| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Crystal Mountain - North Peak, Crystal Mountain - South Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
This is an update to Big Al’s September 2025 report. The washout on Roaring Brook Road has been repaired. While there were some sketchy parts, we were able to drive all the way up it in a Subaru Outback. There was nothing stopping us from driving further, but we parked at 2350’ where we thought it would make a great loop at these two peaks. Coarser Brook rd. is a bit slower/rougher this year than last. When you turn at the “T” (go left for the Crystals) the roads improve in both directions. We had taken a right here the day before to tag Swift Diamond. Once you bear right onto Roaring Brook Road it gets a bit rougher again. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We didn't have her today, but my Black Lab would have loved this hike (except for the blowdown section). |
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 | Bugs: |
Better than expected. They were numerous but not bitting. We occasionally wore head nets. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Almost had to put a cell phone in this paragraph. We dropped/lost one on the decent to the car but traced our track backwards and found it (total luck). |
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 | Comments: |
Breaking this report down into 4 parts – climbing Crystal North, descending to the col, climbing Crystal South, returning to the car.
Part one was by far the easiest part of this loop. We walked up the road about 2/10 miles from where we parked. From here we headed directly up the ridge in an easterly (slightly north) direction. The slope up to Crystal North is very gentle and the woods couldn’t be friendlier. We were often in the sun because of the lack of trees on this (west) side of the peak. Finding the canister was quick and easy. If one were to do this peak as an up and down solo peak, your hiking time would likely be much less than your driving time to get in there.
The next three parts of the trip all included off and on sections of hobblebush that were generally short lived and somewhat easy to get through/around.
Part two was the most challenging part of the trip. The biggest issue on decent to the col was the blow downs. They are numerous. We were tracking pretty much directly at the next peak. At first, as we encountered blowdowns, we kept going to the left (east) to get around them. They kept getting worse. Eventually we went to the right (west) to get around them and things improved a bit. When the blowdowns finally ended, we hit a relatively short, thick, steep section. At the bottom of this steep section everything got very smooth to the col.
Part three (climbing Crystal South) was pretty straight forward. Not too difficult other than those occasional patches of hobblebush. We tracked SE from the col until we attained the ridge, then tracked SW to the peak.
Part four – Because we were able to park our car so far up Roaring Brook Rd, we were able to take a NW track directly at it which kept us north of the large clear cut that shows on GAIA. It was a little boggy/wet as we passed through the drainage area but nothing too bad. The last ½ mile or so to the road was clear sailing and free of any hobblebush.
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 | Name: |
Jon Randall |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-06-04 |
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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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