| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cogswell Mountain - Middle Peak (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Main Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 25, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
At the Gilmanton Year Round Library off NH 140 in Gilmanton. The town's website requests that people park here only when the library is closed, but I went in and asked if I could park and they said no problem. See comments below for an additional parking note. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few small open drainages. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Well, not good. This trail and trails / roads that branch off it are poorly marked or not marked at all. The two junctions with Beaver Pond Loop have small handmade signs about a foot off the ground. Main Trail has blazes for the first 0.1 mi., then they stop. I overshot a right turn and kept wandering on some logging road for a bit due to absence of markings. Some junctions, but not all, appear to be marked with yellow blazes. Overall, these trails need better blazing and signage. But hey, no blowdowns. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure I guess. |
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 | Bugs: |
They are waking up. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Didn't find my destination. |
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 | Comments: |
I originally approached this conservation area from a gate at the end of Lou Lane in Gilmanton, but as soon as I entered the woods the "trail" was flooded and appeared to be a gnarly, overgrown woods road after that. So I drove around to the library.
As noted above, very confusing getting around these trails due to poor markings. The only section of footpath was the first 0.1 mi. The rest is on a woods road and a snowmobile trail - not very exciting walking. A couple areas of hidden mud under what looked like solid ground. I stepped in up to my ankles twice. I bushwhacked around the first woods road section due to mud.
Shortly before reaching Summit Trail to Middle Peak, I arrived at a section of Main Trail which was flooded. I could have bushwhacked around it, but by then I was pretty disheartened by these trails so I turned around. |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-25 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.gilmantonnh.org/documents/cc/Cogswell_map_final_rev2-24Jan11.pdf |
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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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