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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Grafton Knob, Crane Mountain, NH
Trails
Trails: Orange Road, Eben's Loop, Skyland Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, August 8, 2025
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: We parked just off of Orange Road, near Alexandria Four Corners, careful to not block any driveways, etc. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Nothing of note -- everything is quite dry, even more dry-er than last week. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Trails are in fine, fine, FINE (I say) shape. See notes, below. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs: Some eye flies, and some cranky ground bees/yellow jackets (see notes, below). 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: This is a follow-up post to our report from August 2.

This time, the goal was to refresh blazes on the trail between the intersection with the Woodland Trail and the summit of Orange Mountain, as well as blaze the relo we cut on August 2.

Mission (mostly) accomplished, except that we ran out of time and had to turn around about 0.1 miles east of the summit of Orange Mountain. Up to that point, though, blazes are refreshed or painted anew, and line-of-sight brushing has been done, including around existing cairns (some had become small shrub ecosystems). From where we turned around, on to the summit of Orange Mountain, blazes still need refreshing and some brushing is needed, but for now, trail is easy to follow -- it's mostly ledge by that point.

THE BEES (YELLOW JACKETS): got stung twice (ankle and back of hand) before I realized what had happened. Bee nest is in the ground, adjacent to a massive spruce tree that is right on the trail (not just near nor adjacent, but on the trail) about one-quarter of a mile east of the summit of Church Mountain, where the trail is more or less in a col and begins to climb west. If you are walking this trail, you'll pass this nest -- no other large spruce trees in the area are on the trail like this. But, there's plenty of room to walk around this tree. Bees were a problem at 7:30 in the morning; not so much around 11:30. Just stay frosty and bee careful.


 
Name
Name: Pancks and Tesco Heaney and Alex&Ria 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2025-08-08 
Link
Link: https:// 
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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