| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Highwater Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, June 19, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Wild River CG hiker parking. Plenty of space in cool, cloudy drizzle. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Getting to Highwater was no problem at either the Moriah Brook Ford or the Black Angel Ford crossings of the Wild River. I did not attempt the crossing at Shelburne Trail. The brook crossings along Highwater were not a problem either. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
From Black Angel to Moriah Brook the Highwater is in mediocre condition. I was able to follow but needed some creative thinking here and there to figure out what was and what was not a trail. But at least there was a trail. Yesterday I met a few hikers that had come that way and all were complaining about Moriah Brook and not Highwater.
Highwater from Moriah Brook to Shelburne, on the other hand, I found to be a royal mess. Massive blowdowns, overgrown flora, river bank cave-ins and simple lack of foot traffic for a decade have turned this trail into a bushwhacking route. The trail is essentially closed in this section. See my description below. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
A thorough tick check revealed none. Flying pests were blown away by today's winds. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Only the trail |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
I did sections of this trail in 1994 and remember it as not particularly memorable. It was then described in the AMC guidebook as a level, evenly graded walk along the banks of the Wild River. The foot bridges were still intact, and Highwater was a nice way to facilitate big loops on the trails over the Carter Range. No more.
As noted above, the section between Black Angel/Wild River and Moriah Brook was okay. It gets some use and some trail sense will get you through just fine.
However, it's now a decade since the first of the disastrous floods, and the section between Moriah Brook and Shelburne has not recovered. In fact, it's probably getting worse due to lack of maintenance, lack of use, and growth of vegetation. The massive blowdown .2 miles or so NW of Moriah Brook Trail has been there for several years and is still a showstopper. The trail simply vanishes for 500 to 1000 feet beyond. You just have to persevere and thrash your way through moose jungle. My advice is to stay fairly close to the river. Once you regain the "trail" you will find it, in mathematical terms, a discontinuous function. It comes and goes somewhat whimsically, showing a nice evenly graded footpath with yellow tree-blazes for a while, then dumping you in the river or in an impenetrable thicket or in a confusing maze of flood gravel. Finally, the stone steps down to Bull Brook and its big flood washouts are the last I could find of any trail. I turned around there. My recollection is that Shelburne is quite close and probably a short bushwhack through the trees. Crossing Bull was easy enough, but my time was limited today and showers were threatening. |
|
 | Name: |
Spartacus |
|
 | E-Mail: |
acmearb@hotmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-06-19 |
|
 | 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. |
|
