NewEnglandTrailConditions.com
NewEnglandTrailConditions.com:
MA
|
ME
|
NH
|
RI/CT
|
VT
|
Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty, NH
Trails
Trails: Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, Flume Slide Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, bike path
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, August 31, 2019
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Whitehouse/Liberty Spring hiker lot was full. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Low at the moment. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Lots of unmitigated erosion on Liberty Spring, Flume Slide, and Franconia Ridge Trail (the latter is so bad that the footbed is now lower than the waterbar outflows). 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: BEAR WARNING: Between the camp site and the ridge trail. Details in conditions below. 
Bugs
Bugs: BEE WARNING: Ground bees just before the top water crossing (before the trail starts climbing in earnest). Multiple people were stung today (including one of us). 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Whitehouse Trail was mostly dry.

Liberty Spring Trail up to the junction was fairly dry with minor mud in the usual places.

Flume Slide Trail was initially fairly dry, but the upper scrambles were still slimy and required care.

Franconia Ridge Trail between the peaks and to the Liberty Spring junction was mostly dry. Lots of unmitigated erosion makes it easy to slip on the loose rock.

About a tenth of a mile down the Liberty Spring Trail (still well above the camp site), we saw people running up the trail. Sure enough, there was a bear encounter. Not sure if the hiker already had their pack off, or dropped it while running away, but regardless the bear grabbed the backpack and pulled it about 50 feet off the trail. The bear did not care that people were shouting, clanking poles, blowing whistles, etc. Most folks stayed a good distance away, but we opted to slip by while the bear was distracted by the other people. We then went down to the campsite and notified the caretaker, who immediately went sprinting up the trail with pots and pans. We later heard that something similar happened earlier in the day.

Anyway, it might be wise to avoid this trail for awhile if hiking with a dog and to use caution otherwise.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2019-08-31 
Link
Link: https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos 
Bookmark and Share 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.

Copyright 2009-2024, All Rights Reserved