| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Howe Peak, Shelburne Moriah Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
FR95, Shelburne Trail, bushwhack, Kenduskeag Trail, Rattle River Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 3, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Spaces available at Rattle River TH @ 7:15 AM when I dropped off my bike. I parked at the base of FR95 @ 7:30 where mine was the only vehicle. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems with the crossings on Rattle River Trail. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I didn't notice many blazes on Shelburne Trail but the foot path is obvious. On Rattle River Trail there are a couple of large trees down at ~ 1860', another ~ 1740' and a nasty entanglement ~ 1460'. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I saw one heading up on the W side of Kenduskeag Trail. Hopefully it did not struggle with the footing - more on that below. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
I started from the base of FR95 since I spotted a bike and figured it would make for a warm up at the beginning and a quick departure at the end. Once onto the footpath portion of Shelburne Trail the elevation gain increases up to the junction of Kenduskeag Trail. This is where I began my whack to Howe Peak where I encountered about an equal amount thick-ish and open-ish woods up to the summit. Once there I found it odd that the notebook cover indicates a 3000' register with a peak elevation of 2966' (?) Anyhow there were some nice views from a couple of outcrops around the summit area since the clouds were higher up. On the whack back I encountered more thick-ish woods than on my ascent but ended up maybe 100' from my launch point.
Keduskeag Trail is a roller coaster with many ups and downs on each side of Shelburne Moriah but the nice open areas are usually worth it - but today the ridge was in the clouds with zero visibility at the summit. As I descended I was thinking: for people hiking 52WAV shouldn't there actually be a 'view' for a peak to count? ;) The bog planks on Kenduskeag Trail are *VERY* slippery as are the rock steps high up on the Rattle River Trail - leaves down do not help either. I took two diggers on the planks along with a couple of other near falls. This made for a very taxing descent until ~ 2000' where Rattle River Trail is an easy walk out. At the trailhead I unlocked my bike and had an easy ride on Route 2 (nearly all flat and downhill) back to my car @ FR95.
I only encountered about a dozen people all day and most of them were coming up the Rattle River side as I was going down - so a pretty quiet day which is just what I wanted.
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-10-04 |
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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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