| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Eliza Brook Shelter, Harrington Pond, South Kinsman, North Kinsman, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Reel Brook Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail, Mt. Kinsman Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 6, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Reel Brook is down an unmaintained Town road, I was able to get to the trailhead parking in a low clearance vehicle, but there was no way I was going to be able to get into the lot. I made a spot near the trailhead and walked an extra 100 feet. As noted in the 31st edition of the WMNF guide, there is a nice lot about 0.2 before the main lot. Low clearance/2wd should have little issue getting here, atleast without snow |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues on any crossings today |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I will never not give Bruce props for the labor of love, or love of labor, for Mt. Kinsman Trail. It should be a guide of how trails should be maintained (Also rocket21 :) ). The new (last year's) waterbars are absolutely beautiful. I noted nothing needing love on this trail aside from a few water bars filled with leaf litter down low. Up high everything is immaculate. However there is a massive widow maker 14" birch, if coming from the parking lot, immediately before the first crossing (the little drainage about 0.3 up) This would likely need mechanical advantage to fix. I'll come up and help if you want extra hands. The trail signs on KRT where notably horribly off on their mileage (sign at TH says 2.9 to Kinsman Ridge, in reverse to Reel Brook is 3.5, same signs says 1 mile to Eliza and 4.5 to Kinsman Junction, sign at Eliza says 4 miles to Kinsman). |
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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 MAGNIFICENT day in the forest was had. I am not sure if the calendar is November 6 or June 6, but I'll take it. Humid! We ascended via Reel Brook which is a really great trail. First time on it, not the last. However with the time of year, you're playing rock, root, or mud roulette with the leaf litter. Very easy to follow, its more or less an old logging or skid road for its entire length. Also first time on this section of KRT, really beautiful and very unlike its northern sections of boulders and pain, aside from the last push to South Kinsman. We had lunch on South Kinsman at the throne and I posed for pictures, as this gridded it out, so I was queen for the day. Tank tops and in and out peekaboo views. We hit the true high point on the north knob on the way over to North. We finally saw people in the stretch, which was odd and sad because to this point our trail conversation would have absolutely had one of those large "WARNING" images flash on your screen with some scary voiceover to hide the children. IKYK. Stopped at the outlook ledge on North, and then dropped down to the survey disk just below the junction of MKT. Surveyor after all, we know where all the good stuff is. Uneventful on the way out, how we like it. Supper at Pemi Pub hit the spot. Today was, o borrow a quote from our Easterly neighbor, the Pine Tree State, "The way life should be." South and North where my 39th and 40th grid outs, respectively. The light grows brighter every day. Drip. Drip. Drip. Eight more. EIGHT. |
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 | Name: |
The Teal Goat & Honey_Badger |
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 | E-Mail: |
sea2thebiscuit@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-11-06 |
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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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