| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
No Name Brook Peak, Abbott Brook Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Snowmobile trail, old roads, bushwhack, herd paths |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, September 11, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
From Rt 3 in Pittsburg (but south of the center of town) turn left onto Indian Stream Rd and follow it for 3mi before turning left onto Comstock Hill Rd (unnamed on Gaia). Follow this road or the extension of it for almost 8.5mi according to Gaia before turning left onto the road that follows Graham Brook. Indian Stream Rd is mostly dirt but suitable for any car. Comstock Rd I think would be doable for any low clearance car at least up until the road becomes the gray color on Gaia. I don’t think it was exactly in that spot but somewhere around there the road became narrower and somewhat rougher with a bit of a grassy centerline. Probably still passable with low clearance but mid clearance will be easy. The road that heads up toward No Name Brook Peak and follows the Graham Brook you’ll need at least mid clearance for. High clearance may be preferable. I made it with 7in and FWD. I parked in a grassy clearing at the drivable end of the road (gate) which is 1.3mi from the “main” road. Also, the road that follows the Abbott Brook drainage looked a bit washed out at the bottom. Another, grassy connecting road a few dozen feet long maybe appears to have been made. May be a struggle to get up in a car like mine. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All drainage crossings were easily rock hopable with dry feet |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Brush may be difficult for them. Also, watch out for the moose! |
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 | Bugs: |
Minimal to none |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Day 315, Peaks 295 & 296. 3rd hike and 3rd and 4th peaks of the day after Dixville Peak and Big Brook Bog Mountain. From my car, I continued behind the gate. The road shown on Gaia is easy to miss here and actually forks left whereas a less overgrown snowmobile trail forks right. I followed this snowmobile trail for roughly a 1/2mi at easy grades to just over 2050ft where a more overgrown road or trail clearly diverged right uphill toward a subpeak. I climbed up this and as I neared the ridge, looked for a good opening to the left. I turned left/NW toward the peak on what I thought looked like a herd path but was not. A little brushy but soon turned to genuine woods though the woods were kind of meh. I contoured just below the subpeak and made my way up to the true summit. The red dot on CalTopo helped me to find the register as I didn’t come to the true highpoint on the first try but a nearby locally high bump. Somewhat thick too so hard to see around you. I signed in and returned to the snowmobile trail roughly the same way. 1hr hike round trip to get back to the gate.
Now I was worried about finishing these peaks before dark when I’d driven over from Dixville Notch after having hiked Dixville Peak. Nonetheless by the time I got back to my car it was pretty safe to say I wouldn’t need a headlamp. Nevertheless I got the bright idea that to “save time” I’d tackle Abbott Brook Peak from this road too. The road goes inbetween the two peaks after all, right? Sure it’s a bit longer of a whack and appears to be more brushy on Gaia, but till save my cars wheels, right? Oi va voy. I walked along the true extension of the road that follows the drainage briefly, then cut very steeply down to the drainage. Climbed steeply up the other side and soon entered the brush. I pushed my way up through it crossing a minor ridge then descending once again to cross another drainage. Yippee! Up and down we go, then through more brush. I ascended SW toward the summit at moderately steep grades through brushy woods. Not much fun.
Walked around a little on the summit plateau but found the register before too long. I signed in and then got my second bright idea of the day. Head NW off the summit toward a minor col, then follow a small drainage back to the major drainage that I’d follow back to my car. It would be longer but easy navigationally and appeared to kiss the logging cuts/brush shown on Gaia. Big mistake. Steep coming off summit cone then absolutely horrendously thick, brushy woods, and the thickest young growth trees I’ve ever seen. Miserable following just east of this small drainage. An arguably redeeming factor is I came upon a huge brown rock that was moving…oh wait, it has antlers! It’s a humongous bull moose!! It finally realized I was there and stood up. Didn’t run away so I did instead, following some parallel old skidder roads. I soon found a female moose shortly thereafter. It didn’t immediately run away either. All I could think was “I hope Mr. Moose isn’t feeling frisky and thinks I’m trying to steal his lady…”. I soon made it to the major drainage and I found an old skidder road and/or herd paths that travelled a good ways above the major drainage to the east. Wet but walkable. Would’ve taken me south of my car though so I eventually cut down to cross the drainage. I then headed north, in an embarrassingly circular manner, to my car. Lesson learned: just because you’re nearly there and are getting lazy, don’t trust your so called “intuition”. Use compass, moron!
Some hikes, you just make every wrong call on. I guess this was one of them. C’est la vie. Round trip to both peaks was 4mi with almost 1000ft of gain. Took me 3hrs and what a miserable last 1hr it was. In fact, I barely made it out without the headlamp! 50 more days and 69 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: |
2022-09-13 |
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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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