| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Jamaica State Park, VT |
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 | Trails: |
Overlook Trail, West River Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 17, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The parking lot by the park office is open year-round. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Breakable Crust |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There were some small seeps that were easy to step across. They might be bigger during rainy periods, but are shallow and not rocky. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trails are well maintained. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We met many friendly four-legged friends who were smiling and wagging their tails- GOOD BOYS/GOOD GIRLS. At one point we met two women with two labrador retrievers. The dogs were growling and had the hair raised on their backs. The women told us that the dogs were friendly and didn't do anything to control them. This is no consolation at all and is completely unbelievable for someone who was badly bitten by a dog in his youth. Please, two-legged friends, if your four-legged friends are going to be aggressive, put them on their leashes regardless of what you expect from them. Don't just stand there and make excuses for them. Even if an aggressive dog doesn't bite, the stress of being confronted with it off leash can ruin someone's day. The consequences for the dog could end up being worse if you catch my drift. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This park has some nice trails and the Overlook Trail is the only one we had never been on before. Since only one of us had traction gear we both barebooted, but we would have been better off with any kind of light traction. There was an inch or two of snow over ice in many places. The overlook has a nice view over the West River valley. The West River Trail is an unpaved multi-use rails-to-trails route, with the south end being at the park entrance and the north end being 16 miles away in Londonderry, VT. The third trail in the park, the Hamilton Falls Trail leads to a big waterfall that is definitely worth the visit.
For whitewater boaters, the river is usually too low, but once a year there is a dam release that draws a crowd. There is a good swimming hole in the park near the entrance called the Salmon Hole.
There is a link below to the park's website, which has all the information you need including a trail map and a campground map. |
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 | Name: |
peaksseeker@yahoo.com |
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 | E-Mail: |
peaksseeker@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-01-20 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/jamaica.htm |
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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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