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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Prospect Hill - West Peak, Perry Pond Peak, NH
Trails
Trails: Perry Stream Road, bushwhack, border swath, herd paths
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: From Rt 3 in Pittsburgh, take a left onto Day Rd. Mostly gravel but in excellent shape. This will eventually turn into Perry Stream Road which was in almost as good of shape until just below 1800ft where the road forks. You want the right fork that goes over a bridge. The left fork shows as reconnecting on Gaia but I didn’t notice it doing so later on. A low clearance vehicle could probably make it here. From this point on, mid-clearance is needed. 2WD okay though. The road is slow going and terribly long but in decent shape with one major exception. The road goes over many culverts most of which, while they may lol slightly unnerving in a low-clearance vehicle, are in good shape. Then, somewhere around Mile 7 there’s one that’s falling apart. My car made it over but I didn’t feel good about it. Felt even worse on the way out. Don’t think I scratched anything but it’s a solid drop that may hurt your suspension. I also became suspicious that I was making it worse by going over it. May need high-clearance now or very soon. Be very careful as I could totally see a car getting stuck here. There’s rocks sticking up out of the road but mid-clearance will be okay. A handful of blowdowns too but they’ve been partially taken care of so cars can get by until 3/4mi from the end of the road where one is totally blocking the road. I pulled off to the side and parked here.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Trivial rock hops over small drainages  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: N/A  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Sure but I’d be wary of ticks especially along the power lines where there’s also some scrambling that could be too much for them.  
Bugs
Bugs: Oh yeah. Used my 25% DEET many times. Head net would be preferred by many. Surprisingly I didn’t find any ticks on me. One in my car I noticed the day after.  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: Day 206, Peaks 198 & 199. 1st hike of the day. Late start at 12:45pm but beautiful sunny day and not crazy hot.

I walked the final 3/4mi of Perry Stream Rd to its end at a clearing. Here I made the decision to make a clockwise loop and ascend the longer and less steep way and descend the shorter and steeper way. Less room to screw up on my bearing on the descent and less chance of having a heart attack on the ascent.

I took a bearing just nearly west of north from the clearing and entered the woods, crossing a brook. Easy grades for almost a 1/2mi until I needed to cross over a ridge and drainage then I’d get on a straight, unhindered line to the peak. Steep up and down over ridge, then up to West Prospect. I hit the summit after another 1/2mi at mostly easy-moderate grades but encountering some steeper pitches too particularly closer to the summit. The woods were open the whole way with lots of wildflowers but also lots of wet areas (that explains the skunk cabbage!). The canister wasn’t very hard to find but note that it’s on a blowdown. I didn’t hit the border swath until after signing in; a very short distance from the highpoint.

I always thing the border swath is nicer than it is. Lots of PUDS, wet, swampy areas, and scrambles. Some nice views too though. I walked the swath to just east of Mt Prospect where I could follow a ridge south to Perry Pond Peak. Along the way I noted what may be a herd path (or game path) to Perry Stream Swamp. I didn’t follow it but did do a short whack OAB to a small knob just SE of the main summit of Prospect where i hoped to have a view of it. No luck really.

I hopped into the woods along the ridge at 2800ft. This ridge was a PITA to the col. Nothing awful about it but no matter where I seemed to go I was either in thick woods, blowdowns, or a swamp. I followed a herd path that contoured below it on its west side for a ways which was nice though sometimes wet but knew I eventually needed to climb up so I did. From there, I just meandered to and fro all the way to the col trying to find a decent line with no luck. Again nothing awful about it but just a real PITA and makes you feel kind of stupid. I think the difficulty in part was the ridge being rather wide and I’ll defined.

From the col, much easier going to the peak. The ridge narrowed and the woods were nicer and more consistent. Made much better time. Woods thickened near the summit andI thought I was on the highpoint before I really was but not oo hard to find the canister. I signed in and slabbed west of the peak back to my car in mostly decent woods but also wet and overgrown brush…classic Pittsburgh.

The hike was just under 6mi with about 1100ft of gain, taking me 4hrs to complete. Great to be back up in Pittsburg again! 159 more days and 166 more peaks to go…  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2022-05-26 
Link
Link: https:// 
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