Cohos Trail End to End

[Snowflea]

I spent 6 full and 3 partial days this summer hiking the length of the Cohos Trail (June 18-21 and 24, August 19-22). The trail conditions were better than I'd expected, and it was a wonderful experience overall.

There is a rather lengthy report on my blog www.runsuerun.blogspot.com for those who are interested.

If you are so inclined, I recommend that you hike this trail!!!

 

[Maineman]

I am absolutely doing this! Maybe in the winter...

 

[sdways01]

I've only hiked a few small sections of the trail up north while seeing other places, but what my uncle and I don't like about it is how much it follows logging/dirt roads and how the trail stays so close to Rt. 3 in some places (mostly Pittsburg). My family spends lots of time in the Colebrook to Pittsburg part of the state, so that is the section I am most familiar with. What was your take on this part of the trail and those aspects of it?

 

[AlpineBee]

Congratulations on completing the trail, and thanks for posting this report! I've wanted to hike the Cohos Trail since I finished the M-S Greenway and Cardigan-Smarts hike a few years ago. Work gets in the way of back-country ambitions

 

[Snowflea]

...but what my uncle and I don't like about it is how much it follows logging/dirt roads and how the trail stays so close to Rt. 3 in some places (mostly Pittsburg)... What was your take on this part of the trail and those aspects of it?

There is a lot of new trail after Lake Francis, some of which pulls pretty far away from Rt 3 (e.g. Mt Prospect, Covell Mtn, Round Pond, Bog Brook, Moose Alley, Falls in the River, and Black Cat Trails). The trails are not heavily traveled except for Falls in the River, so it is not a "hardened trail-White Mtn experience." Also, Rt 3 north of First CT Lake was VERY quiet.

As I mentioned in my report, best to keep an open mind and sense of humor! It really is beautiful country up there.

 

[sdways01]

Thanks for the feedback and congrats on finishing it. While I think I'd prefer the trail to be off the roads a bit more, it's still some great places to go through, don't get me wrong about that.

 

[John in NH]

Congrats on completing that trail and thanks for sharing the good detailed write up. I have been thinking about this trail for a while and it was good to see one consistent recent perspective.

I had to laugh with the slide brook and cherry pond bit. I went in those two areas in the evening exactly a week before you did. I picked up 57 ticks on slide brook trail (yes I counted!) the grass was very high and that beaver pond completely flooded. Cherry Ponds mosquitos were indeed biblical as I stubbornly set up camera gear around sunset. I had a hundred literally on me and they were biting through a long sleeve shirt so I ended up putting on my polartec fleece (not usually carried in such warm weather) and headnet just to survive taking photos and kept it on for a very sweaty hike out. The whole hike made me question the Cohos Trail-- and some seems comparable-- but maybe its still worth doing?