| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Zealand Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Trail, Twinway, Zeacliff Loop, Zealand Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, October 13, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot was almost full at 8 AM. Pay boxes are not very obvious. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing difficult, step overs and rock hops. A couple where you had to be a little careful to avoid wet feet but nothing major. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
After being on the sloping horrible Willey Range Trail, I thought this was mostly an extremely well-constructed trail that looks to be in good shape. A couple bog bridges are rotted out and there are some quite muddy spots, but the footing is good. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Despite seeing 100+ people on the trail... we only saw one dog all day in 8 hours. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not a bug in sight! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Someone had dropped gloves at the start of Zealand Trail and they were kind of buried under some leaves. I put them on the bench at the trailhead to make them more obvious. |
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 | Comments: |
Got a lovely view of fog and clouds at Zeacliff at 11:00 AM, but returning just before 1:00 they had burned out and the foliage on the Willey Range was nothing short of spectacular. This was a "test run" for me for a Bonds Traverse, to see how fast I could get to Zealand (answer, 3:50). This was a surprisingly easy hike, except for the section of the Twinway from the hut to Zeacliff and the hump with the ladder - if you exclude stops, we only missed book time by 15-20 minutes, and we NEVER are that fast.
Mrs. Ridge Warrior, who struggles with heights and longer hikes (10+ miles), said she really liked this hike a lot. I was actually surprised Zealand is considered the true summit... you drop a lot off that hump with the ladder and then the trail is so gentle from there that it never really feels like you go back up all that much!
If you haven't, get out on this hike before it snows and Zealand Road closes! This is a *fantastic* hike even by itself, and I am sure the people who continued to Guyot and the Bonds got even more of a treat. |
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 | Name: |
The Ridge Warrior |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-10-15 |
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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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