| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Farr Hill (Littleton), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Farr Hill Road, herd paths, woods road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 14, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked just off of Broomstick Hill road at entrance to sno-mo trail. This sno-mo trail is the un-driveable north end of Farr Hill road; gated by wire, leaving just enough room for a couple cars. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Probably 10 ticks altogether. More active as it warmed up on the way back. I believe they were all on the sno-mo trail, which is wet, grassy and muddy. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Last month, this beginner bushwhacker got very lost trying to return to his car from this peak. So, over this past month, I analyzed my mistakes carefully, and today decided I really needed to go back and do it right. And today I succeeded, thus converting deep humiliation to real satisfaction.
I followed the sno-mo trail to very near the height of land, where a opening to the right appeared. You can see a stone wall end on the left side of the opening, and a black drainage pipe going under the left side as well. I pulled out my compass and set the direction of travel to West. As I proceeded down this sort of overgrown woods road, the road briefly curved North (to the right) and then back to the left. When I was going due West again, the road began to peter out and become a herd path. The herd path did the same thing, veered to the right a couple times, but then back to West. I soon hit the old wood's road that will take you to the summit. So that is the key to finding that wood's road in my opinion: use due West as an overall guide, and follow the herd path.
There are several blowdowns on the woods road which are easily gotten around. As mentioned in Lady B's report, the woods road takes a sharp right for the final climb to the summit. This last 100 yards is like a switchback, like a slash across the face of the final bluff, and IS the EASY way to get up and down this steep bluff. As I crested the ridge, I spotted the orange tape on the jar a few yards to the right, hanging from a little tree. So it's only a few yards away. That fact alone should be enough to allow one to find the woods road on the way back, but I recommend taking just another moment to turn around and look behind you and memorize how the road looks, for example, where the blowdowns cross the road and what they look like. Because in my zeal to get to the summit last month, I didn't do that, and that was the first thing I did wrong leading to me getting seriously lost. Most of you know all this already, things look very different when you turn around, so at any trail transistion, it's a good idea to turn around and pick out something about the landscape to remember, maybe even walk a few steps back down, to help retain the image. |
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 | Name: |
Steve Marion |
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 | E-Mail: |
swampfoxsteve@gmail |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-06-14 |
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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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