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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Sugarloaf Mountain (Nash Stream Forest) , NH
Trails
Trails: Sugarloaf Mountain Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, July 3, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: There are now actually two signs for the trail! The first is kind of high in a tree if I remember correctly and faces north so you wouldn’t see it driving unless you were headed south. There’s another small but more visible sign for Sugarloaf Mtn Trail and Sugarloaf Arm Tr to keep an eye out for while driving. We parked just south of the bridge as described in the guidebook. First car there at 8:30am but two more when we returned. I don’t think there’s room for many more than that but the guidebook describes another area to park even closer to the trailhead.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: None 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: The trail is what I believe is considered a “spur” of the Cohos Trail (CT) and is not actually part of it. It intersects with it or follows it briefly near the bottom and has yellow blaze for the CT there but beyond that I don’t think the trail was blazed. It follows an old road though so is easy to follow. There are a couple intersections with other roads but they are well signed/obvious. The only one that was a little confusing was 0.1mi in where the CT southbound goes left on Sugarloaf Arm Trail and Sugarloaf Trail goes right. There’s a sign pointing to the left for Sugarloaf Arm and Sugarloaf directly beneath it seeming to indicate they both go left. If you look REAL closely though you’ll see there’s a teeny tiny arrow pointing to the right next to “Sugarloaf. Just tough to see. The guidebook describes it well. Not many blowdowns. I think there were just one or two step over/straddlers near the top that were mid-sized and will hopefully get removed.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: None seen but should be a fine trail for them. No water though so bring some especially on a very hot and humid day like yesterday.  
Bugs
Bugs: Put bug spray on early because they were out. Lots and lots of flying things near the top including what my friend thought were some type of non-stinging bee but not terrible up there. I definitely recommend bug spray though. The trail goes through some brushy areas so check for ticks! 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: Our first redline of the day. The trail isn’t excessively steep but is often steep and pretty unrelenting in its grade. Only averaged 1mph to the top. The trail was wet in the morning from rain overnight probably. The rocks didn’t always look all that wet but many of them were quite slick so watch out for that. Not much mud though and what I remember was minor.

The summit was in the clear and had nice views although the summit isn’t totally open. Also, it was so humid that the views were quite hazy and visibility wasn’t great. We went just beyond the summit to a nice little lookout. On our far left we could see the Mahoosucs. In front of us was Long Mtn and the Percys and you could see the northern end of Kilkenny Ridge including The Horn beyond. From the main ledge/true summit you could also see over toward Dixville Notch with Kelsey Mtn beyond the notch between Muise Mtn and Whittington. Lots of windmills on Kelsey and what I believe was Dixville Peak behind it. Dixville Notch would be on the other side of it. We also met Bruce and Doreen on the summit who wrote “Waterfalls of the White Mountains” and it was a real treat talking with them :)  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-07-03 
Link
Link: https:// 
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