Sandwich Dome

Trail: Flat Mountain Pond Trail, Guinea Pond Trail, Guinea Pond Side Path, Black Mountain Pond Trail, Mary Cary Falls Spur, Algonquin Trail, Bennett Street Trail, Gleason Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant

“I was very surprised to only see 4 people today! There was a nice breeze keeping it cool all day, and the visibility was excellent. Guinea Pond trail follows the site of the Beebe River Logging Railroad, so it is very straight and flat, but it goes through a lot of marshy area and has been flooded a lot. I managed to stay dry and avoid the mud, but there was a lot of wetness throughout this trail. While not dancing around the mud, it is a smooth and peaceful walk through the forest. I also enjoyed the marsh scenery, even if it was overtaking the trail in parts. Since it is so wide and flat it isn't hard to follow, expect for the flooded area. Guinea Pond Side path has flooded. Unlike the flooded section on Guinea Pond trail, there are very few logs. I got about halfway into the flooded area with some careful route finding and balancing, but with the trail under feet of water decided I had done the extent of remaining trail. Black Mountain Pond trail is amazing and an absolute hidden gem. I love that trail and it is one of my favorites, possibly even my #1 favorite trail. It is similar to Blueberry Ledge trail, but has more rock scrambles, very similar exceptional views, and Black Mountain Pond is a very pretty pond. I imagine this trail isn't used a lot, but is still relatively easy to follow. Mary Cary Falls was small, but maybe earlier in the spring with higher water levels it was larger. Bennett Street trail was in excellent shape, and appears to get more traffic than I was expecting. It was very steady and granted a pretty smooth descent.”

Trail: Smarts Brook Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Some shoe-sucking muddy sections about half way up the trail, but not too bad. The streams and pools along this trail were beautiful. The northern view of the mountains from Sandwich dome was stellar. Quiet trail today with very few people. Had the summit to myself.”

Trail: Bennett Street Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches

“The trail was dry down low. I first encountered snow/ice on the upper portion of the logging road section at about 2900 feet. From there, patches and short stretches appeared intermittently - some just a few feet long, others as much as 20-30 yards. Some were avoidable by walking the dry edge, but some were not circumnavigable, so I carefully walked the hard-packed middle, which is still discernible for the most part. My micro-spikes stayed in the backpack. In the early going, the crossing of Pond Brook is poorly marked. You have to look for two small cairns on the FAR side of the stream. If you miss it, you'll wander up a herd path for a hundred yards before it peters out, and it dawns on you that you must have missed the crossing. Of course, you might be more perceptive than I was. In general, the trail could use a few more blue paint markers. There are a couple of ash trees in the first part of the trail that are sad examples of the infestation of the emerald ash borer. Look for the extreme 'blonding' of the bark. It was a quiet day. I saw no one all day.”