| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mousley Mountain, Stonehouse Mountain, Bundy Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Mousley Brook Road, snowmobile trail, unknown road, bushwhack, herd paths, Mason Pond Trail, Mason Pond Spur |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Quinttown Rd was soft/muddy and rutted moderately at its start, then relatively solid for a ways until it came close to the Mousley Brook where it hit some softer and rutted spots again. Not too steep so it was doable with FWD but not a good place to lose control of the wheel with the brook right there so caution is needed. Mousley Rd was fine at its start and solid at its sharp uphill turn after Marsh Rd thank goodness, but then softened up considerably right after so make sure you’ve got enough momentum to power through this section at the top of the hill/turn if you’ve only got FWD. I parked at the small area with the kiosk for Mason Pond. That said, it looked like I could’ve made it all the way to the end where there’s parking for Daniel Doan Trail. Make sure not to go past this gate as it’s clearly signed (and you’d get stuck in the mud after way anyway, lol;). |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Rock hopable |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No obstructions on Mason Pond Trail that I remember. Mason Pond Trail and the pond spur were blazed in a light blue. The former is easy to to follow. The latter isn’t very well defined but the blazing should make it obvious as it was fairly frequent. Once you come out to the field on Mason Pond Trail, there is one cairn right in front of you, then nothing. Didn’t know which was to go and no sign of a treadway or trail so I wondered the farm fields to get back to my car, having to backtrack some to avoid barbed wire ???? Hopefully the start of this will become better marked. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Day 142, Peaks 123&124 (Bundy Mtn not on the 500 highest). 2nd hike and 3rd&4th peaks of the day. Warm sun and decent temps made this very windy afternoon hike a delight!
I walked in Mousley Brook Rd to its end where Daniel Doan Trail splits left and a snowmobile trail forks right. Make sure not to take a right onto another road/snowmobile trail just before this. I walked this snowmobile trail for maybe 3/4mi until I saw a road/path diverging right into the woods. I don’t think this is the one most people take as it sounds like that one is SE of the mountain and takes them up the S/SE ridge. This road took me west and ended quickly at a crossing of a drainage nearby the steep eastern flank of the NW ridge of Mousley. I crossed the drainage and headed up through open woods soon finding another road. The road soon split at a small pile of rocks with a stick in the middle. I took the road that was more on my bearing though it soon stopped. I continued slabbing westerly up the NE ridge though soon coming to a series of clear cuts with nice views To Smarts and Cube. I followed the clear cuts up the rest of the way to the ridge, then turned and followed the ridge SW up to the summit.
As others have noted, the summit area is a real treat. Lush green with some ledges. I was a happy boy! Pass over a few local ledge highpoints to the true summit. I signed in and and took a NW bearing to Stonehouse, roughly following my path in for a short ways before diverging. I made my way down in somewhat thick woods but also with some herd paths around the summit before getting back into the hardwoods and soon hitting the col. It was a short but steep ascent in good woods up to Stonehouse. To my surprise there was a sign but not trail on the summit! The summit was beautiful but different than that of Mousley. I explored a herd path to the west here. It followed some red blazes that I think are just a boundary marker though the blazing and herd path both ended at a cairn about 0.1mi from the summit. I was enjoying these woods so much I decided to add Bundy Mtn to the itinerary too though it’s not needed for the 500 highest.
I backtracked a short distance along this herd path, then turned north off the summit encountering some thicker woods. I then headed more westerly, then northerly, toward the col. It was an awkward set of lines and I certainly could’ve better followed the ridge. In the col between Stonehouse and Bundy I crossed a road, which I followed to the right briefly before heading into the hardwoods to Bundy. A short and somewhat steep ascent again to the summit of this little guy. Easy to find the register here which is placed for the NH1000 footers. Originally I’d thought I’d take a direct bearing from the summit to the pond but upon crossing the road, I aimed for just a little SE of the col instead. I made my way down steeply through hardwoods and soon hit the road which I followed out, taking the spur to Mason Pond along the way. Unfortunately, the road/trail just dumps you out into a field a ways from the road and I didn’t seem any markings back to it so just wondered through the field back to my car. Had to backtrack some to get around barbed wire. Not sure if I missed something or if this just isn’t marked.
There was minimal snow throughout the hike. Never thought of putting on my microspikes. The remaining snow should be gone in a couple weeks at most. The hike was about 6mi with roughly 1400ft of gain taking me 3.5hrs to complete. 223 more days and 241 more days to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-24 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
