| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Dakin Hill, Brooks Hill, Melville Hill, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, logging road, bushwhacks, ATV trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, June 12, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Next to the town barn just off NH 9 in Stoddard. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns on the MSG, but the adopters are usually pretty quick to clear them. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Eh, maybe not with all the grassy areas. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Mosquitoes and black flies. Amazingly, I've only found one tick so far. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was a Plan B hike but it worked out. I followed the MSG up to its height-of-land, where an ornery and very vocal spruce grouse was defending its turf. From the large clearing there, I followed an overgrown logging road up to near the summit of Dakin, where there is an old deer stand. From there it was a short bushwhack to the recognized high point.
I then set off toward Melville and Brooks, visiting the latter first. The bushwhack across the ridge was a bit of everything, but I was able to utilize a lot of fern-laden logging cuts. I popped out on the ATV trail just north of Melville (not shown on all maps), followed it to Brooks until it started to turn away, then did a short bushwhack up to the unrecognized summit. The high point appears to be two boulders with a blowdown on top.
I returned to the ATV trail and backtracked to a height-of-land near Melville, where I hopped on an older ATV trail which took me to a point less then 100 yds. from the summit, then I bushwhacked up. There's a jar and an old mossy cairn on top.
To exit, I backtracked to the main ATV trail and followed that back to the MSG. Mostly dry today although the MSG did have some mud. Bugs were not too pleasant but the breeze helped a little. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2020-06-12 |
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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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