| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Pemi East Side Trail, Wilderness Trail, Thoreau Falls Trail, Shoal Pond Trail, Desolation Trail, Cedar Brook Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, May 9, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
at Lincoln Woods; plenty of parking |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
please see below for conditions of each trail; it includes water crossing notes |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
lots of blowdown everywhere, except for the part of Desolation trail I hiked; that one was in pristine condition and appeared to have been maintained recently |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
some stream crossings may pose an issue due o the strong current and/or depth |
|
 | Bugs: |
none :). (sure, bugs are out, but minding their own business, even when I cooked dinner) |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
trash (e.g. half burnt aluminum foil in a fire rink, ritz cracker packaging,... packed it out); one male pair of water sandals on Pemi East Trail about 1mi from the Franconia Brook Tentsites; put them on the side of the trail, leaning against a tree; I already had enough to carry) |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
The purpose of this trip was to avoid the snow/ice at higher elevation and enjoy meandering the woods of the Pemi Wilderness, exploring it in more depth than I had on previous trips. Hadn't been there since 2019. Wanted to spend some proper time there and not be rushed, so opted for backpacking. No bugs out that would bother. No bug spray was needed. I saw lots of small wildlife, and it was great observing them in their natural habitat. At 8pm, while lying in the tent, a few birds gave a concert--it was a mixture of melodies and lasted for about 10min; I am wondering which birds those were and what they were communicating. It was a joy to listen to. Checked out various logging camps and spotted way more artifacts than I had on previous trips.
Pemi East Branch: great condition to the tent sites; in great shape for cycling to the wilderness boundary; once in the wilderness, some blow downs; one water crossing that requires wading through; approx. ankle deep, but no rocks to hop on--I crossed downstream from the trail crossing to avoid strong current; section closest to junction with Thoreau Falls trail had most moose activity (though I didn't actually see any moose)
Cedar Brook trail: winner of most blowdowns in quick succession. I had planned to hike all the way to the juncture with the Hancock loop but once I reached another blowdown that would be annoying to bushwhack around, I decided that was it and turned around; on the way back, I thought the blowdowns had multiplied ;). Some blowdowns are old, but plenty of new(er) ones. Most blowdowns are easy step-overs though, to say something positive :)
Thoreau Falls Trail: when approaching the river crossing where the old bridge used to be, first one really muddy area, that required careful foot placement to not sink in; shortly after one area of 3 blowdowns; it's the tops of three trees that are blocking the trail; I bushwhacked around it; surprisingly, the water crossing was not difficult; I crossed downstream from where the bridge used to be; knee high in a couple of spots, otherwise ankle/shin; hiked the trail north and just passed a wilderness tent site area at the river, the trail collapsed into the river; rocks and trees are hanging on the eroded section and will eventually make it all the way down (don't know when this happened; as said previously, the last time I had visited that trail was in 2019); I didn't see a safe way to make it to the other side and due to the high water levels also opted not to cross over to the other side of the North Fork; that meant for me that the trail was a dead end and I wouldn't be visiting Thoreau Falls; I also didn't visit the memorial, due to the high water level; the only area where I felt comfortable crossing had rocks and trees stuck on the opposite side (from the landslide that took the trail with it a little further upstream), meaning I didn't feel comfortable climbing those up to get to the top on the opposite side
Wilderness Trail: while it had some blowdowns, it also appeared to have had some recent trail maintenance with tree branches put down in one muddy area to step on; one other muddy area had some rocks placed to make it across; it looked like someone had cut back branches that had grown into the trail (thank you to whoever you are!); most stream crossings easy rock hops, but the two closest to Stillwater junction (one at the junction) required wading through; in between those, the trail also features icy/snowy monorail; since it's pretty much flat, it's easy to walk on without slipping and sliding
Shoal Pond Trail: I only hiked a little bit of it from the direction of Stillwater Junction north; grown over, muddy and blowdowns--I didn't feel hiking it as an out and back (since I couldn't hike it as a loop it with Thoreau Falls trail)
Desolation Trail: I hiked the 0.8mi from Stillwater Junction to the juncture with Carrigain Notch Trail; trail is in perfect shape (thank you to whoever maintains it!); not one blowdown,... a few spots of ice and snow on or near the trail, but easy to navigate around; one of the many wilderness campsites had signs of very recent cowboy camping activity;
|
|
 | Name: |
Quarter (aka Green Skirt) |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-10 |
|
 | 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. |
|
