| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Ayers Pond Peak, Ayers Pond - Middle Peak, Ayers Pond - Northwest Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Mountain Road, bushwhack, Half Moon Pond Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the drivable end of Old Mountain Rd in Bradford. The road is dirt coming in but the roads this far south in the state don’t seem to be too terribly soft. I think there was a bit of mud and ruts at its start but that was it. Easily passable by any vehicle. Note that when there’s not still a small snowbank at the end of the road, it’s theoretically possible that a car would want/need to drive up/down this road to one of the houses along it, parking would be very limited. Today, I just blocked the road. There’s a sign forbidding motorized vehicles on the road during mud season (all of April and May) so that would be a safe time to park here and block the road too. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing significant enough for me to recall it. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The roads were clear of any major obstructions as far as I recall. Lots of running water on Half Moon Pond Rd though. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Ayers Pond Peak (Durrell Mountain/Moon Mtn), Ayers Pond - Middle Peak, Ayers Pond - Northwest Peak
Day 143, Peaks 125, 126, and 127. 1st hike of the day on the nicest day of the week! Even warmer than the past couple of days but this time without the strong winds!
I walked Old Mountain Rd for a tenth or two of a mile before coming to a little ditch to divert water in the road where I turned left into the woods and took a SW bearing for the summit of Ayers Pond Peak. Grades were easy and the hardwoods a bit thick/young near the road for 0.1mi, then came a bit of a wet area and then the steep slog up the peak. Woods were fine and I crossed a road along the way. Very steep but no cliff bands. I hit the summit ridge east of the peak and followed it west to the highpoint. Not hard to find the register. I signed in and took a NW bearing to the col between this peak and middle peak. I soon hit an area of snow, the deepest I’ve hit over the past 3 days and actually punched through it about a foot too. If the snow was much deeper I could’ve said I fell in a spruce trap! Still not worth bringing snowshoes this far south and at such low elevation though. Grades were easy here but soon enough I came to the very steep drop down into the col. I was happy to not be doing this in winter with snowshoes strapped to my feet. I didn’t really come to any cliff bands, but you still needed to watch your footing with how steep it was. On the SE side of the col you cross a road. You then walk up to a small plateau, then descend again to the NW side of the col which is open and has some views and some prickly plants. A quick 10-15min ascent to the NW had me at the summit of middle peak. I signed in and headed down the NW ridge to Half Moon Pond Rd.
After about 15min along the ridge I came to Half Moon Pond Rd with the woods thickening just before I reached the road. I walked the road uphill to the right briefly to try and hit a nicer grade and better looking woods to tackle NW peak. I soon found them and took a left and headed west to the peak. You pass by a pond almost immediately and shortly thereafter begin a steep climb up to the peak. The summit area has some cool relics and a single animal bone in it. Look inside the teapot for the register :) I returned the same way and walked Half Moon Pond rd and Old Mountain Rd to my car. The former was soft and had some running water down it once I began to descend. Then, it merges with a drainage and REALLY had water running down it. Where it comes to a house/camp, the water diverges and the road becomes dry again. I assume this is where it also becomes Old Mountain Rd as well.
Gaia had me at about 4.25mi with 1300ft of gain, taking me 3.5hrs to complete. 222 more days and 238 more peaks to go… |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-24 |
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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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