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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks North Tripyramid, Middle Tripyramid, NH
Trails
Trails: Pine Bend Brook Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail, Sabbaday Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, September 26, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: We snagged some of the last spots at Sabbaday Falls at 8:30 AM, and then spotted cars over to Pine Bend Brook, where there was sufficient room to park along the road. When we got back at 4:30, cars were parked along the Kanc at Sabbaday Falls. Lincoln Woods was an absolute madhouse in both the morning and afternoon - cars were parked well past Hancock Campground, and the people walking along the road to their cars caused significant slowdowns on the Kanc. Traffic on the Kanc going into Lincoln was absolutely insane - some of the worst I've ever seen in the Whites (possibly even worse than North Conway on a holiday weekend). 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Water levels were very low. All the ones on Pine Bend Brook Trail were easy. On Sabbaday Brook Trail, the upper three had so little water that they could barely even be called 'water crossings'. The lower four were all straightforward rock hops. I can see how some of those lower crossings could be much more difficult in high water, though. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There were a fairly substantial number of blowdowns on both Pine Bend Brook and Sabbaday Brook trails. Both are mostly within the Sandwich Range Wilderness, so the blowdowns were no surprise, and none of them were serious impediments to travel. Very few blazes for the same reason, but the trails were not difficult to follow - rock work done on Pine Bend Brook helps in following that trail at some of the iffy sections. All signs are in place. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw several. They should do fine as long as they're comfortable on steep ledges. No water at the higher elevations though. 
Bugs
Bugs: There were actually some out in a few places. They weren't bothersome or biting though. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Saw some bagged-up dog poop on one of the trails. C'mon, people - don't just leave it there! 
 
Comments
Comments: This is a fun and challenging hike. The first two miles or so of Pine Bend Brook Trail is nice and gradual, but then it gets considerably steeper and rougher and doesn't really let up until you reach the top of the ridge (just before the junction with Scaur Ridge Trail). The footing isn't great, but it's not too bad - one thing to watch out for is that the footing in some places is very dusty and gravelly due to the drought, which makes it easier to slip.

The climb up to the summit of North Tripyramid was steep and rocky with some scrambles, but compared with the Terrifying 25s I've done recently, it didn't seem too bad. We chatted with a bunch of hikers at the summit, many of whom had come up the North Slide and reported that it was just as difficult as I remembered it. Then we went over to Middle - the trail between them is steep and rocky in places but it really wasn't that bad.

Heading down Sabbaday Brook Trail was interesting. The uppermost part of the steep section, closer to the top of the ridge, wasn't too bad going down - it was steep and rough, but there were good footholds. The bottom of the steep section, however, uses an overgrown slide that was very slippery and gravelly to descend - major caution needed to be exercised for that. It reminded me a little of the Owl's Head slide. Luckily, that part wasn't very long. The rest of Sabbaday Brook Trail is a moderate, and then easy, descent along Sabbaday Brook.

We only saw a few groups of people on Pine Bend Brook below the junction with Scaur Ridge Trail. We saw another few groups coming up North Tripyramid, and then at least two dozen people at the summit of North Tripyramid. We saw a similar number on Middle Tripyramid (granted, some of them were the same people). We only saw maybe a half-dozen people on Sabbaday Brook Trail until we got close to the falls, at which point we saw dozens of tourists coming up to look at the falls (which weren't spectacular due to the drought, but were still nice).  
Name
Name: GN 
E-Mail
E-Mail: ghnaigles@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-09-26 
Link
Link: https:// 
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