| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Church Mountain, Grafton Knob, Crane Mountain, Orange Mountain, Rimrock , NH |
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 | Trails: |
Skyland Trail, West Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 13, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We spotted a car at West Ridge Trail. Cardigan Mtn Rd is now open all the way to the trailhead. The road up from the north still has sections with tons of small pebbles on them from mud season that are a bit tricky for FWD to get over. Any car should do okay though. Best we could see there was no parking area or even pull-off for the Skyland Trail. We just pulled off on the side of the road best we could in the vicinity of 4 corners. No cars at Skyland Trail around 9am and only a handful of cars at the Cardigan lot shortly past 8am. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were several blowdowns throughout the length of the trail but given how long it is, they didn’t seem frequent at all. Nothing huge or too cumbersome. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A hot day for them but sure |
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 | Bugs: |
At both the Skyland trailhead and the West Ridge trailhead they were out in full force and swarming but, by and large, not biting. Throughout the day they began to bite more and more though. Honestly the swarms alone was enough to drive you mad. They were much worse than I thought they’d be. Head net and bug shirt recommended if you’re easily bothered by them. Almost all black flies though. Very few mosquitos.
Also, I found three ticks on me during or after this hike. The disadvantage of a lightly travelled (and thus slightly overgrown) trail… |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Skyland Trail is blazed somewhat inconsistently in white if memory servers correctly. Sometimes the blazing was relatively regular, other times not so much. The trail is lightly trodden and could easily get a beginner lost, especially on its southern end in the hardwoods.
Day 194, Peak 183. First hike of a very hot and buggy day.
From Alexandria Four Corners, we started up Knowles Hill Rd, then bore left onto Church Hill Rd. We walked right by the sign and start of Skyland Trail. Watch out for it. From here, it’s a very short walk to attain the ridge, then a longer walk to get near Brown Mtn. After you attain the ridge, you’ll pass by a dilapidated cabin a short way off in the woods. This section is flat before a steeper ascent up to the summit areas. Mostly all hardwoods in between here and Church Mtn. I believe it was between Church and Grafton Knob that the woods started to change and become more scenic. Also, you’ll hit some ledge on the way to Grafton Knob.
The trail was very dry until around Crane Mtn. You’d have the occasional mud pit between here and West Ridge Trail. Lots of beautiful woods and ledges though. Between Grafton Knob and Cardigan Rimrock is a real treat. West Ridge Trail was mostly dry but is so eroded that it still had some wet rock though nothing seemed real slick. I forgot about all diverging, then converging paths on West Ridge Trail.
Of all these peaks, only one counts for the NH500 Highest: Orange/Gilman Mtn. No jar on top though I saw some guys that had found a geocache not far from the summit. 171 more days and 182 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: |
2022-05-16 |
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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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