| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bacon Ledge, Round Mountain, Trout Pond, Lightning Hill, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Antrim Road, Trout-N-Bacon Trail, bushwhack, unnamed trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 14, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked in the pulloff at the SPNHF boundary on Old Antrim Rd. in Stoddard, 0.5 mi. from Shedd Hill Rd. and 0.3 mi. prior to the start of the trail. Beyond this point, Old Antrim Rd. was muddy and rutted. High clearance vehicles would be able to get further, but there's nowhere to park at the start of the trail anyway. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of any issue. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The hiking trail has lots and lots of minor blowdowns, most of them prior to Bacon Ledge. There's also a large tree down right at the summit boulder on Round. Blazing seems to have been improved since my last visit, with some freshly painted markings and newer plastic blazes closer to the pond. Parts of this route beyond the ledge still take care to follow though due to light use. Signage is still sparse overall. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. |
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 | Bugs: |
I saw my first tiny winged insects of the year. They are waking up. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was a good choice to escape the craziness for a while, as it's one of the most remote and least used routes in southern NH.
The trail still has stretches of snow, but nothing requiring traction. Otherwise, it's either dry, wet or muddy. There was some black ice on the scramble up to Bacon Ledge, but it was fine with careful foot placement (I took the alternate bypass route down). Any remaining snow is melting quickly.
From Trout Pond, I headed up to the very top of the logged area above it and tried to find the old trail to Lightning Hill that I used last time. I couldn't locate it, so I just bushwhacked up in open woods until I hit it on the ridge, then followed it to the summit, where there is an old cairn. I was able to follow the trail down most of the way but did lose it a few times.
A beautiful day in this part of the state with cool temps and bright sun. |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-03-14 |
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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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