Trail Conditions

Notes

Rain, sleet, and snow at summit. Positive experience with good group dynamics.

Trails Used

Manning, Holt, Clark, Mowglis, Manning Loop

Trail Conditions

Notes

50 degrees, sunny, some wet areas after rain the day before. Very windy on Cardigan summit, Yellow trout lily in bloom, impressed to see trail runner and his dogs on steep uneven terrain. Slick conditions on the steep part of the descent on Manning. Trekking poles helpful.

Parking

Parking at Mt Cardigan Lodge

Wildlife

No bugs

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Road walk, West Ridge Trail, South Ridge Trail, Skyland Trail, Clark Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Awesome hike today-Orange is such an overlooked mountain with Cardigan stealing all the glory. The Skyland trail is a real gem and the summit ledges of Orange have a magnificent view of the entire 18-mile “superloop” hike that is an annual pilgrimage. We encountered minimal snow/ice all day. Didn’t carry traction and wouldn’t have thought to use it if we did. Saw a few early Trout Lily’s getting ready to bloom:) Five minutes up from the summer lot two older gentlemen descending asked if they were almost at the AMC lodge. These two bozos had no packs, no map or map phone app, and had descended the entire mountain the wrong direction. They also ascended the notorious Holt trail with no traction. They reported the entire steep part was covered in ice and they had to bear crawl and bushwhack through the trees to make it up. When I asked the guy if he knew what he was getting into today he replied he has hiked the Holt trail at least ten times?! I went over the map with them in detail and texted them Gaia screenshots and they were still acting clueless. It was a textbook case of being wildly unprepared and making repeated poor decisions. Saw multiple hikers later in sneakers with no packs and bluejeans. I thought the short bus didn’t start dropping people off until summer time but I guess it’s open season on Cardigan!!!

Parking

Gate still closed. Road walk adds .6 miles and 250’ vert.

Wildlife

Nope

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

First time hiking in New Hampshire. Bare booted the whole hike. Some icy sections but nothing too bad. One of the 52 with a view.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Dump Run mountain bike trail, unofficial logging roads, bushwhack

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Early April bushwhack in wild region north of Rumney's Rattlesnake Mountain. Thin patches of recently fallen snow in shaded areas, already melted in sunny areas. Found old snow on descent to col, approximately one foot deep in spots. Visited talus field and multiple ledges with views. Discovered summit register placed in 2010. Located hardwood glade on east side of summit. Noted Eight-Ball Mica Prospect site in area for future exploration.

Parking

Buffalo Road

Water Crossings

Crossed nameless brook below cascade

Trails Used

Manning Trail, Mowglis Trail, Holt Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

We hiked Sat, 3/21 before the recent snow (not sure it snowed there on Sunday). If you hike upper holt ice axe and crampons are essential until the ice melts. Trail started with some packed snow, spikes until the real ascent on holt. Then crampons. Ice axe was needed on the slabs but we used a shortened hiking poles in the pinch we found ourselves-- not recommended. Summit was bare rock with sporadic black ice. We took off spikes but you have to keep a focus on where you step. Spikes back on the way to firescrew and down manning. It required extra navigation focus in this section but you can see the paint markings and very short cairns where visible. Alltrails/gaia helped. There were very sketchy, very icy trail heading down from firescrew but we kept spikes and worked around the sections. We took spikes off, no snow or ice on manning before the trail junction near the accessible outhouse. Then it's snow again but soft enough to bare boot it.