| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Doublehead, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Doublehead Trail, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 8, 2020 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Large parking area on the left just after the sign for Doublehead Preserve. Thompson Road is not in the best condition - it has lots of loose and protruding rocks, and is very narrow. It also has a couple of short, steep sections (that have loose and protruding rocks). I was going 10 mph or less for most of the distance in my Corolla. A vehicle with higher clearance that is more suited for rough roads and off-road travel wouldn't have any issues. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None on this route. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail was blazed with yellow diamonds. There were enough of them to follow the trail, but they required looking for in places. One blowdown that could be ducked under. No sign for Doublehead Trail at the trailhead - the trail is the prominent dirt road leading uphill directly across from the parking area. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one. They should be fine. There's no water though. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
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|
 | Comments: |
It may be only 1.4 miles up to the ridge, but don't underestimate the Doublehead Trail. It's a constant uphill grind most of the way, and the upper part of the trail is quite steep. The large quantity of fallen leaves were very slippery and definitely made the steep sections more difficult, both to go up and especially to come down.
Views from the open ledges just below the top of the ridge were amazing. From there, I headed up to the junction with Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, turned right, and summited East Doublehead. Where the summit is located isn't exactly clear - there's a rock outcropping in the woods that's traversed by the trail that seems to be the highest spot in the area, but there's no marking or sign there. Continuing very briefly onward led to another rock outcropping with a cairn, but that is definitely lower than the first one. I continued a little past that, but the trail seemed to be going downhill and there was nothing higher on either side, so I turned around.
I saw no one on the way up, and passed about a half-dozen people on the way down. Very warm weather - it felt more like August or early September than November. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2020-11-08 |
|
 | 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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