| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Sunapee, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Bushwhack |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at a pullout on the west side of the road roughly 0.8mi south of the Andrew Brook Trail. This was at the HOL on the road, just south of what looked like an abandoned white house (I think it’s historic…a sign said 1865 or something on it) and in the center of the pond. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
N/A |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure but see private property notes below. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Day 143, Peak 129. 3rd hike and 5th peak of the day after the 3 Ayers Pond peaks and Rowes Hill. Temps in the mid 40s and the sun in/out of cloud.
This was a “bonus” peak for me yesterday as I wasn’t planning on doing it though I had the time. I quickly read a trail report or two here before doing it and noted some potential access issues. No posted land visible from where I parked so I crossed the road and entered the woods on a SE bearing and ascended toward the peak in open woods at a moderate-steep grade. I crossed a road that had some flagging. No private property signs so I assumed this wasn’t the trail others have mentioned in reports. You’ll come to a flatter area with easier grades roughly halfway up nearby a stone wall which you can follow for a ways. The woods transition from hardwood to softwood here. Beautiful but a bit thicker. I headed a bit more southerly here to avoid some spruce. The grade stiffened again until I hit the ridge 0.1-0.2mi south of the peak. I followed the ridge NE to an open area with views just shy of the highpoint which I found easily enough. I signed in, surprised to note that someone had been there just the day before me!
I took a bearing and headed down. Because I avoided some sprice on my way up, my descent line close to the summit, was, at times, 0.2mi north of my ascent line. I say this because I did not run into any posted land on my ascent but I did about 0.1mi NW of the summit on my descent. Here, I turned left (west) to avoid the signage. AFTER I did this, I ran into the trail others have spoke of. It was blazed in white. It was certainly very close to the posted land but is it actually on it? I don’t know. I played it safe and only followed it for 50yds or so to negotiate a tricky spot, then, where it turned sharply right, I continued straight on my bearing soon running back into the stone wall area with easier grades at about 1750ft. It seemed to me that I’d avoided the posted land and I should be good to follow the same line down that I’d come up on. WELL…according to Gaia I actually crossed my ascent line here and was on the south side of it when I saw another private property sign on my right (north). If Gaia is correct, which I think it is, this would imply that though I hadn’t seen a single private property sign on my ascent, I must’ve been on someone’s land. That said, there were no other signs around here that I could see. There was some flagging which I followed for some time until I became paranoid that it could be marking the boundary and I’d again been on posted land most of the hike. Luckily, my car was now within eyesight and I made my way down to it.
I’d refer you to coldrivercampcooks report of this mountain as I am really unsure of where the property boundaries are here. Again, in summary, I did not see ANY posted land on my ascent. I did see some flagging but no signs. On my descent, I was further north close to the peak and ran into some, I turned to avoid it wound up, south of my ascent line, and ran into a single sign much further south which would seem to indicate that though I’d seen no posted land on my ascent I was indeed on it…hmph!!
The hike was about 1.5mi with 600ft of gain taking me 1hr5min. 222 more days and 236 more peaks 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. |
|
