps a long stretch between the shelter and trailhead where a debris dam caused the water to run down the trail. It is rougher than it was, but the water bars are working. There's a few places up high on Rattle River and more on Kenduskeag that could use a brushing. All signs are in place. A couple bog bridges on Kenduskeag are broken, a couple more are down to one plank. So overall the trails are usable as is, but at some point an axe will be needed to the big blowdown trees when the AT hikers come. There's a couple trees that are also not blocking now, but likely will break and finish their fall this winter or next spring. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper got to chase a few turkeys, intently listen to a pack of howling coyotes, and smell what may have been bear tracks. I stupidly assumed I could keep his paws dry and so I didn't apply any Musher's Wax, but he's still in summer mode and waded a crossing, and he did get some icing up on the bottom of his pads. He got a bit cold waiting for me on some blowdowns work, so I think it's time to get him a really warm coat in our old age; a sweater isn't enough if we don't keep moving. |
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| Bugs: |
None |
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| Lost and Found: |
None |
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| Comments: |
This was another storm damage reconnaissance on a route we've learned to enjoy for its solitude. We didn't see another soul all day excepting on the summit where we met a group and then an individual who had come up Stony Brook. The latter said that trail was okay, with a few blowdowns one requiring a crawl under. There was snow from the start, which was roughly 2 inches in the upper sections of the trails. We were mostly sheltered from the wind on this route, but at this time of year we were also shaded form the warm sun quite a bit once we got a good ways up. It was a wintry hike. |
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| Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-11-11 |
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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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