| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Haystack Notch Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 24, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The is room for one car just north of the trail. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We rock hopped the first few but as the day went on, we just waded thru |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
It has been a long time since this trail received any love.
Many blowdowns and scant markings, make the middle part of this trail very difficult. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Certainly plenty of water but we chose to leave canines at home. |
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 | Bugs: |
Yes. Lots of very hungry bugs. The hardest parts of the trail to follow were also the buggiest. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
The trail...twice |
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 | Comments: |
The first few water crossings were rock hoppable but it hasn’t rained in days. The ascent to the height of land is pretty straight forward. The are many blow downs but the trail is easy to pick up once past them.
As you descend from the notch there were even more blow downs and the few people that use this trail, had picked different ways around the obstacles. Around 1500 feet the trail starts to gently slab north. On a previous trip, the slopping terrain had pulled me south and off track. Continuing the descent, the trail goes thru many wet areas. At the time of year the skunk cabbage is obscuring the barely visible footbed. We lost the trail here in both directions.We joked on the way back that we should have left more obvious foot prints in the mud.
Since the middle section of the trail is in a Wilderness area, there are very few blazes or cairns.
Once pass the wilderness boundary there are more blazes but you need to follow the footbed. As we approached the West Branch of the Pleasant River, the trail becomes easy to follow and quite picturesque. On the way out (East), there is a hard left off the trail marked by a tiny arrow sign on the right. We made sure to look for this on the way back. Once you leave the woods at 5.2, there are yellow tipped markers peaking out of the pickers and grass. Easy to see in May but my hiking partner said the grass was very high in late summer.
Following these markers across the clearing, we reached the new forest service sign marking the junction with the Miles Notch Trail.
We started around one not knowing what we would encounter. I thought the headlights might come out before we got back to the car.
I would hate to be coming west on the Haystack Notch trail with a heavy pack after a long day or in fading light. |
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 | Name: |
Hikertim |
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 | E-Mail: |
Tjcharboneauatgmaildotcom |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-25 |
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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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