| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Paugus, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bolles Trail, Old Paugus Trail, Beeline Trail, Beeline Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, September 11, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Shares the same parking lot with the Liberty Trail towards Chocorua, which 99% of hikers here probably take. Was nearly full by 10:00, but emptier by 3:00 |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I counted five major crossings. Due to the drought conditions, they were all easy rock-hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Besides of the Bolles Trail, the whole loop is lightly used and poorly blazed. I was mostly comfortable navigating the trails, but there are a couple sections on old Paugus where sudden turns may be tricky to spot. A little overgrown near the top, and the beeline had some tree debris. No blow downs surprisingly. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I’m not sure if this is the best dog hike. Some sections of old Paugus are seriously rough and scrambly, and I bet pups would get a little nervous. |
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 | Bugs: |
Too nice of a day for the bugs to be a problem. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Clockwise loop up old Paugus, then down Beeline
Did not see a single soul the entire time, which is actually a first for us. What a rough, but interesting loop up this peak. The hike starts slow, but once you reach the gully it gets a lot more fun (and exhausting). The gully wasn’t that bad even though it was rough, but the scrambles in the upper section were no joke. Thought it’d be dangerous coming down, but butt-sliding actually made it the funnest part of the descent! Finding the ledge at the top wasn’t hard: look for an area of large rocks, then go past them and descend to the ledge. Great views south and towards the western Sandwich Range.
When descending, I guess it’s less dangerous going down Beeline (the gully on old Paugus could be treacherous). But man oh man was it steep. The worst of it reminded me of that pitch on South Hancock with the gravelly footing. Took a couple falls, but they were soft. Just keep this in mind if you hike this way, and the steep section isn’t that long. One of the more memorable 52 WAV peaks!
39/52 WAV |
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 | Name: |
NHhiker95 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-09-11 |
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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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