| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Moosilauke, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gorge Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 17, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking here always sort of confuses me. I parked just beyond where the road splits. There were cars lining the dirt roads for a LONG ways before that. There were a few cars above where I was too but none in the actual lot at the end of the road...I *think* this is because you’re not supposed to park there but I’ve asked some DOC people at times and they’ve said it was fine (or was at the time...?). I’d say that you seem to be pretty safe to park wherever so long as you don’t block the road and leave people plenty of room. I got there around noon which is why it was packed. Then again, it was still packed at 3:30-3:45pm when I finished. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing that isn’t bridged really. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Are DOC trails blazed?? They’re well signed anyhow and Gorge Brook Trail is certainly well travelled and easy to follow. Love the fluorescent orange signs, one guiding you back into treeline. Could be a life saver in poor visibility but you certainly wouldn’t see it all the way from the summit while in cloud. There’s a blowdown 1.5mi in that you may duck under to get on/off the bridge that crosses the brook there. Not recalling any other blowdowns. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A few seen, some leashed and some unleashed. Only one that was a barker. Nice to see mostly responsible dog owners out there today :) |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I picked up a wet sweater near the bottom and carried it out. I think it said something about Eliot Camp? |
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 | Comments: |
My 19th 4000 footer this month out of 24 needed to grid out the month. Gridded out Moosilauke. A bit of a grumpy hike for me as I didn’t get to bushwhack this peak today (hurt the ankle yesterday and it didn’t seem prudent to bushwhack alone in case I needed to be carted out;) but the plethora of people out there and saying hello to everyone actually put me in a better mood. Besides, this trail is a fun one to boogy up as it has such easy grades.
Lots of wet rock and I slipped and fell once or twice. Not quite as much mud as I might have anticipated; mostly just water. Perhaps because the trail is so eroded. In particular, there is one rather large pool of standing water along the flat, wooded section between the shoulder and summit. It was actually very soon after the shoulder. Nice to be wearing boots instead of trail runners for once I suppose.
The summit was in cloud although it seemed as if it could’ve been out of it by the time I was down. Much more blue sky when I finished than when I started. Visibility was not really a concern given the trail is easy to make out without snow, the multitudes of people, and the cloud was not all that thick. I put on my rain jacket/hard shell over my base layer and put on gloves and a hat at tree line. Lots of others in shorts. I felt bad for them. Time to gear up. Wind wasn’t crazy but all the conditions put together surely made for a cold day. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-10-17 |
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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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