| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Kearsarge North Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Weeks Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 30, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the parking area, and there's a hiker sign on Green Hill Road showing you where to turn for the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The only ones of any consequence are a few above Shingle Pond and below the bog at the col between Kearsarge North and Rickers Knoll. These crossings required a little bit of thought and balance but were doable on exposed rocks (or logs). |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns, but not too bad considering the length and remoteness of the trail. None were tough to get around. Several substantial sections of the trail were muddy, and the mud was often difficult to see under the fallen leaves until you step in it. There's no sign at the summit that points in the direction of Weeks Brook Trail for hikers wanting to descend it, so if you climbed up it, remember where you came from. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
They should do fine - none of the ledges in the upper part of the trail are particularly challenging. |
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 | Bugs: |
A few - they generally weren't bothersome. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was an enjoyable out-and-back on a decidedly lesser-used trail. The dirt road is clear to begin with, and there's a prominent sign showing where to turn right onto a branch road. Then, almost immediately, the trail turns left off the branch road into the woods - there's a small sign and a post, but inexperienced hikers could blithely walk past it (though, honestly, inexperienced hikers shouldn't be using this trail anyway since parts of it above this point are difficult to follow). The trail is fairly clear through the logged areas, with some blazes, but there are also a bunch of mudpits and lots of turns on and off old logging roads. The section that goes through the log landing is straightforward, however the next section, from there to Shingle Pond, is narrow, faint, lightly blazed, and heavily covered in fallen leaves right now, making parts of it tough to follow.
Shingle Pond is nice, with the fire tower at the summit of Kearsarge North visible. A short section of the trail going around the pond has been flooded - there's no real herd path due to the light use this trail gets, so it's just a very short bushwhack. Fallen leaves continue to cover the trail for another few tenths, but as the trail reaches Middle Brook, it enters a mostly coniferous forest and the trail gets easier to follow. The trail's ascent is gradual to moderate until reaching the bog at the col between Kearsarge North and Rickers Knoll. The final 0.9 miles of the trail climbs 1,000 vertical feet - it was steep and strenuous as expected, but not technically difficult since the ledges were straightforward to climb and the rocks were mostly dry. The forest gradually thins before finally popping out just below the fire tower. As noted above, there's no sign at the summit pointing the direction of Weeks Brook trail, and the uppermost section up the ledges is poorly marked, so when climbing that final section, remember where you came from so you can find your way back.
Views from the fire tower were spectacular in all directions, as it was a nice clear, sunny day. I enjoyed chatting with some other hikers at the summit - everyone else had come up the Mt. Kearsarge North Trail. A dozen-plus hikers at the summit when I was there. On my descent, I met two hikers climbing Weeks Brook Trail - they were the only others I saw on that trail.
Great day to explore a new way to visit a familiar peak! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-10-30 |
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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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