| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Bemis (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nancy Pond Trail, abandoned Mt. Bemis Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 14, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I encountered about 7 other vehicles at the Nancy Pond trailhead in the morning and about twice as many when I returned. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problem crossing Nancy Brook on Nancy Pond Trail 1.6 miles in. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There a large tree fallen over Nancy Pond Trail about 10 minutes beyond FPA which can be walked under - but you may have to bend your neck depending on your height. Mt. Bemis Trail is long abandoned and it shows. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any. |
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 | Bugs: |
When the sun came out so did the bugs. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Nancy Pond Trail was a nice warm up for things to come. Finding the abandoned Mt. Bemis Trail wasn't terribly difficult but did require vision to see the corridor. Once on that trail I found it mostly easy to follow. I found the SE ridge to be very pleasant even with a couple of spots that were choked in by spruce or covered by fallen trees. However conditions deteriorated the further up I went and at about 3000' the trail vanished. There were some bits of flagging tape here and there but that assistance disappeared also. I messed around on the N side of the knob heading W through truly awful thick spruce and countless fallen trees. After not finding any evidence of a foot path, corridor or other form of relief I realized I had to whack back to the last part of known 'trail' I had ascended on - through very tight spruce, crawling on my knees at times and attempting to balance on deadfall at others. After relaxing a bit, having lunch and reassessing my situation I decided to give it another look. I went back up to the same area, searching for any clues but came up empty. I could see the summit and determined that I could either a) treat it as a true bushwhack and head west-ish or b) turn around. Based on the harsh terrain I had already experienced I figured there was no way I'd make it to the top before my turn around time so I called it a day. The fact that I had had enough made it an easy call. Given my elevation and direction I'm guessing I was fairly close to the fabled meadow. If someone wants to tell me I was I can take it :) Now that I know what to expect I'll give it another go someday - but I probably shouldn't wait too long since conditions are unlikely to get any better.
Once onto the Mt. Bemis Trail I saw a nice whitetailed deer hopping up the trail so that was nice. Despite not getting to the top it was still a good day to be out - even if some of it was a real struggle. |
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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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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