Also on this trip

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Did a traverse from north to south, with car spot on south trailhead. Excellent fall day for it. Quite steep going up North Moat then a few scrambles with down climbing to get from North Moat to Red Ridge Trail junction on the way to Middle Moat. That steep section going up North Moat was wet and slippery in places, but fine for ascending. Excellent views from each of the three Moat peaks with near-peak fall colors. Route and hike planning helped by www.summitsmarts.com, as with other hikes on the various lists.

Parking

No issue at south trailhead off Passaconaway Road. Diana's Baths lot is better in terms of crowds now that it's cooled off.

Water Crossings

No issues crossing Lucy Brook on the way up North Moat

Wildlife

no issues at all

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail, Attitash Trail, road walk, Bartlett Experimental Forest trails, road walk, Mt. Tremont Trail, Brunel Trail, Sawyer Pond Trail, forest service roads, Sawyer River Trail, Hancock Notch Trail, road walk, Greeley Ponds Trail, Mt. Osceola Trail, Tripoli Rd., Mt. Tecumseh Trail, Waterville Valley XC ski trails

Trail Conditions

Notes

This is a full report from the Jigger Johnson 50, which took place starting on August 15th, and was a point-to-point trip from the Moat Mountain trailhead on Passaconaway Rd. to the village of Waterville Valley. Trails were relatively dry, which made the Attitash Trail much more pleasant- the most likely places to get wet feet were the Hancock Notch Trail and the Greeley Ponds Trail. Even the swamp just west of the Big Attitash summit had enough logs and tree roots above the mud level that you could theoretically get across without submerging (I wasn't dexterous enough to fully accomplish this). Dry rocks also made the going much easier descending from North Moat, Mt. Osceola, and Mt. Tecumseh. We were treated to relatively temperate weather and partly cloudy skies- perfect conditions to abuse ourselves over 61.1 miles with 15,900' elevation gain. Many thanks to all of the random hikers who cheered us on and blatantly lied by telling us how strong we looked! :) Excruciating details- in keeping with the spirit of the race- on Unnecessary Climb!

Parking

Plenty of parking for the race start in Waterville Valley.

Water Crossings

All crossings, even those of the Swift River and Sawyer River, were relatively easy rock hops. Attribute this to the relatively dry conditions in 2026.

Wildlife

Mosquitoes emerged in the late afternoon / evening hours, but otherwise this was a mercifully bug-free event. There is a known yellow jacket nest on the Mt. Tecumseh Trail, on the steep climb just before reaching the saddle of West Tecumseh when approaching from the Tripoli Rd. side. A 100-mile participant told me that he got stung twice, and many other racers got stung as well. I was given the advice to stay to the right when ascending. I passed this area around 1:30 AM and in 50-degree temperatures, and fortunately there was no yellow jacket activity.

Trails Used

South Moat

Trail Conditions

Notes

Beautiful Day.....probably my 20th summit of S Moat. Always a great hike and view for the effort

Parking

Several spots at 1:30

Water Crossings

No significant water

Wildlife

Very Few

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Hot day. Hazy views.

Parking

Please remove Black Flies from the parking lot.

Water Crossings

No Water Crossing Issues

Wildlife

Yes. Many. Evil black flies.

Trails Used

Moat Mountain

Trail Conditions

Notes

Another nice outing with the OTHH, and again a large group turning out for this one. I should mention that in the open ledge areas up high, there are some areas with wetness on the rocks that were slippery, and even a few places apparently dry were making us step cautiously. I imagine this part of the trail would pose real problems in wet weather.

Parking

There was ample room at the parking area off Passaconaway Road.

Water Crossings

There is one small stream a short way up, and it was an easy walk-across on rocks. The other stream is crossed by a nice wood bridge.

Wildlife

No bugs at all. I suspect the cool weather (low to mid 50s) and light breeze kept them at bay.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail, Attitash Trash

Trail Conditions

Notes

Fun day out with Coach getting well off the beaten path for a moat traverse and a side of extra credit. First time on the section between Table and the Moat/Attitash Trail junction. An interesting, rugged, quiet area where it’s easy to feel alone. Got on trail at 6am and didn’t see a soul for the whole day, it was lovely. Saw a few random patches of snow and ice off to the side in some shady places. We can officially call ice out on the Moats.

Parking

Plenty of parking @ South Moat. Limited parking at Table and the space is wonky so make sure to follow Wheaton’s Law and not block anyone in.

Water Crossings

Lucy Brook wasn’t a problem, easy to rock hop. Perfect day to bust out the filters for some cold refreshment.

Wildlife

Couple things buzzing around but no eye contact was made.

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

A trip up South Moat to check a few things. Dry trail about 99% of the time with just some light seeps of water around the big Chocorua view ledge. Shortly below the summit, I did a very short bushwhack to a secluded ledge with a super view. Several other folks out were out today. There was a prescribed burn going on down in the valley so that got other hikers' attention. The sun came out on the way up and way down but it was overcast at the summit. Figures! :)

Parking

At the Moat Mtn. trailhead off Passaconaway Rd.

Wildlife

None today.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

The Moats are good to go. No more snow and there has definitley been some trail work done. No blowdowns and trail is in great shape.

Wildlife

None

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail, Red Ridge Trail, Attitash Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

A great blustery day on the Moats. The trail has some spicy spots with wet rocks and bits of ice and snow, particularly in the wooded section between South and Middle Moats and on the descent on Red Ridge Trail. All navigatable with care.

Water Crossings

Several stream crossings easy peasy. Two river crossings -- first one had a downed tree which made crossing easy. Rock hopping with water proof boots worked fine, too. Second crossing possible with a few rock hops and treacherous navigation of laid logs.

Wildlife

Still sleeping

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

The first half of the trail to S Moat is dry. Once you get past the reroute, the slabs were pretty wet. It made for a slow descent for me. There was a small bit of snow off the trail in the col between South and Middle but no traction needed at any point. I did not go over to North, it was quite foggy and a little chilly.

Parking

The lot was nearly full this afternoon.

Water Crossings

A few tiny streams that you can hop over.

Wildlife

Spider webs this morning, but no flying insects yet.

Trails Used

South Moat

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Snow free, mud free, bug free, views for miles, very few people

Also on this trip

Trails Used

South Moat Mountain Trail, Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

A group of us decided to hike the moats after seeing the wind speeds that would take place on higher summits. My partner Catherine & I were hosting an AMC young members event where the bunkhouse there was booked out, so we left from there with two other interested people. In the spring the moats usually offer a decent hike that gives the impression one is higher up than they are with the exposed sections. The trail after south moat is definately not clear yet. The monorail held up fairly well i must have post-holed one time. The people i was with bare-booted, but i brought & used rock spikes versus play the confidence game of not being sure if i would slip or not with every step. Looking back it appears every april this is a go to hike while 4ks become less than fun....

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail, bushwack

Trail Conditions

Notes

Ah, that glorious season between snow and bugs! 99.9% free of ice and snow. The trail is in great shape to the summit of South Moat. From there I headed over to the ridge to the west and down towards Haystack and Eagle Cliff. It was nice going and mostly snow free in enough places to avoid hiking through it on the way to the ridge. I made it down the ridge as far as Haystack, then bailed down into the hardwoods for the rest of the way out. The ridge, having mostly soft woods, still has a bit of snow. There was a turkey calling out, looking for love. I found quite a few nice cascades along the Dry Brook.

Parking

Passaconaway Rd lot had room for 6ish more cars all day.

Water Crossings

none

Trails Used

Moat Mountail Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Bareboots car to car. A few small patches of snow/ice, mostly during 1st mile. Lots of running water on ledges made them slippery. Better conditions than expected for early April.

Parking

No issues, large lot

Water Crossings

None. Wood Bridge

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

60 degree sunny day. Able to bareboot approximately 95% of hike. Crampons/spikes recommended for short icy sections.

Trails Used

Moat Mountain Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

We actually barebooted the whole way, though there were a couple of sections where spikes might have made things a little easier. The majority of the trail was actually snow and ice free, and was completely dry. The snow and ice was confined to a few shady stretches.

Parking

The lot is surprisingly not that muddy.

Water Crossings

The one without the footbridge was an easy step over.

Wildlife

I saw one…

Trails Used

Moat Mountain

Equipment

Notes

The Moat Mountain Trail was pretty much a boot path. Used microspikes the entire distance. Snowshoes were left on the pack. No danger of postholes. The snow was pasty/slushy. Easy to slide especially during descent. The microspikes were ineffective in the soft snow and slush but were useful in other stretches of snow. Snowshoes could be used in places but would not be recommended in other sections. Snowshoes not necessary in today's conditions. Near the summit, the boot path strays briefly from the official path. The ledge areas were not icy. All of these conditions may change with the forecasted weather. Nice to hike with Jeff (trail maintainer for Middle Sister & Skookumchuck trails). Saw some other hikers including a hiker from Ontario. Great views from the summit. Most surfaces at the summit were snow covered so there wasn't many dry spots to sit.

Parking

Lot off Passaconaway Road is plowed.

Water Crossings

Dry Brook is spanned by a bridge.