Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Greeley Ponds, NH |
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| Trails: |
Livermore Trail, Greeley Ponds Trail, Timber Camp Trail, Lower Greeley Pond Spur |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 24, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the large Livermore Trailhead in Waterville Valley. No issues finding a spot. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Only crossing of note was the one 2.8 miles in on Greeley Ponds Trail. It took a combination of planning, balance, and waterproof boots. But I crossed without incident in both directions. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple blowdowns on Timber Camp Trail. Part of the upper Timber Camp Trail was also very wet and muddy. Greeley Ponds Trail was in better shape. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
I don't see why not. |
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| Bugs: |
None. |
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| Lost and Found: |
Nothing that I can remember. |
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| Comments: |
This was a redlining hike to finish the trails starting at or near the Livermore trailhead. Greeley Ponds Trail is flat and wide until a little bit past the junction with Goodrich Rock Trail, when it begins to ascend gradually but is still wide. Timber Camp Trail is also on an old road but gets narrow in places and seems to be lesser-used. The view from the gravel bank would have been great if it wasn't very cloudy and foggy, which it was, so I didn't see anything. Past there, the trail got a little rougher and significantly wetter, until the clearing with the cairn. The WMG says that there are views from here, however the trees were high enough that I doubt there would've actually been views even if it wasn't cloudy.
Continuing on Greeley Ponds Trail, there's a fairly short descent down to the Mad River, which is crossed on a bridge (it wasn't the funnest thing to go back up this in the afternoon, but it wasn't that bad). After the bridge, there's another big up-and-down relocation (it wasn't the funnest thing to go back up that either), and then the trail narrows and reaches a junction where the Lower Greeley Pond Spur (which is a ski trail) continues straight and the hiking trail crosses the river. The spur trail was a bit rougher than the hiking trail, but not too bad, and it crosses a bridge that was quite wet and slippery. The view from the end of the spur would certainly have been nice if it wasn't cloudy and foggy - as it was, I didn't see too much.
After the river crossing, Greeley Ponds Trail continues to ascend gradually with slightly rougher footing to and around the ponds. My turn-around point was the short side trail to the beach on the northern end of the Upper Greeley Pond. I had enjoyed the view there on a previous hike, and was hoping to have lunch there this time, however the higher water conditions resulted in the beach being completely underwater. There were some areas of mud and standing and running water on the trail going around the ponds.
Saw maybe a half-dozen other hikers, and a few bikers on the lower part of Greeley Ponds Trail. Making good progress on the Waterville Valley and Squam Lake tab. |
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| Name: |
GN |
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| E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-10-24 |
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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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