| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Dog Falls, Smith Pond, Big Dog Falls, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Unnamed trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
At a gate for SPSF along NH 4A in Enfield, 4.0 mi. east of US 4. There is very limited room here; do not block the gate. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
One minor crossing of Shaker Brook on spur trail to old dam and spillway near the start, easily hopped. All other major crossings of Shaker and Smith Pond Brooks are on footbridges. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns, and all trails clearly blazed and signed at junctions by Jason and crew at Upper Valley Land Trust. The only minor issue is that the trail to Smith Pond needs brushing in its lower half. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. |
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 | Bugs: |
It stayed cool enough so they weren't too bad. With as brushy as some sections of this route are, I'm amazed I haven't found a tick yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
The two trails I used are within UVLT's Smith Pond Shaker Forest property. They are currently unnamed, but that might change soon.
From the gate, I walked up a muddy woods road a short distance to where the trail to Smith Pond departs left. Mostly easy going for the first half, then once it gets past the spur trail to Big Dog Falls, it gets steep and rough, passing right along the edge of the deep and steep ravine which holds the aforementioned falls. Rough climbing continues to 30 ft. Little Dog Falls, which falls into a picturesque pool beside a rustic bridge. Just above the falls, the trail ends at Smith Pond, where I shared the solitude with a family of six geese.
On the way down I hiked the 0.4 mi. side trail to Big Dog Falls, which starts out fairly easy but gets very rough in its upper half. This is a really beautiful spot, nestled within a secluded, narrow, steep-sided ravine. The falls tumble down through a rocky gorge at the head of this ravine. I'm not good at estimating height, but I'd guess the falls are about 100 ft. tall. Strong flow from yesterday's heavy rains made for quite a show. This spot reminded me of the box canyon along Kelley Trail in the Sandwich Range.
Awesome, awesome trails out here, I was pleasantly surprised. They were mostly wet with some slippery areas of mud and the spur trail to Big Dog Falls has lots of slick mossy rocks to be mindful of. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-29 |
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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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