| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Smarts Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mousley Brook Road, Daniel Doan Trail, Lambert Ridge Trail, J Trail, Quinttown Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 11, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked roadside at the junction of Mousley Brook Rd. and Quinttown Rd. If doing this loop, this is a good parking spot as it's just about at the midpoint between the two road walks. It also avoids walking uphill at the end of the hike. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, 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: |
The only crossing of significance was Mousley Brook on Daniel Doan Trail. Water was up but the crossing was still easy with waterproof boots and dipping my feet in a little. There are enough rocks to make it work. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Apologies to DOC if this seems like a lot ... Daniel Doan Trail: Blazing is generally good along the whole trail; scattered blowdowns from bottom to top; one large tree down between the cabin and tower; a cluster of blowdowns right at the tower base; the rock water bars above the brook crossing are still structurally sound in most places but they need to be thoroughly cleaned; lots of erosion along much of the trail, but especially where it makes the steeper climb to the ridge. Lambert Ridge Trail: The tent site has a lot of informal paths branching off and it is also blocked by a blowdown. J Trail: Entire trail needs brushing work, especially along the ridge between the two summits as the spruces have taken over the corridor; scattered blowdowns from top to bottom; blazing is faded and infrequent; wooden water bars and other structures need attention. On all trails: Older wooden bog bridges are either in the process of rotting or have fully disintegrated; the newer bog bridges are still in good shape. At the summit it might be helpful to have a few more signs keeping people on the AT as there are a bunch of informal paths up there that could be confusing. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies were out later in the afternoon at lower elevations but weren't really a bother. The breeze helped. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Knowing that Daniel Doan Trail is normally wet, I wasn't sure what I'd be in for after days and days of rain. While the trail was definitely sloppy, it wasn't as bad as I expected. The muckiness was being exacerbated by active logging lower down on private land. The wet conditions did slow progress a bit though as things were slippery. Some parts of the steeper climb to the ridge are running streams. Mike Murphy Spring has plenty of water right now. Mousley Brook also has some impressive cascades happening right now above the brook crossing.
J Trail was much the same but could be more evenly divided -- the upper half was wet and sloppy and the lower half was drying out quickly.
Aside from the blowdowns at its base, the fire tower itself was in good shape. Nice to see that the windows have been fixed. Excellent views in all directions today. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-05-11 |
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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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