| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
West Field, Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ethan Pond Trail, bushwhack, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 9, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
A couple of cars at Ethan Pond TH in the morning, was overflowing with leaf peepers when I returned at 3:30. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easily rock hopped, just needed careful foot placement as the ones on the bushwhack were covered in moss. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Everything was in great shape with the exception of a walkaround blowdown halfway between Field and Willey. A small handsaw should take care of it. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A nice loop in the Whites for an unsettled fall day. Started in flurries, then wind and clouds, then clear skies and sun, ending in the rain.
Started with an easy hike along Ethan Pond Trail, hit the spur to the shelter and continued another 0.5 miles. At this point I started the bushwhack and headed due north to hit the west ridge of Mt Willey. I followed the ridge up to ~3300' and followed the contour line to the main drainage between Field and West Field. The woods to this point were reasonable, a couple of thick sections, but nothing terrible. The thickest sections were young 4'-6' tall spruce, which I don't mind too much as they're at least soft and don't scratch you too badly. Once at the drainage I took a bearing for the summit and headed straight up. This was very steep, but there were plenty of trees to pull yourself up. One word of caution - there are a lot of "moss traps" on this slope. Some of the moss was 12-18" thick and covering seemingly bottomless holes in the rocks. Just pay attention to what's under the moss and test your footholds. Coming up from the climb I hit the recognized high point quickly and signed in. If anyone is reading this, the register could use a replacement ziplock.
After the summit I took a bearing and headed towards the intersection of A-Z trail and the snowmobile trail a number of other reports mention. The woods were quite nice with a fir overstory and moss covering the ground. About halfway down I questioned my decision "Why hike down an extra 500' of elevation, only to have to climb back up?" At that point I shifted right and slabbed towards the A-Z trail, eventually intersecting it at ~3500'. The woods weren't great, but totally reasonable and stumbled upon some interesting rock caves and viewpoints along the way.
From there it was up A-Z Trail, Mt Tom spur and then along the Willey Range Trail and back to the Ethan Pond Trailhead. |
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 | Name: |
Ben |
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 | E-Mail: |
partlowbp@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-10-09 |
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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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