| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Smarts Brook Trail, Tri-Town Trail, Yellow Jacket Trail, Pine Flats Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 4, 2025 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of space at the Smarts Brook Trailhead on Route 49. There were never more than 6 vehicles there at any one time. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No major blowdowns, and only a few muddy spots. Many junctions have signs, but there's one place where a sign is needed - when heading up Smarts Brook Trail, the trail takes a sharp right turn just before the junction with Tri-Town Trail, and there's a clear path straight ahead. There should be a sign indicating that Smarts Brook Trail turns right here. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few. No issues. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Perhaps due to the cooler temperatures (high 50s) and rainy conditions, no bugs today. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was a nice loop in the Waterville Valley area. These three trails - Tri-Town, Yellow Jacket, and Pine Flats - are in a kind of limbo regarding their necessity for redlining, since they are clearly mentioned and described in the WMG but are not included on the Redlining Spreadsheet for the 30th edition of the WMG. I figured I'd do them anyway just in case they are added to the Redlining Spreadsheet for a future edition. Regardless of whether they're needed or not, these trails are quite nice - they have gradual grades and generally good footing, and there wasn't too much mud despite the rainy weather recently. There are several unsigned footpaths branching off these trails, but take the larger trail at each fork and you'll be fine. Saw several trilliums along the trail, and I appreciated the bog bridges near the height-of-land on Tri-Town Trail. Smarts Brook was flowing very well today, and I wouldn't have wanted to cross it without the bridges on these trails. Pine Flats Trail goes past a gorge on the brook, which was very scenic, and even had some small patches of ice clinging to its walls despite the low elevation (<1,000 ft.). I'd definitely come back here. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2025-05-04 |
|
 | 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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