| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Ice Gulch, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ice Gulch Path, Peboamauk Loop, Cook Path, Boothman Spring Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 25, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There's a fair amount of room on the side of Randolph Hill Road at the trailhead. The trailhead sign makes it clear to park on the opposite side of the road from the trail. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The only crossings of consequence were the four on Peboamauk Loop, which were easy - plenty of rocks and very shallow water. The rocks were slippery, though, and most had moss on them, so some caution was still required. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lots of new-looking orange blazes - thanks RMC! - helped us stay on all trails, including through the Gulch, without much issue. There was clear evidence of recent work on removing blowdowns.
A couple of sign issues: First, at the lower junction of Ice Gulch Path and Peboamauk Loop, there was no sign for Peboamauk Loop (though the trail was clear and had an orange blaze visible from the junction). In addition, at the upper junction of those two trails, the sign pointing toward Ice Gulch Path going away from the Gulch was very misleading - it used the word 'Peboamauk', and didn't mention that it was in fact Ice Gulch Path, not Peboamauk Loop. Also, the Cook Path sign at the top of the Gulch, where it meets Ice Gulch Path, is gone, replaced by a small block of wood balanced on a nearby log that says 'Cook Path' (that block of wood is easy to miss). All other junctions were well signed. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Don't even think about trying to bring a dog through the Ice Gulch. The WMG says explicitly, "This trail is emphatically not suitable for dogs", and that is not an understatement. The entire trail through the Gulch consists of very difficult and strenuous boulder scrambling, with deep holes in between the boulders. If a dog fell into one of those holes, I have no idea how it would get out.
All other trails that we hiked would be fine for dogs, however. |
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 | Bugs: |
There were a fair number, mostly in the Gulch and afterwards, but they didn't bother us. The fact that we both put on 100% DEET bug spray beforehand probably helped. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
We saw a few items at what looked like a camping area on Boothman Spring Cutoff. We left them there. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a very difficult, but also very rewarding, hike. First two miles to the Marked Birch (which is unfortunately dead) were easy, taking less than an hour. Peboamauk Loop was more strenuous, but still not that bad, and very scenic. The Gulch itself was just as advertised - a constant rock scramble over and around massive boulders, with deep holes between them. This section will be very slow for anyone - it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get through. In several sections, I was wishing that I had longer legs - short legs make the Ice Gulch more difficult, and for that reason I would not recommend bringing younger children into the Gulch. We did see some ice at the bottom of some of the holes.
I've seen several people compare Ice Gulch to Mahoosuc Notch, and as someone who has now done them both, I think they are definitely comparable. In my opinion, Mahoosuc Notch is slightly more difficult, because it requires you to crawl under boulders, while in the Ice Gulch you never have to do that. I only needed to remove my pack once to get through Ice Gulch, compared with having to remove it at least a dozen times in Mahoosuc Notch. But don't get cocky - Ice Gulch is undoubtedly one of the roughest, slowest, and most difficult trails in New Hampshire. Come prepared, and do not underestimate it.
As a side note, despite the amazing weather we had today, we encountered only one other pair of hikers on our entire hike. Ice Gulch is certainly a good place to get away from it all. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-08-25 |
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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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