| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Quarry Mountain, North Straightback, Mt. Major, Straightback Mountain, Mt. Anna, Mt. Mack, Mt. Klem, Rand Mountain, West Quarry Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Reed Road Trail, Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, Quarry Spur Trail, Blue Trail, Brook Trail, Red Trail, herd path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 22, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty at the parking lot on Reed Road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Minor brook crossings on Red Trail between Anna and Mack are no problem. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Around Mt. Rand: one fallen tree just E of the summit and another maybe 2.5 mile W of the summit. Minor point: I did not notice a sign designating the Reed Road Trail from the ridge but there is a sign facing it pointing E and W for the Quarry Trail - so if descending this trail that is your cue to do an about face. No issues otherwise - BRATTs do a great job in this area. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw many out and about today. Most of them were well behaved but two unleashed hounds barked very loudly at me coming off of Mt. Major. Twice I asked for the owners to control their dogs. Instead of actually doing anything to control the dogs, two of the people chose to start yelling their names (like that is going to do any good) and the other in the group just said "Sorry about that." |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found: a dime in the parking lot...lucky me! |
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 | Comments: |
If I had give an estimate I'd say about 70% of this route are free of snow and monorail ice. The other 30% is scattered throughout but seemed to be more prevalent in the south and west portions of the loop - especially between Anna and Mack. In many places there are enough roots, rocks and/or crunchy snow to get away without spikes and a lot of these spots are very short. However there are some more lengthy and slick stretches - along with ice hiding beneath pine needles and leaves - where spikes were the obvious choice. I was able to bareboot to Mt. Anna but if I had it to do over again I would have put spikes on at South Straightback. I think my final count for the on/off routine was five. FWIW: ascending West Quarry from the W I used the trail proper by-passing the by-pass and was able to bareboot up without issue - but with some careful foot placement.
During my time out there I probably saw as many people on and around Mt. Major as I did the rest of the hike (about 15). It was a gorgeous day to be outside with blue skies, abundant sun and zero wind. Many fine outlooks along the way to enjoy also. Although I wasn't exposed for any length of time today was a reminder to put some sunscreen in the pack. |
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-03-22 |
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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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