| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Smarts Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lambert Ridge Trail, Ranger Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 7, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I was the third vehicle in the morning, maybe 7 or 8 there when I got back. The dirt portion of Dorchester Road has some potholes, but they're all avoidable and the road is otherwise in good condition. Any vehicle can drive it. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Everything was easily rock hoppable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No major blowdowns. Ranger Trail is wet and muddy in the lower part and extremely eroded in the upper part - I almost wonder if a major relocation might be in order. Signs are present at the trailhead and the upper junction of Lambert Ridge and Ranger, but there's no sign for Lambert Ridge Trail in the vicinity of the fire tower at the summit. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw three - they shouldn't have any issues. One couple who I met on the way up (and then chatted with at the summit) had a dog that was well-behaved and they were careful to keep control of. Thank you very much - I really appreciated that! |
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 | Bugs: |
None - too cold (I'd estimate the summit temperature was in the 30s). Though strangely, there were some bugs buzzing around inside the old garage on Ranger Trail. But that's the only place I saw them. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
I finally got this hike done, and wow, today was the perfect day to do it! Lambert Ridge Trail was generally in good condition - not much mud until the col between the ridge and the summit. Views from the outlooks on Lambert Ridge were excellent, and the trail was never difficult to follow even with the fallen leaves. The uppermost part of the trail was steep and had lots of wet slabs - there was some ice on some of them, but it generally wasn't too hard to get around. The only icy slab that the trail actually goes straight up was the one with the iron rungs - those were very helpful, though the iron rungs could maybe stick a little further out of the rock since a few of them were already mostly covered by ice.
Views from the fire tower were excellent - it was a clear, sunny day. Even the peaks of the Green Mountains in Vermont were visible, and I spent some time trying to figure out which ones were which.
Descending, I used Ranger Trail. The upper part of this trail has a lot of wet slabs and is extremely eroded - luckily the slabs were not icy and some were drying out in the sun. The rough footing was nothing that I hadn't dealt with many times before, but I'd recommend avoiding this trail in the few days after a rainstorm since the upper part would probably be a flowing river. A major relocation would definitely help this trail. The upper part wasn't blazed at all, but was still straightforward to follow. The lower part of the trail, following the old road to the garage, was only rarely blazed but was obvious. This stretch had some very muddy sections, but also some dry sections as well.
All in all, this was an amazing hike, and after intending to do it twice before, I'm glad I finally got it done. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-11-07 |
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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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