| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Square Ledge (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Oliverian Brook Trail, Passaconaway Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 2, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for about 8-10 cars in the winter lot. The dirt road between the winter and summer lots has a fallen tree across it. The branches have been chopped off the tree for a width just wide enough for a vehicle, however the fallen log is still sharp in places, and I didn't see anyone try to drive over it. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Impassable. See comments below. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Both Oliverian Brook Trail and Passaconaway Cutoff had substantial sections of mud and wetness, but also plenty of drier spots. We several blowdowns on both trails, a couple of which required crawling under. The trails were littered with debris from the storm, some of which we were able to kick out of the way. No issues following either trail. No blazes on either trail either, even in the parts of Oliverian Brook that were outside the Wilderness. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one. They shouldn't have any trouble up to the river crossings. Can't say beyond them. |
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 | Bugs: |
None - I love this time of year! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
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 | Comments: |
We started up Oliverian Brook Trail at about 9 AM, our goal being to do a loop over Square Ledge and down Passaconaway Cutoff. We got past the junction with Passaconaway Cutoff, and there was a section of trail that was heavily eroded and wet, with a faint herd path around it which we took. A couple tenths after that, we reached the first major river crossing. The water was high and running fast, and there was no way to safely cross it where the trail crossed it. We bushwhacked upstream a bit, looking for a way to cross, but there was no good crossing that we could find. (In warmer weather and with water shoes, we wouldn't have had any issue.) Since this was the same brook crossing that I had to turn around at when I attempted this hike back in May, we dubbed the brook Frustration Brook, since it had now frustrated my plans twice.
We went back to the junction with Passaconaway Cutoff, and started hiking up that trail to try to get to Square Ledge that way. About a half-mile up the trail, we reached another brook crossing - it was Frustration Brook, just a little further upstream. And once again, we were unable to find a safe way across. We bushwhacked a considerable distance upstream, looking for any possible way across, but there simply wasn't one - nowhere was there a set of rocks that was close enough together to hop across the stream on. Having no other alternative, we headed back down to Oliverian Brook Trail and back to the trailhead. As a sort of consolation, we visited Rail and River trail afterwards.
Apart from the high water conditions, the weather was excellent - bright sunny skies, very little wind, and no snow or ice. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-11-02 |
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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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