| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Holts Ledge , NH |
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 | Trails: |
Appalachian Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 27, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Goose Pond Road was surprisingly driveable given all the rain (it is not paved in parts). Coming from the south (longer drive on Goose Pond Road) there were 3 exactions of muddy ruts where I had to be careful. One of them is around a corner and could easily sneak up on you too. That said my car did fine and it doesn’t usually do well in mud (granted it needs new wheels...). If you have any concerns, drive in from the other side which is shorter and has just one short unpaved section that was no problem.
The parking area right at the trailhead was too muddy for my liking (it’d probably be okay by Sunday) so I parked at another parking pulloff right next to the trailhead as did one other person. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
They were surprisingly just a rock hop. They were definitely deeper than usual and flowing faster than normal but they were still pretty easy :) |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail is well blazed in white and is easy to follow. One large blowdown probably a little over halfway to Holts Ledge from the Goose Pond side. No big issues :) |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn’t see any but I think they’d be fine so long as you were VERY careful with them at the ledges given that it’s a very steep and long drop off. |
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 | Bugs: |
I didn’t notice any. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Trail conditions were better than I thought given all the rain! Until the beaver pond things were pretty dry. Going around the beaver pond was a bit tedious since many of the bog bridges are broke and need replaced. Some were submerged and of course they were slippery. That said my feet did not get wet since I never stepped in over my ankles and I had waterproof boots :) From there to close to the ridge things were pretty muddy or at least very wet (slippery leaves on the descent here). As you it closer to the top, things got considerably drier. Headed down towards Dorchester Road they got muddy again. The shelter spur was also quite muddy and had running water down it.
I had considered doing Moose Mtn but I looked across the street at its trailhead and the trail started out as a small stream so I opted for Holts Ledge instead :) I really enjoyed the views and hearing the falcons. I also got to hear a Barred Owl on my way back (just before the beaver ponds). Second Barred owl I’ve heard this week while our hiking! |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-27 |
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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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