| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Big Ball Mountain, Black Snoot, Mt. Shaw, Turtleback Mountain, Bald Knob, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Shaw Trail, Tate Mountain Trail, Black Snout Trail, High Ridge Trail, Turtleback Mountain Trail, Bald Knob Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 14, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Mount Shaw trailhead was mostly full at 4pm when I started but seems to have emptied out shortly thereafter |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
almost no water on this trail the only real one of note is a body of water about 0.2 miles up from the Bald Knob trailhead that you have to kind of rock/stick hop across |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
trails were in great condition other than a couple step overs/ duck unders |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
lots of bugs. Had a dog tick that latched on and wanted to come along for the hike that I found on me at the summit of Mount Shaw. Had to remove that which made the summit a bit less enjoyable. Otherwise tons of black flies and mosquitoes if you stopped for too long. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
there is a sweatshirt on a log maybe a mile or so up the Italian trail |
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 | Comments: |
started the afternoon at Mt Shaw trailhead. Went up Italian trail stopping at Big Ball and Black Snout. These trails were mostly uneventful. Lots of black flies if you stopped for too long. Nice views from both. Trail is getting a bit narrower than I'd like, lots of brushing past branches and what not. Continued up to Shaw from here. Once you get off Black Snout the trails are almost exclusively double tracks all the way until Bald Knob. Nice views from the summit of Shaw. Found the aforementioned tick on the top of Shaw. Made going through all the long grass on the double tracks down to Bald Knob less fun. Continued from Shaw back down along High Ridge trail and then Turtleback Mountain trail to Turtleback mountain. Made excellent time on the double tracks because they are so clear and wide. Was able to see some of the columnar jointing on Turtleback which was awesome. Then back down Turtleback to Bald Knob where the views were excellent. From there down Bald Knob to 171 and a short road walk to Mount Shaw trailhead. All the trails mentioned about are 99% dry, I saw almost no mud and very little water. Ended up being a much longer loop than I expected but well worth it. About 12 miles and 3000ft of elevation gain. Saw some people at the trailhead and then about a mile into the hike but otherwise no one for the remaining 11 miles. |
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 | Name: |
Marshall |
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 | E-Mail: |
politic.tinkles_0e@icloud.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-06-15 |
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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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