| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Ayers Pond Peak, Ayers Pond - Middle Peak, Ayers Pond - Northwest Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Mountain Road, bushwhack, woods roads |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 9, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the end of Old Mountain Road, Bradford NH |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
no issues |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
These three peaks are on the NH 2000-Footer and NH 500 Highest list. With cold temps and high wind gusts we strapped on our snow shoes and started climbing west the unmaintained section of Old Mountain Rd for about a ¼ mile and started bushwhacking southwest on a hard-crusted snow surface to our first summit Ayers Pond Peak. Things started off at moderate grade, then got much steeper but all nice open woods as we headed towards the east running ridge line. Lots of moose activity along the way, the woods got a little thicker but not too bad and soon enough we hit the recognized high point.
We now set off heading northwest to our next summit, Ayers Pond Middle Peak. The wind was whipping right at us and very soon we hit an area that dropped pretty steep, not easily navigated with snow snows on so we took the off and strapped the on our backs. This area had no snow but frozen ground with ice flows so we pretty much crawled backwards, tree hugged, and butt slid our way down to the col before our next mountain. We strapped the snowshoes back on and climbed out of the col still heading northwest, crossed some previously logged area at moderate grade heading for the southern running ridge in nice woods and soon hitting the recognized high point of Ayers Pond Middle Peak.
After signing in we dropped off the summit still heading northwest to our third mountain of the day Ayers Pond Northwest Peak. The decent was for the most part nice and open and then the woods got really thick before we popped on the unmaintained Old Mountain Road at its height of land. We crossed, started climbing west in thicker woods but no bad. We hit a few ups and downs and then a finial steep climb in nice woods to the recognized high point of Ayers Pond Northwest Peak. The summit register was one of those old pill bottles, so we replaced it with a glass jar and retraced our steps back down to Old Mountain Road.
On our return trip to the truck we followed the old woods road and notice lots of moose activity in a previously logged to our north, so we made a little detour checking it out, picking up older woods’ roads heading in the same direction.
Another great adventure with my beautiful bride!
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 | Name: |
Brian Bond |
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 | E-Mail: |
brianbond@comcast.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-02-10 |
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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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