Trails Used
Five Summers Trail, Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, Bear Pond Trail
Trail Conditions
Notes
This was a fun loop, that was quick for its length. Five Summers Trail is gradual and easy, though there are several very wet and muddy areas. The place where it diverges from the snowmobile trail 0.4 below the junction with the MSG is well signed. MSG from the junction up to Lucia's Lookout is steep, but it's only 0.2 miles to the lookout. And the view is superb from there. This was my first time hiking a significant stretch of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, and it's quite a nice trail. It's mostly smooth, and significantly drier than Five Summers or Bear Pond. It has some ups and downs, but they're mostly gradual and don't go on for too long. The Steve Galpin Shelter, where I stopped for lunch, is nice, and has two privies, but doesn't have any water source nearby (since it's at the top of a ridge). It's the kind of trail where you can move quickly most of the time, which I was glad for since my phone battery was draining a lot quicker than I anticipated. Bear Pond Trail is also a snowmobile trail, and was wet and muddy in several places but also has some good dry sections. It was a nice easy way to end the hike. The temperature and breeze made the conditions very pleasant today. I didn't see any other hikers on the trails.
Parking
Parking is $4. The lot is on grass next to a small playground. There aren't any signs for the trails there, but just continue up the gravel road from there past a few campsites and you'll come to a point where Balance Rock Trail (signed) goes left and Five Summers Trail (not signed here) bears right.
Water Crossings
Everything was bridged.
Wildlife
They're out. I put on bug spray at the beginning of the hike, and it worked well so I didn't need my head net, but if I stopped to look at something (particularly at the lower elevations), they would start to come at me. The key here is to just keep moving, and these trails around here are gradual so it's straightforward to do just that. In addition, the overgrown snowmobile trail sections probably have a lot of ticks. I've already found one on me.