| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Welch Mountain, Foss Peak, Green Mountain, Dickey Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Welch-Dickey Loop Trail, herd path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, July 12, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Wide open at the trailhead lot today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blowdowns on the Dickey side of the loop have been cleared. Thank you. The whole loop could use new blazing. They are inconsistent in shape and size and many are almost non-existent. Blazes on ledges have been spray painted on. Can we get the side path to the Dickey slab marked in some way? It continues to be obscure. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. |
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 | Bugs: |
A few surviving black flies and some deer flies. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A Fig Newton wrapper at the summit of Welch which I carried out. |
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 | Comments: |
This was basically using the WD loop to get out to Foss and Green for a third trek along the old Welch-Tecumseh Path. This trail, which once ran all the way over to Mt. Tecumseh, is long-abandoned (officially) but still sees plenty of use. Lots of open ledge walking make for fantastic views along this route.
After climbing up and over Welch and just about at the summit of Dickey, I took the side trail out to the huge ledge. Continuing east, I picked up the herd path to the old trail in the usual spot. The path was more obscure this time around due to blowdown but took me to the trail. Once on the old trail, it's fairly easy to follow all the way to Foss, with a few obscure sections at the bog in the col, and as it zig zags up to the summit. Lots of old cairns help guide the way. The old sign on Foss is gone and has been replaced with a newer one. I expected blowdown hell along the wooded sections of this stretch, but it wasn't bad at all.
Between Foss and Green, the trail is lesser traveled, climbing through high elevation fern glades. Really pretty and remote feeling up here. The footbed is slowly disappearing due to undergrowth, but can still be followed with care. A few detours are needed due to blowdowns. Just below the summit of Green is a jungle gym patch of blowdowns that you have to go over, under and around. I ran a GPS track out here, and the spot elevation for Green on the USGS appears to be incorrect. The sign and register are at the high point. The last person to sign in was on 7/1.
The old trail dead ends on Green, so I retraced my steps back to Dickey and then continued down that side of the loop. NWS didn't quite have the mostly sunny forecast right, it was more mostly cloudy. At one point, skies darkened and it looked like rain, but that never materialized. Another great trip along this wonderful ridge! |
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 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-07-12 |
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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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