| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Covell Mountain (Pittsburgh) , NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Road walk, Moose Mainway, Covell Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, December 17, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
If heading north on Rt 3, take a left onto Golden Eagle Rd in Pittsburgh. Where Golden Eagle Rd bears right, continue ahead on what’s now Ramblewood Rd to “Ramblewood Cabins & Campgroundâ€. I saw a man out there walking his dog (presumably works there) and asked if I could park somewhere to access the CT. He directed me to continue just a hair further up the road, then park by some campers, then continue along the road to the trailhead. The road in had some ice but was safe for my FWD vehicle. Of course, there’ll now be a few inches of snow on it. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Covell Mountain Trail/CT is blazed in yellow. Generally speaking, it was blazed very frequently but could still be difficult to follow at some points due to a very narrow trail corridor and some awkward turns in the trail. There was one blowdown that was easy enough to walk around. I don’t recall precisely where it was but I think it was not long before reaching the southwest knob. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
It would be a fine trail for dogs. The caretaker also had one so just watch out for that. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Day 47, Peak 44. 2nd hike of the day after Prospect Mtn in Pittsburgh. Very windy with temps in the upper 30s.
From my parking spot, I continued up the road. The road became icier here (my FWD car may have struggled) though microspikes weren’t entirely necessary as you could just walk alongside the road. I took a right and hopped on Koose Mainway into the woods. After about 0.1mi, Covell Mtn Trail/CT came in from the road on the left. Would’ve been easier to have just stuck to the road and taken that. Oh well. I continued close to another 0.1mi where another road joined from the left and the road began to descent a bit. As it continued to descend I became suspicious and checked Gaia. Evidently, I should have taken a very sharp left and continued on that trail to the left that joined. No signs indicating that left hand turn as the CT though it was clear once I retraced my steps. I continued up at easy grades, mostly through a softwood forest, to a southwest knob of the mountain, before the trail turned right (just north of east) and headed down into a hardwood forest before beginning its ascent of the main peak. You’ll come across a rock ledge that was revealed due to the uprooting of a large tree. Here, there is yellow paint indicating the CT and a view toward Magalloway. Also, on your left (I think roughly opposite the viewpoint toward Magalloway) you’ll see the true high point just off trail in the woods. There is a canister which was visible from the trail. I signed in and headed back down the same way except I took Covell Mtn Ytail the entire way back to the road rather than use Moose Mainway.
I didn’t use microspikes though some people may want them. A few inches of icky snow in some spots, more ice in other spots, and dry trail in others. A couple spots on my ascent up the main peak where I slipped on mud underneath leaves while going steeply up as well. The hike was roughly 4mi round trip with roughly 700ft of gain. I started at noon and finished at 2:30pm.
318 more peaks and 321 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-12-19 |
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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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