| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
White Cliff, First Cascade, Second Cascade, NH |
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 | Trails: |
The Link, Amphibrach, Monaway, Ladderback Trail, Along the Brink, Cliffway, Randolph Path, Log Cabin Cutoff, Cabin-Cascades Trail, Israel Ridge Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, September 19, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The usual long lines of cars at Appalachia. The sort of thing we should expect on a sunny late summer weekend. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of Spur Brook on Cliffway requires one step on a flat ledge that's wet, slippery, and at the top of a water slide. Be careful and you'll be fine - it's also over very quickly. The crossing of Spur Brook on Randolph Path is normally easy but required more caution this time because the rocks were wet and slippery. The crossings of Cascade Brook on Israel Ridge Path and the Link looked difficult, particularly the one on the Link, which would've required stepping on a few wet rocks with water running over them. I didn't actually do that crossing, but I had lunch there. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
On Israel Ridge Path right around the Second Cascade, it looks like a tree fell and slid across the trail. The trail itself is not blocked by the tree, but there's an exposed, wet ledge with three metal pins in it that aren't holding anything right now. I'm wondering if there used to be a ladder there, but right now there isn't. Besides that, there are a couple stepovers that are not a major issue. Log Cabin Cutoff and Cabin-Cascades Trail are both very rough with several sections of wet, slippery moss and rocks, and Cabin-Cascades Trail also has several very steep and eroded sections - maybe some trail work could be done on these? |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I suppose most dogs would probably do fine on these trails. But be warned that the dropoff at White Cliff is considerable and that the trail runs right along the edge, so be careful with your dog (and yourself) in that area. |
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 | Bugs: |
Very few. Not an issue. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a fun and not too strenuous redlining loop. The trails were damp and Cold Brook Fall was flowing well. The Amphibrach is definitely one of the nicer trails in the area - nothing too difficult there. Monaway is a moderate ascent, but rough and somewhat obscure in places (though experienced hikers won't have any issues following it). Ladderback Trail is also quite rough and has a lot of minor ups and downs, as it runs along a steep sidehill (which would be a theme of this hike). The portion of Cliffway that I did is mostly flat or very gradual. Randolph Path above its junction with Spur Trail gets quite steep and rough - that's probably the steepest part of the entire Randolph Path. There were a couple of somewhat iffy sections requiring getting around large, slippery rocks along this steep sidehill. Log Cabin Cutoff had a whole bunch of minor ups and downs and was quite rough, with a lot of wet, slippery rocks and roots. Cabin-Cascades Trail was much the same except it also involved a few steep descents with poor footing along steep sidehills, so caution is required on it.
The short section of Israel Ridge Path that I was on (between the First and Second Cascades) was steep and rough, with two fairly short wooden ladders that were securely attached to the rock. I didn't go past the place with the metal pins that weren't holding anything - hopefully whatever was being held by those metal pins is replaced. The First Cascade was beautiful, and the ledge at its top is the perfect place to eat lunch. I took the Link all the way back to the trailhead - the first part was quite rough and had some ups and downs, but past the junction with Lowe's Path the footing improved.
On this hike, I passed 60% of miles completed for redlining. Making good progress! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-09-19 |
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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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