| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
The Horn, The Bulge, Mt. Cabot, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Unknown Pond Trail, Horn Spur, Kilkenny Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, October 21, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area is just across the bridge from where the trailhead is. The road widens on the right-hand side, where you can pull off to the side to park. Room for maybe 3 cars.
Someone has been picking up empty beer cans/bottles from Mill Brook Road and placing them on the end of branches along the road. So random. I’m sure there’s a story to that.
Mill Brook Road (FR 11) is a 1.5 lane dirt road. It’s not plowed in winter, so the approach from this direction won’t be viable much longer. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blazing on the trails was very sparse. Especially on UPT. I think I saw one blaze on the way up, and that was a very faded one in the birch stand.
A small blowdown patch in the birch stand on UPT, but it has been cleaned up nicely. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn’t see any pups today, but I think they’d be fine on this route. |
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 | Bugs: |
WTF. On the way down, there were swarms of something. Looked like maybe baby mosquitoes? No idea. But they were everywhere on UPT on my way down. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
N/A |
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 | Comments: |
This is mostly a trail report for UPT from the Stark (north) side, as this trail doesn’t get a ton of use.
Trail is in great shape. There are some pretty significant mud patches in the bottom .5 miles of the trail. Trailbed was completely covered by fallen leaves, so there were a few surprise steps that ended up in muddy shoes.
Footing is some of the best I’ve encountered in the Whites. I can imagine that, without the leaves, you could fly up and down this trail. Not the typical rockfest that you get in the Whites.
As I mentioned above, Mill Brook Road is not plowed in winter. Seeing as the trailhead is 4.5 miles down the road, I imagine this won’t get used for much longer this season. Probably for the best, as the second mile of the trail is a sidehill.
As far as Kilkenny Ridge Trail, the first big bridge after Unknown Pond is in rough shape. Feels like it’s going to need to be replaced soon. The other two bridges are fine.
Apparently the summit sign is now gone also? Couldn’t find it anywhere. No pencil at the summit proper, either. |
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 | Name: |
Chef |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-10-21 |
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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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