| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Waterville Flume, The Scaur, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Livermore Trail, Old Skidder Trail, Irene's Path, Kettles Path, Big Pines Path |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 24, 2020 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Maybe 20 vehicles at the large Livermore Trailhead when I arrived at 8:30. The lot was almost completely full when I got back a little after 1 PM. Probably about 70-75% of the cars were from out of state. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Practically nothing on this route, just a few one-step crossings of tiny creeks. Everything bigger than that was bridged. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All signs were in place. A few blowdowns on Livermore Trail past the north junction of Mt. Tripyramid Trail and on the other trails. Surprisingly little mud, even on Old Skidder Trail. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Old Skidder Trail has a section of narrow, steep sidehill, so watch them on that section. Otherwise, they'd be fine. Saw several on Livermore Road and Kettles Path, including two dogs whose owner closely controlled them as I was going past - Thank you, I always appreciate that. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Practically none at the trailhead when I began. As I headed up Livermore Trail, they gradually increased, but they never got annoying. The valley of Flume Brook was nice and cool - no bugs there. They came again on the western part of Irene's Path and Kettles Trail, but they were still never even close to annoying. I brought a head net, but never considered putting it on. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
This was a hike that I had planned for several months, and it did not disappoint. Livermore Trail is nicely gradual and smooth - it's a great way to gain elevation. At the trailhead, the trees had mostly leafed, but as I continued up, the leaves got smaller and smaller and the sun shone brightly in. Soon after the north junction of Mt. Tripyramid Trail, Livermore Trail narrowed to a single track and got a little rockier (but still not bad at all). First patches of snow that I saw were right at the height of land, just before the junction with Old Skidder Trail - roughly 2800 feet of elevation. Old Skidder Trail began as a narrow path winding around small patches of snow, but soon more snow appeared as it traversed a north-facing slope above Flume Brook (which was audible for most of the trail). Significant stretches of the eastern part of Old Skidder Path still have snow, but postholes and footsteps from previous hikers were visible, and as long as I stepped in those, I didn't sink into it. The snow was melting, however, and there were a few areas of dry trail between the snowy parts. The steeper western part of Old Skidder Path was mostly dry, which was good - it is on a steep and narrow sidehill, and footing was important.
When I reached the junction with Irene's Path, I visited the Waterville Flume. It is a very scenic area, with rapids on the brook coming through the vertical rock walls. The extension of the old Flume Brook Trail that went through the Flume was washed away by Hurricane Irene, but I could see where it had continued on the other side of the Flume. Getting there nowadays would only be possible if the water levels were very low, since you'd have to cross the brook twice to get there. When I was finished enjoying the Flume, I continued west on Irene's Path. There were a few small patches of icy monorail going up the side of the Flume Brook valley, but as soon as I reached the crest of the ridge, the trees immediately changed from conifers to deciduous, and I didn't see any more ice or snow for the rest of the day.
The rest of Irene's Path was very nice - quite gentle and scenic. The Scaur viewpoint was gorgeous - I could see the whole valley of Slide Brook and Cascade Brook, the long ridge of Snows Mountain, Sandwich Dome rising behind it, and of course Mt. Tecumseh - there were still some patches of snow on the ski trails, but it was mostly gone. Heading down from the Scaur, it started off steep, but then Kettles Path turned into a nice gentle walk in the woods. Near the end, I redlined Big Pines Path just for the heck of it - the pines were indeed big.
I saw a couple of people at the trailhead at the beginning, but then I didn't see anyone else until I was nearing the Scaur on Irene's Path. From there to the end, though, I saw at least a dozen different groups of people, most of whom didn't look ready for a 4000-footer but would be fine just going to the Scaur.
Really fun hike! |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-24 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
