| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Baker's Ledge, Mt. Kearsarge, Black Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Trail, spur path, Rollins Trail, road walk, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 23, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Spaces available on Kearsarge Valley Road @ 8:30 AM. Maybe 10 cars were parked in the pull-off and along the road when I returned early afternoon. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None of note on this route. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Once off the snomo trail there are some larger felled tress on Lincoln Trail but some of them have been there a while. These can be stepped on or over without issue but there is one tangle ~ 3 miles in where a herd path has formed around it. There's also a small stretch ~ 2.5 miles in that is very muddy with ATV-looking tracks through it. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few. |
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 | Bugs: |
Flies were annoying when the breeze stopped. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
The 'Link' had been harvested since the last time I was here so that was a surprise. Trails are in overall good shape except for the downed trees mentioned above. I had forgotten how Lincoln Trail has some flat-ish stretches with some short climbs in between.
My main objective for coming here was to explore Black Mountain. In planning it seemed that ascending from the road on the east side might be the easiest in terms of terrain - this was visually confirmed when I got to the top of Kearsarge. I dropped down on the road a bit and went through very open woods the entire way. The SW bump is the recognized summit and judging by the jar not too many people visit it - I was only the second one since 2018. For descent I headed NNE to mitigate some of the steeps to the NW and that line was mostly open also, though a little scrubby higher up.
Nice day to be on the trails. This was my first mountain hike in 2+ months and it felt it - I guess lots of biking doesn't do much for keeping in hiking shape :) I was surprised how many people there weren't on Kearsarge when I got to the summit - maybe 15 or so late morning. However I was also surprised how many people I passed going down Lincoln Trail as they were coming up - I'd guess a dozen which probably exceeds my previous visits combined. |
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-23 |
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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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