| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Flat Mountain Pond, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bennett Street Trail, Flat Mountain Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 28, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Upon arrival around 8:30-ish, there were a mere 2 vehicles in the trailhead parking area. This lot can easily accommodate a dozen vehicles, depending upon girth, etc. Upon our return around 2:30-ish there only another 3 vehicles in the lot.
To those that don't know, the last 1/2 mile or so on the road in is single laned, so be on guard for vehicles, esp wide bodied ones, coming from the opposite direction, to avoid a 'Standoff'. We were very grateful to a wagon/SUV driver that backed up upon our approach, and our exit. Thank you!
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings were uneventful, save for the expected slippery moss/slime covered rocks to hop upon. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail is generally in great shape. A couple blow downs covering Flat Mtn and Bennet Street trails, easily avoided.
Water bars appear to be doing their job on the trail, too.
Thanks to the trail maintainers! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Nary a one. :-( Very quiet day on the trails ! |
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 | Bugs: |
Hardly any. Strikingly, largely a no-fly zone for most of hike. My hiking buddy had 1 black fly/no-see-um and one mosquito encounter. I had one bug bite of unknown origin. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Anyone need any rusting railroad rails, plates or spikes? :-) |
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 | Comments: |
Great day for a relatively flat (1,400' elev gain) and 10 mile hike. Started out overcast with fog/low-hanging clouds, turned to partly sunny (with some lingering low-hanging clouds over nearby peaks).
Amazingly the Flat Mtn Pond shelter and campsite areas were empty. By now, I guess that folks were ending vacations, preparing to bring their young ones back to school & soccer games, and watching early season Sunday afternoon football games! We saw few folks on or near trail. One overnight hiker leaving the trail as we entered - heading to the other lot, likely after an overnight loop. One guy at the last really rocky stream crossing, and then a mixed generation family that appeared to be headed to river side or waterfalls, and finally, a couple out for a hike, just starting out from the trailhead and we were headed out. Very quiet day.
Flat Mtn summit (not visited by us) is a trail-less bushwack. From the Flat Mtn Pond area perspective this flat-topped peak doesn't appear to have any good outlook vantage points, so I'm not surprised that it lacks a trail up.
This was a very gentle hike for the most part, which my hiking buddy and I much needed. For me, after several days of road/gravel with elevation cycling in a row, and for him, a basketball tournament the day before. Not a day for doing the high peaks and much more elevation gain. Both the forementioned trails offer much in the way of undulating former railroad bed, mostly flat, but with some significant washouts due to flood events taking away the rail bed, and returning the slope to it's rocky, former self. A great day on the trails with some beautiful views from the pond and around the shelter area.
Wildlife wasn't in abundance this day. We unintentionally scared a bird up in a tree along the trail (almost sounded like a grouse, but I dunno) and a wood duck, likely on alert for humans with fire-sticks in Flat Mtn Pond. Occasionally heard other small aviary life, but little else. Saw moose droppings near the very wet turn in the Flat Mtn Trail, but not much else.
Wonderful on the trails. So very much to enjoy even on a very peaceful woods hike. Highly recommend it. |
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 | Name: |
Mike and hiking buddy |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-08-29 |
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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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