| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Major, North Straightback, Straightback Mountain, West Quarry Mountain, East Quarry Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Major Trail, Belknap Range Trail, Brook Trail, North Straightback Link, Reed Road Trail, Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, Marsh Crossing Trail, Boulder Loop Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, May 5, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Terrific and ample parking on route 11 in Alton Bay. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easily rock hoppable! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No concerns. See details below! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few and they were having a ball! |
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 | Bugs: |
Yup. They have arrived. Sigh. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I thoroughly enjoyed hiking these trails, today! I hiked Major for sunrise (and would highly recommend this!), and then hiked the other trails and summits as part of the Hiking the Southern NH Trail Guide project.
Mt Major Trail. I took the ledge bypass on the way up (because it was dark and there was rain last night); I popped down to hike the Ledge spur when I returned to Mt Major around 11am (and wowza there were at least a dozen people on the summit at that point!!). The Ledge spur was mostly dry, at that point, and is ice-free.
Brook Trail. I went down and back up this trail. As noted the crossings were no problem.
North Straightback Link. I hiked this up (would be a bit sketchy to hike down it). I really liked this trail. Because the trees haven’t leafed out yet, the view of Alton Bay was pretty neat.
Dave Roberts Quarry Trail. Holy scrambles, Batman! I really liked this one quite a lot!
Reed Road Trail. I hiked this down and then back up. The upper sections were wet because of last night’s rain, but the “mud” isn’t more than a few cm deep so I think it’s really just from last night’s rain. The switchbacks through the trees were pleasant. I kept going down the little road past the “Trail” sign until I got to the gate and the really vocal dog at the house on my right. I was pretty close to where the pavement ended so I called this “good enough” for my safety and to spare the dog’s vocal cords.
After West Quarry I took a left on Marsh Crossing. (Actually, initially I missed this left turn so had to head back. The West Quarry summit sign is obvious - if you are looking for it!!) Holy scrambles, Batman! Again, I really liked the upper part of this trail and the lower part had some natural balance beams (ie logs) across the marshy bits so I kept my feet dry.
I then took a left on the Belknap Range Trail (BRT) and hiked over to where the Quarry Trail terminates, which is where there is a bit of a view. This was a good spot for a quick break.
I then continued on the BRT up to the Quarry Spur and then hiked back to the Quarry intersection. This time I hiked up Quarry to North Straightback again, and then down Quarry Spur and continued on the BRT all of the way back to Mt Major.
As noted I then hiked the Ledges Spur. And finally I headed down Boulder Loop Trail. You know what I am going to say - holy scrambles, Batman!!!!
All of these trails are well planned and well maintained. What I really liked was that someone is putting neat piles of branches across herd paths, in order to indicate that one shouldn’t head that way. YES!! THIS!! Loved it!! Once I caught on to this plan, I had absolutely no route finding difficulties because at every possible junction there was either a blaze or a neat pile of branches!!
There is one section of the Quarry Trail, just East of East Quarry summit, that is pretty boggy and does have some strategically placed logs and rocks, but they are sinking into the, well, bog, and so this section seems to be begging for a, well, you know, a bog bridge. I will put a series of photos on the Southern NH Trail Guide FB page and will include a photo of this spot!! Thank you for these terrific trails!! |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-05 |
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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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