| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Owlshead, Mt. Martha, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Owl's Head Trail, Martha's Mile, Cherry Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 11, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the Owl's Head Trail parking lot around 9 AM, with only one other car there. There were 6 or 7 other cars when I returned between 1 and 1:30. |
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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 crossing about 1 mile in on the Owl's Head Trail is rock hoppable, but I'd imagine it's usually easier when there wasn't an inch+ of rain the day before. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Some blowdowns scattered throughout the trails, but everything is pretty easily navigable. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was somehow my first time on Owl's Head or Mount Martha; overall, the trails were really enjoyable. I ran a long route that began by ascending the Owl's Head trail. The first 3/4 of a mile were extremely muddy but luckily the mud mostly subsided once the trail really started to gain elevation. The views at the top of Owl's Head are beautiful, definitely the best of the entire day. From there, I took Martha's Mile up to the summit of Mt. Martha. This stretch of trail was in pretty good condition, mostly dry and only wet coming off of Owl's Head. I descended the Mt. Martha Spur and took the Cherry Mountain Trail down to the 115 parking lot. Aside from a few somewhat muddy spots and a minor blowdown or two, this stretch of trail essentially felt like summer conditions. Upon reaching the parking lot, I turned around and ascended back to the intersection of the Mt. Martha Spur and Cherry Mountain Trail, but in this case I headed south and eventually reached Old Cherry Mountain Rd. The ridge is in great shape aside from a small handful of minor blowdowns, but once the trail took the sharp turn in the direction of the road, it got very muddy very quickly. The conditions weren't horrible, but the trail was very wet and some mud puddles were quite deep. Once I reached the road, I turned around and quickly made my way back to the summit of Mt. Martha, trying my best to avoid the worst of the mud. Once I reached the summit, I headed back toward Owl's Head on Martha's Mile and ultimately back to my car.
There were absolutely no signs of snow on trail and I only saw one very small patch in the woods that will likely be gone in the next couple days. Once these trails dry out over the next few days, they will be in great shape. I think I'm now at 40/52 on the 52 with a view list, or something like that.
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 | Name: |
Colin Smith |
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 | E-Mail: |
colinsmith0427@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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