Recent content by trailbagger

A 2-day hike to red-line the interior trails of the Pemigewasset Wilderness: Friday, 6/10: Lincoln Woods Tr --> Franconia Brook Tr --> Lincoln Brook Tr -->13 Falls Campsite --> Twin Brook Tr --> Galehead Hut Saturday, 6/11: Galehead Hut --> Garfield Ridge Tr --> Garfield Summit --> Franconia...

Drove Sandwich Notch Rd to Guinea Pond trailhead in a low-clearance Mazda 3. White-knuckle ride ... difficult maneuvers around massive bulges of decaying asphalt on the steep sections. Road-walked to Algonquin trailhead. Algonquin trail to summit then back to Black Mountain Pond trail. There...

No problems getting to trail head, although Page Rd. is a little soft in places. The trail is 95% free of ice and snow and was easily bare-booted. A little wet in sections but not nearly as bad as I had expected following the rains last week. Mostly easy to follow, although the second section...

Red Trail -> Judson Pond/Mt. Ingalls Trail -> Mt Ingalls -> Scudder Trail -> Yellow Trail These trails are about 80% dry ground, with short patches of ice. Bare-booted everything except the short extension to the pond, which was ice-covered (microspikes fine for this). First time up these...

Wentworth Trail to the summit of Mt. Israel: "styrofoam" snow on lower half, perfect for microspikes. Lots of ice flows on upper half, manageable with microspikes on ascent. Mead Trail only had one recent track down it, some deeper snow here and there but mostly an easy walk on frozen crust...

Thanks Bryan! Just the info I needed.

The trail is, literally, a river of ice from the parking lot to the summit. I wore microspikes and wished, again and again, that I had brought full crampons. Fun going up, and great views from the tower, but a nightmare descending. Took one nasty fall and many close calls. Bring crampons!

Does anyone know how far one can drive up Slippery Brook Rd. before it is gated for winter? How much road walking to the Mountain Pond Loop trailhead? Does anyone hike Mountain Pond Loop and/or Slippery Brook Trail in winter?

Loop hike: Hubbard Brook trail head on Hubbard Brook Rd to Three Ponds Trail to Donkey Hill Cutoff to Mt. Kineo Trail back to Hubbard Brook Road. Complete loop with a 1.7 mi road walk. Only a red-liner could enjoy this hike. Hubbard Brook Trail begins with a minor bushwhack around a beaver...

I wouldn't descend it. The upper section is mostly wide, steep slabs dripping with runoff and covered with varying amounts of lichen and algae. Of course, if you want to hug the sides and fight your way through the brush then it is probably doable safely.

It's on the Thoreau Falls Trail, close to where the trail leaves from the Wilderness Trail. The actual falls are very near the other end of the trail, where it joins with the Ethan Pond Trail. I've only crossed the bridge once, when the water was high, and it didn't seem like a rock-hop would...

Stony Brook Trail -> Carter-Moriah Trail -> Imp Shelter ->North Carter Trail -> Imp Trail. This hike was to red-line the last segment of the Carter-Moriah trail, and to bag the Imp Shelter spur. Stony Brook Trail is in great shape and very enjoyable ... hadn't been on it in the last 10 years...

16 Mile traverse: Lincoln Woods Parking -> East Side Trail -> Wilderness Trail -> Thoreau Falls Trail ->Ethan Pond Trail ->Zealand Trail ->Zealand Parking All trails are free of ice and snow; some off-trail snow remains in the shade at the top of Thoreau Falls. To my surprise, I didn't need...

Traversed from the Ravine Lodge, via the Hurricane Trail, to the Glencliff Trail head, then road walked to the Tunnel Brook Trail and traversed that to the gate at the north end of Tunnel Brook Road. Great day for low-elevation red-lining! The Hurricane Trail is dry with the exception of a few...

Intended to hike some trails off of Deer Hill Rd., but it is still gated for winter. So I tried to hike some trails on Deer Hill from Baldface Circle trailhead parking, but found that the center span of the concrete dam/bridge hasn't been put back yet ... one can easily step across the...