| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Mast Road, Wonalancet Range Trail, Short Cut, Gordon Path, road walk, Bickford Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, March 13, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ferncroft - big and plowed. For Bickford Trail, there was just enough plowed/melted space to park off the asphalt. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy or with wooden bridges |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Just a few blowdowns on Wonalancet Range Trail and Short Cut, easy to get around |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Ferncroft mop-up day. Almost boilerplate conditions to start!
I needed 0.4 mile Wonalancet Short Cut for my Bluelining quest. Followed an old snowshoe track that was frozen solid and easy to maneuver in spikes. They didn't always stay on trail in the open hardwoods, so I opted to do an out-and-back (as opposed to the loop over Mt. Wonalancet) and religiously follow the blue blazes on the return.
Crew - 3 men and a cute dog - from the awesome Wonalancet Out Door Club was replacing railings on Spring Brook Bridge. They are very artsy!
Next up was Gordon Path which starts out as a groomed ski trail before heading east, then south, into the woods on an old frozen ski track. Used GPS at one intersection as it was neither signed nor blazed there. Still near boilerplate snow so kept spikes on until the road walk - 113A and Ferncroft Road - back to the parking lot.
Next, I drove a mile east on 113A and was pleasantly surprised that there was enough room to park at Bickford "trailhead" on the south side of the road. Started off barebooting the mixed bare ground and patchy snow but put snowshoes on after a couple tenths of a mile as I starting sinking enough in the now more consistent, and softening, snow. About 75% of the time the snowshoes were needed; 25% of the time I was snowshoeing on leaves (haha) but didn't want to do the on-off thing. The snowshoeing was actually quite pleasant, with great flotation. It looked like no one had been on Bickford all winter, so there were no annoying postholes to deal with. I did an out-and-back - about 2 miles to Old Paugus Trail and back. The brook crossing there looked easy, but since I still need OPT, Bee Line, Bolles, etc., I saved it for next time.
Ferncroft area trails are complete, and I never have to drive 113/113A in winter (FROST HEAVES) ever again. |
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 | Name: |
Snowflea |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-03-14 |
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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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