| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
White Cliff, NH |
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 | Trails: |
The Link, Cliffway, Along the Brink, Randolph Path, Brookbank, Fallsway |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 19, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There were parking spots at Appalachia - what a rarity! A substantial majority of the cars were from Quebec. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossing of Spur Brook on Cliffway was fairly straightforward - just one step on a wet, mossy ledge with a little water running down it. The first crossing of Snyder Brook, at the top of Brookbank, was negotiated on flat ledges with maybe an inch of running water on them. The second, lower crossing of Snyder Brook, at Sylvan Way, was more difficult, but ultimately doable with some very careful stepping and weight-placing. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The Link, Cliffway, and a couple sections of Randolph Path were not the clearest. We didn't have too much difficulty following them, however we have some experience at following similar trails. Lots of downed branches on all of the trails. Water bars were mostly doing their job, however there were still a couple mudpits. All trail junctions were very well signed - thanks RMC! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any, but I don't see why not. |
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 | Bugs: |
Some at the lower elevations. They weren't terrible, but bug spray or other repellent would be useful. We didn't see very many on Cliffway. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
At that final crossing of Snyder Brook, I leaned too far into the rock, my pack turned slightly upside down, and both water bottles slid out. One of them rolled safely into an indentation on the rock, but the other rolled down into the river. Luckily, the current brought it into an area of water that wasn't flowing downstream, and I was able to go down to the bank and grab it. |
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 | Comments: |
In the hands of a less devoted trail maintenance group, this loop could have been a wet, muddy slog on obscure trails to reach one outlook and a couple of waterfalls. However, thanks to the dedicated trailblazers and maintainers of the Randolph Mountain Club, we very much enjoyed this hike. The Link was nicely dry and wasn't too difficult to follow, but there were a lot of downed branches on the trail. We had been warned that Cliffway was infrequently used, and I was somewhat concerned about snow because of the Fourth Connecticut Lake fiasco the previous day, however Cliffway is actually a really nice and very scenic trail. The only snow we saw on the entire hike were a few tiny patches in very shaded areas not on the trail. We had a good view from White Cliff, and made sure to bag the 20-yard-long Along The Brink, which runs literally along the brink of White Cliff.
Cliffway continued to be very scenic - we walked past a view of King Ravine (which still had some snow on the headwall). It was rough in parts, but nothing too difficult. Randolph Path was its nice gentle self, and the trails along Snyder Brook are always enjoyable whichever side of the brook you're on (and now I've been on both!).
I had expected rain, however as we walked along Snyder Brook the sun came out instead, and when we got back to the trailhead it was 68 degrees (it was 55 when we started). Great way to end the weekend, and thanks so much to the amazing Randolph Mountain Club for making this hike possible. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-19 |
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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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