Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Success, NH |
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| Trails: |
Success Trail, Mahoosuc Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 30, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Success Pond road was as advertized---rough, but passable as long as you take care, especially in the first mile. Plenty of parking 0.3 miles from the trailhead. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy, except if you mistakenly try to use the rotting snow bridges on the upper third of the Success trail. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The Success trail below the Outlook is in good shape. You have to wonder if some hardy soul(s) recently did trail work. there. Above the Outlook the bog bridges are overworked and partially submerged at times. One blowdown on Success near Mahoosuc that is an easy stepover, but somewhat obscures the trail. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
Moderate number of black flies on the first mile of Success trail. Low amount of bugs (mostly mosquitoes) after that. |
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| Lost and Found: |
None. |
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| Comments: |
This hike can be divided into three sections.
1) Trailhead to the Outlook : Mostly dry. Some avoidable mud and wet spots on the steep slabs.
2) Outlook to Mahoosuc : Wet and muddy with a patchy, post-holed, and unstable monorail. Soft snow only about a foot deep, but usually over a pocket air, then a foot of water and soft mud. The planks and bog bridges are sometimes two inches below waterline.
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3) Mahoosuc : No more monorail. A few insignificant patches of snow. The summit was dry, but parts of Mahoosuc trail are wet or muddy.
If you have waterproof footwear and rain pants covered by waterproof gaiters, you may like slogging (post-holing) through the rotten snow above the Outlook. Otherwise, your experience may be dampened due to wet and cold feet.
It is easy to avoid the slippery spots on the steep slabs below the Outlook ascending. However, going down your shoes are wet from from the more humid portions of the trail and late-day shadows may conceal wet spots on the slabs. Care is required to avoid falls.
About two miles in on Success Pond road, an ATVer advised me to turn around due to the road being in bad shape. Since there was a trip-report from 5/25 saying the trailhead was accessible in a conventional car, I continued on and was able to make it. The road isn't too bad after the first mile. There are some large rocks and craters, but the road is wide enough to allow you to avoid them.
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| Name: |
Al S |
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| E-Mail: |
dofin@rocketmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-30 |
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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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