| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pisgah, Mica Ledges, Bluff Head, CT |
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 | Trails: |
Mattabesett Trail (CT New England Trail- Section 9) |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, March 13, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ample parking at several lots off Dead Hill Rd. (eastern end of CT NET Section 9). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Stream crossings were either bridged or easy rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Impressive tangle of blowdowns (requiring several moves to climb over) about 0.4 miles from the Dead Hill Rd. trailhead. Minor duck-unders and step-overs scattered throughout the rest of the trail. Trail corridor generally in good shape, though increased blazes would be helpful at a few of the many intersections with MTB trails and forest roads. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a couple- good choice of trail, as long as the rock ledges are dry. |
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 | Bugs: |
Nothing yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I was looking for an extended hike without the marginal (putting it kindly) conditions in NH and central/western MA, and this definitely fit the bill. I brought microspikes just in case, but there were only very rare, generally avoidable patches of ice on the rocks. There was perhaps 10 yards of minor snow to walk through near Bluff Head. Though the elevation on this hike never even reached 800', views from the Mica Ledges and the ridgeline near Bluff Head were excellent. The forest walking was interesting and diverse as well, with patches of mountain laurel and a couple of unexpectedly rocky and rugged sections.
The intent was for this to be a 25.4-mile out-and-back, but I ended up inadvertently covering about 29 due to two major navigational errors. I'll list the trouble spots here so you hopefully won't repeat my mistakes! Error #1 (heading from east to west) was after the trail crossed Chalker Brook- the first major stream crossing. You are not supposed to cross back to the original side, but I ended up on a MTB trail and did just that. After following it in what seemed like a circle, I ultimately encountered the NET again, and took longer than I should have to realize I had already been there. That added a 3-mile loop to the hike. Error #2 was finding the continuation of the NET after crossing Route 77 and heading up to Bluff Head. The steep blue-and-yellow blazed path that directly attacks the slope is NOT the proper trail- that's apparently the Old Mattabesett Trail. I ended up finding the actual NET after gaining the ridgeline, and of course followed that downhill for a solid 0.6 miles before realizing I was clearly heading back to the road. Oops. At least the intended ascent via the NET is much easier! Error #3 was not a navigational problem, but rather wasting my time taking the spur path to the promised "VIEW" below Mt. Pisgah (about 2 miles in). That is one of the more generous interpretations of the word "view" I have seen recently, and the outlook that seemed to primarily show forest was not even worth the 50 yards in each direction.
Full route details to follow, in the Endurance Hikes section of Unnecessary Climb! |
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 | Name: |
Jason |
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 | E-Mail: |
kurlando7@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-03-13 |
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 | Link: |
 https://unnecessaryclimb.wordpress.com |
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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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