| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Baldface, North Baldface, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Baldface Circle Trail, Meader Ridge Trail, Eagle Link Trail, Wild River Trail, Black Angel Trail, Basin Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking at Baldface Circle Trailhead on Rt 113. No issues here on a Tuesday/Wednesday |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Wild river: crossing was rock hoppable at the eagle link crossing. A Ford was necessary at the Black Angel Crossing but was manageable. Red brook- rock hoppable but a bit sketchy. Water was raging. Spruce Brook- a Ford is required same volume as red brook- raging |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Mainly wilderness trails so expect a lack of maintenence. No noticeable issues with the maintained trails |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Only 2! |
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 | Bugs: |
Gnats and flies. Mosquitos weren't bad |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Started our overnight hike on 7/12/23 by climbing south then North Baldface. First time on these peaks and they were better than expected. The trails here were good, just a few added areas of pooling water with all the recent rain. We got to the junction just south of Eagle Crag then started hiking West down the Eagle Link Trail in the Wild River Wilderness. As expected, the trail was tough in spots with lack of maintenance and flooding. Overall, it was easy to follow and a gradual downhill. Plenty of moose scat but unfortunately we didn't come across any moose. We got down to the wild river and we're expecting a difficult crossing but it was completely rock hoppable. There were two crossings here of the wild river split up by an island of sorts which was unexpected. We then started hiking North on the Wild River Trail. This trail was nice! Very gradual along an old railroad bed and only a couple noticeable flooded areas. At RED Brook, the water was gushing! We gerry-rigged a way to cross without getting wet but this river was sketchy. We expected spruce brook to be easier but instead it was harder. There was no way we could stay dry on this crossing so we picked the best area and forded the river. Not too bad but water level and I tensity mirrored that of red brook. Unfortunately we got wet right before camping at the Spruce Brook Tentsite. The site is nice with three tent pads and water right nearby. It was quiet there for us and nice to fall asleep to the river roaring nearby. In the morning, we hiked North on the Wild River Trail and turned east to cross over to the Black Angel Trail. There was no way to stay dry here but there were a few areas that were not too deep and the water speed was manageable. I'm 6'2" and the water in spots came up to my upper thigh. If you're uncomfortable with water crossings, I'd avoid this downstream crossing and the red/spruce brook crossings. Some bushwacks were needed to find more suitable/safer river crossing spots. The Black angel trail was surprisingly steeper than expected (both up and down) before we got to the Basin Pond trail. This trail has large areas of severe flooding from the pond swelling up so we opted to Bushwack into the campground and avoid getting more wet. Overall, we did about 15 miles in two days and had a great time staying in the wilderness. We had been nervous about the water crossings with the high water and had multiple bail out plans but we were pleasantly surprised with being able to do them safely. |
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 | Name: |
Philip |
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 | E-Mail: |
Philipsheehy217@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-07-12 |
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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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