| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua, First Sister, Middle Sister, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Champney Falls Trail, Champney Falls Loop, Piper Trail, Liberty Trail, West Side Trail, Middle Sister Trail, Champney Falls Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 11, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the Champney Falls trailhead when I arrived at 8:45. There were a good number of empty spaces when I got back around 3:15, but there were also a few cars parked along the Kanc, so it must have overflowed at some point. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of Twin Brook right at the start could be rock-hopped, but you have to step on a few rocks with an inch of water running over them. I bypassed both crossings of Champney Brook by using the old route of the trail - I didn't have much trouble following it, and it worked well. I didn't see any reason for it to be decommissioned in the first place. Saw several casual hikers (intending just to reach the falls) who turned around rather than attempt the crossings of Champney Brook. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
As Gridder190 mentioned in his report, there's a big blowdown on West Side Trail very close to its northern junction. I had to bushwhack around it. A couple of smaller blowdowns elsewhere, and of course the old route of Champney Falls Trail that bypasses the two water crossings has a whole bunch of blowdowns. Drainage was a big issue - more on that below. Signs are all in place, but some are difficult to read, particularly the one at the junction of Piper Trail and West Side Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw plenty. I saw one that needed to be lifted up a ledge on the cone of Chocorua, so small dogs might struggle with the steep ledgy areas. Also, if they don't like wet feet, they should wait a few days (as should you!). |
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 | Bugs: |
Not an issue today. Maybe the relatively cool temperatures and wind helped. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
I checked "Dry Trail" since there were a few dry sections, and the ledges near the summits were mostly dry. However, most of the trails today were wet, with lots of standing and running water, wet and slippery ledges, and mud. It's practically impossible to avoid it all. This shouldn't be a surprise since we've received an inordinate amount of rain recently, but if you hate wet trails, wait at least a few days before hiking here.
The other notable thing about this hike is that it was very windy, particularly on the summit cone of Chocorua. The wind made the scrambles on Piper Trail heading up the cone more difficult (this is why I descended Liberty Trail and used West Side Trail to avoid that section on the return). And there are some serious scrambles in this section, more than I remembered. The final short spur to the summit also consists of steep ledge climbing.
Saw maybe a dozen people heading up to Chocorua, then a bunch more while heading down Liberty Trail (they were all coming up). Didn't see anyone on West Side Trail, and only a few heading over to Middle Sister. Saw several people while I was eating lunch on Middle Sister - they had come up Carter Ledge Trail and reported that the steep slabs on that trail were wet and slippery. Passed a large group of ascending hikers while descending the upper Champney Falls Trail, and then on the lower section of that trail I passed several groups heading just to the falls. One group was flummoxed by the crossing of Champney Brook, which they understandably didn't want to do, so I told them of the old trail that can be used as a bypass of the crossings. Hopefully they managed to follow it and reach the falls. Also hopefully, someone will see some sense in the situation and return that bypass to being the official route of the trail. There's really no reason why it was decommissioned in the first place. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@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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