| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Anna, West Quarry Mountain, Straightback Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Stage Road, Anna-Goat Pasture Trail, Precipice Path, Anna-Straightback Link, Marsh Crossing Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 11, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Maybe 8 or so other vehicles at the end of Alton Mountain Road when we arrived in the morning. 4 vehicles (not including ours) left when we got back. Plenty of space today, but on warm weekend days the lot can definitely overflow, and there are plenty of No Parking signs on the access road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A bunch of minor ones, but they were all pretty easy. There are always enough rocks or logs to step on. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blowdowns, including one on Precipice Path East right at the upper crossing of the brook. Several junctions are unsigned, including both ends of Marsh Crossing and the junction of BRT and Precipice Path East. Some of these junctions have (very small) cairns, and all have blazes clearly visible on the intersecting trails, but since there are no signs it's still very easy to miss the junctions. In addition, the trails have small white signs with the trail's name on them, but those signs are often not actually visible from the junction. So while those signs help to clarify what trail you're on, they don't help when actually trying to find the trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs might find some parts of Precipice Path difficult, particularly some of the rock scrambles near the waterfall at the bottom of Precipice Path West. In addition, the middle and upper sections of Precipice Path West come close to some very steep dropoffs. So I wouldn't recommend taking a dog on Precipice Path West. All the other trails would be fine though. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
We found a green fabric pouch during the climb up the waterfall on Precipice Path West, and a multicolored sock on Marsh Crossing that looked like it had been there a while. We left them there. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a very enjoyable redlining hike in the Belknaps. From the trailhead, we headed downhill on Old Stage Road toward Anna-Goat Pasture Trail. The section of Old Stage Road that crosses the swamp was dry (unlike the last time I did that section, last April, when it was under 3" of water). We turned right onto Anna-Goat Pasture Trail and then almost immediately right again onto Precipice Path Link (these junctions are well signed). Then a left onto Precipice Path West. The climb up the waterfall was fun - some nice rock scrambling in a beautiful setting, and the trail here was well blazed so we knew where it went. The crossings of the brook were not difficult - since the snow is practically all gone in the Belknaps and we haven't had rain for a while, the trails are drier and water levels are lower than one might expect in April. The cliff walk was somewhat sketchy in spots due to loose, gravelly footing and the fact that the trail gets quite close to some very steep dropoffs. At one point during the cliff walk, the trail appears to continue straight but actually turns sharply right up a ledge. The turn and the ledge are both blazed, but the turn is still very easy to miss because a well-used path continues straight (used by hikers who missed the turn). The trail maintainers might want to consider blocking off the false trail with branches and twigs. As the trail continues to ascend, it gets easier.
When we finally reached the junction with Belknap Range Trail, we turned left to redline the short section over to Mt. Anna. This section went down and then up, and was quite rough in places but was well blazed. We then retraced our steps to the junction with Precipice Path and continued east toward Straightback. Soon we spotted a very small cairn (three rocks) and yellow blazes leading off to the left - that was the Marsh Crossing trail (there's no sign for it). The marsh that it crosses (or rather goes near) was visible through the trees just before the junction, however it might not be visible in the summer when the leaves are out. Marsh Crossing was well blazed and had a few small water crossings but was otherwise relatively dry. It started off mostly flat but then climbed steeply, over rock slabs at some points, to the summit of West Quarry (where there's an unblazed but beaten path that leads to a cairn at the true summit). We then retraced our steps back to BRT and continued toward Straightback. The Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide says that this section is obscure in places, but it was well blazed and we didn't have any trouble following it. The open areas just below the summit of Straightback are beautiful. The junction with Precipice Path East was marked only by a cairn with a prominent purple blaze on it just to the right of the trail, but if you're looking for it you can't miss it.
Descending Precipice Path East was initially moderate and somewhat rocky, but not difficult. It then leveled out and became smoother in a place where there would be lots of blueberries in season. The final descent, however, was very steep and along a small stream with several small cascades. The footing was quite gravelly in spots and had a lot of fallen leaves in others, so careful foot placement was very important. Take it slow and you'll be fine.
The weather was excellent, with temperatures in the 50s, a nice breeze in places, and, despite the forecast, no rain. We saw fewer than 10 other hikers the whole day. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-04-11 |
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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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