| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Fletcher Cascades, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Drakes Brook Trail, Fletcher Cascades Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 4, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for maybe 8-10 vehicles in the Sandwich Mountain/Drakes Brook parking area off Route 49 in Waterville Valley. I was the third car there. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of the brook that falls over Fletcher Cascades (a tributary of Drakes Brook) took some thought - some of the rocks for the normal crossing were under fast-flowing water - but I found a route that was safe. Experienced hikers who have crossed hundreds of brooks won't have too much trouble, but novices might find it more difficult. Several smaller brook crossings (some of which I suspect are frequently dry in the summer and fall) were easy. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown on the section between the lower and upper falls. Several muddy areas - one of which had stepping stones to get through, but the others didn't. Signs are good. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
They'd need to be comfortable on steep, narrow, wet trails to make it to the upper falls, though I feel that most dogs would probably do better than humans on that section since their four legs would help a lot. |
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 | Bugs: |
Perhaps due to the cooler temperatures (high 50s) and rainy conditions, no bugs today.
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was my second hike of the day after the Smarts Brook area loop. I'd been to Fletcher Cascades before, but it was on a dry fall day with virtually no water coming over the falls, and I wanted to see what the cascade was like after a rainstorm. The lower section of Drakes Brook Trail is a wide old road. Just after Drakes Brook Trail peels off from the road to cross the brook, Fletcher Cascades Trail also turns right off the road just a little bit up from there. The first 0.8 miles of Fletcher Cascades Trail, up to the crossing of the tributary brook, is pretty easy - rocky in sections, but quite gradual. The next 0.3, from there to the lower cascade, is a moderate climb, but the footing is still fairly good. The final tenth, however, leading to the upper falls, is steep and rough, and today was very wet and slippery as well. Care needed to be taken on this section, particularly on the descent. At the top of the climb, the lesser cascade that the trail runs below still had some large ice chunks clinging to it, so don't linger there for too long - if those ice chunks break off, they'll hit you, and throw you down the steep slope. The reward for the climb, however, is great once you reach the base of the main cascade - it had a good flow today and was quite impressive. There was one smaller ice chunk on the right side of the cascade (besides these, I didn't see any other ice or snow).
The return trip was uneventful. I'm glad I did this one today! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-05-04 |
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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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