| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cube, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Baker Road, logging road, Quinttown Road, Kodak Trail, Hexacuba Shelter Spur, Mt. Cube Trail, North Peak Side Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked right at the Cross Rivendell Trail kiosk on Baker Rd. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Very little water around. The crossing on Kodak Trail has a very light flow but will provide enough water to keep you alive if needed. The water source for Hexacuba Shelter is currently dust and leaves. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
See details, below. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found an empty toothpaste tube at the shelter and packed it out. |
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 | Comments: |
Kodak Trail: Blazing is in poor condition; corridor is brushy in places, especially in the presence of evergreens; the old orange DOC signs at top and bottom have been replaced with standard USFS signs; DOC has done some nice rock work near the top of the trail, adding rock steps and water bars to an eroded section. North Peak Side Trail: Looks to me like the corridor has been brushed out since I was last here; noted one herd path bypass had been brushed in; the big ledge step is developing some extensive trail creep as people go around it (one boulder/rock step would solve this); it would be helpful to mark the end of the side trail as it just sort of fades out at the ledges with no clear terminus. Cross Rivendell Trail: I was very happy to see lots of work on the lower part of the trail, including repainted blazes, several new signs, rock water bars and stepping stones, and one steep section that has been delineated with "Please Stay On Trail" signs and rope fencing to keep people in the corridor and away from existing erosion; the upper part of the trail has lots of erosion, faded blazes, and broken bog bridges; hopefully the work happening down lower will continue up the mountain.
Another beautiful day on Cube! The main goal was to check out the recent DOC work at the top of Kodak, but I also wanted to mix this hike up, so I did the loop using the extension of Baker Rd. and Quinttown Rd. The maintenance of Baker Rd. continues past the signs where it says it ends as access for a house at the end of the road. The owner was out when I walked by and there were no issues with foot travel. Past the house, the road becomes a grassy two-track. At 0.6 mi. from the parking, I turned right onto an older logging road. This soon became overgrown with a worn path through it, and dumped me out at the intersection of Quinttown Rd. and Mousley Brook Rd. Turning left, I followed Quinttown Rd. for 1.1 mi. to Kodak Trail.
The ascent on Kodak was easier than I remember. No real steep sections, though it is pretty rough in places. Took a break at the shelter, then continued up to the summit. Took another break there, went out and back to North Peak, then down Cross Rivendell to my car.
Needless to say, conditions were extremely dry today. There's good leaf cover on the ground but the fallen leaves are brown. Reds and yellows are starting to appear on mountainsides, but overall the colors look really muted from the lack of rain. Beautiful views from all the places today though. |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-09-18 |
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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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