Success Pond Rd

[RoySwkr]

Any idea what conditions might be like this Thurs?

 

[Lefty E]

Went for a ride as far as the Goose Eye/Carlo Col trailhead...icy spots, very bumpy with many frozen puddle holes..count on at least 1/2 hr from Hutchins St. entrance..was able to drive up to Success trailhead on a thin layer of snow with ice underneath..would have tried to hit the Notch Trail and Speck Pond trailheads but had to get back to town for truck alignment appointment!!
See what the weather brings for Thursday's conditions..

 

[DougPaul]

had to get back to town for truck alignment appointment!!

Hopefully not necessitated by driving Success Pond Rd...

Doug

 

[Lefty E]

Hopefully not necessitated by driving Success Pond Rd...

Doug

you got me!! only kidding though..just keep the speed from 10 to 25 mph..

 

[Lefty E]

It's freezing rain at this point in time up this a way, so no idea how slick it would be on Success Pond Rd...

 

[Lefty E]

I would not go up Success Pond Road anytime soon...

 

[JustJoe]

Has anyone been on it as far as Speck Pond Trail? Only used the road once 2 years ago this weekend as far as Goose Eye T/H. Just curios if it's any worse past that.

Thanks

 

[PamW]

I replied on another forum, ahem, but will repeat it here for everyone else.

I called the AMC this morning with the same question. Took a few people, but they found someone who had been there recently. Great customer service!

Success Pond Road is open through Grafton Notch and Rt 26. The worst section is just outside Berlin with about a mile of rutted exposed rock-- the rest is much better. They recommend high clearance vehicles. Others tell me it's been like this for some time.

 

[JustJoe]

Thanks Pam

 

[bryan]

was out the road as far as goose eye trailhead the other day and as stated the first mile was by far the worst section of road that i saw and it was still totally managable in a passenger car.

bryan

 

[peakbagger]

I took a run up Success Pond Road today 5/26. As Bryan mentioned the first mile to the ATV parking is rough with cobble sized rocks all over the road. You need to watch the sides of the road as, the culverts are lifting up and have been caught by the road grader leaving sharp pieces of metal in a perfect spot to slash a tire. The road gets better past the ATV area but in general it is maintained for large logging trucks. Those with small cars should plan on no more than 20 MPH. Occasionally where repairs have been done, they have used very heavy agregate instead of gravel. Its passable but will remind you of the begining of the road. There are piles of trees and possibly active logging along the road in spots so if you are going during the week watch out for trucks and equipment. All of the traihead signs along the road are in good shape. Between the Notch trail head and the Speck pond trailhead the road splits in a "Y", the road condition is better on the left side of the Wye, but the Sucess Pond Road actually goes right. After the split the road gets a lot better. It is graded for cars, I went past the Speck Pond trail for a couple of miles and was planning to go all the way to RT 26 until I lost the brakes on my truck. If the road from the 18 mile point continues are good as the section after the split I would recommend accessing the area via RT 26, as if you have loose parts on your car or have your wheels aligned, the drive in from Berlin maynot be kind to your car.

I ended up driving back down the road slowly in 2nd gear and used my emergency brake as needed to get back to my house in Gorham.

A general observation on the road is that it appears that the current owner, Dillon, is doing the bare minimum to keep the road open for trucks. Rather than bring in new material, they appear to be just smoothing out the road without bringing in new gravel. This is exposing the road base and many boulders as well as removing the cover over the culverts which causes them to work up out of the ground more rapidly

 

[1HappyHiker]

Thanks Peakbagger . . . very useful info! I was on the Success Pond Road the day before (25-May), but only went as far as the trailhead for the Success Trail. Just as you reported, the first mile or so of the road is very rough with large cobble-sized rocks all over the road.
I was sometimes creeping along at only about 10 mph through that section!

Sorry to read about your brake failure. Punctured brake line??

 

[PamW]

I traversed the whole length of Success Pond Road 5/27 and 28 in a Nissan Quest minivan. Definitely passable by passenger cars driving slowly.