| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Zealand Trail, A-Z Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty at the end of Zealand Rd. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Zealand Trail: Seven blowdowns; drainages need to be cleaned. A-Z Trail: 58 blowdowns (that's not a typo), nearly all of which are stepovers; hobblebush and evergreens intruding into the trail corridor; blazes are faded; broken bog bridges; drainages need to be cleaned/redug; lots of nice rock work but some of it is succumbing to erosion and the passage of time. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of water on this route for sips and dips. |
|
 | Bugs: |
I will be very surprised if I don't find at least one tick. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
Took a long but mostly easy 10-mile walk to check out the western section of A-Z Trail for both the next White Mountain Guide (2027) and because I had never been on it. My turnaround point was the Willey Range Trail junction.
Despite all the maintenance issues noted above, I really enjoyed this part of A-Z Trail. Quiet, remote, no people, much wilder than the Crawford Notch side, and gorgeous woods. Just about all the ground conditions were in play today. Pretty wet and muddy in spots but not terrible. Closer to the upper snowmobile trail junction there was a short stretch of monorail that is holding on. I had spikes with me but never thought about using them.
No big issues on Zealand; it was a mix of dry and wet trail.
When I got back to Zealand Trail, a helicopter was making runs to and from Zealand Falls Hut in preparation for opening day. Two large military aircraft also flew very low over the area. Beautiful hiking weather with cool temps. |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-05-12 |
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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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