Warning! This trail is considerably more difficult and potentially dangerous than most trails in the Belknaps.
This is an advanced trail. Avoid it if you are not comfortable with heights, or conditions are wet ( or snowy or icy!) . I would recommend NOT using this trail for descent. The Red Trail from Anna is not far away and is considerably easier in my opinion. The footing is generally good (with the exception of the rockfall part of the trail), but there are several spots where a little lapse could result in a very bad - even fatal - fall. This is not a trail for sneakers!
Much to my amazement, I was actually on the road by 6.30 this morning, headed for the Precipice Path.
This was a trip up the Western leg of the Precipice Path 'horsehoe', over to Anna and down the Red Trail.
Despite it being the tail end of Bike Week, traffic was not too bad. Until just before reaching trail head, where I encountered a tow truck and police officer and a slight mystery. Seems someone left a perfectly good motorcycle in the middle of the road. Careless and carefree, that's the bikin' life I guess ..
Anyway after a few minutes ( and after the officer checked me out ... probably wanted to be sure I wasnt coming back for my bike or a buddy or ... I dunno .. something ) I was able to go on to the trailhead.
I'd already scouted the trail, so knew where I was headed. There are a somewhat hidden couple of connections to make, but once on the trail it's easy to follow. Very recently blazed ( still sticky!) . The treadway is a step or two above herd path. Easy to follow. Well, except for a couple places that present a bit of a challenge.
The first leg of the trail is a snowmobile corridor trail thru some nice woods and past a small pretty bog , with a glimpse of the ridge. You have to look sharp for the junction, but the red blazes help.
Once on the trail, there is a short steep climb to a boulder field.
Boulders
Past the boulder field you come to the rockfall/cascade. This is the roughest section of trail; care is required , not all the rocks are stable. I would NOT want to descend this section! A couple places required handholds, but no real scrambling.
Above the falls
Past the waterfall, the trail continues to ascend, below the rim of the ridge, with occasional interesting outlooks from slightly open ledges. There are a few spots along this trail section where a misstep or a trip would result in a serious fall, but no white-knuckle spots. Of course, depends on your threshold ... but as long as its dry, footing is OK.
There was one spot I opted to take a short bushwhack around; I'm too tall and not flexible enough to get through that one spot without contortion - and a slip at that point would be very bad.
Fortunately the bushwhack is easy, short and obvious. Average size people probably would have no problem, either.
The trail then mellows out, with some zigs and zags over ledges - teasingly, though. I think there was only 1 viewpoint after leaving the edge of the ridge.
At this point I got a call about a sick pet, so the pace picked up and the attention to the trail features dropped off.
The nature of the woods changes to mostly softwood, and fairly soon after leaving the last of the ledge crosses the Blue Straightback-Anna link trail. The junction is clear and should be easy to catch.
The Red Trail junction ( note that although both this trail and the Precipice Path are blazed in red, *this* trail is the "Red Trail") on Anna is signed and not easily missed.
Coming down off Anna the Red Trail goes thru a section that is in bad need of brushing ( wading thigh deep in juniper) , but once it enters the woods it is fine. It is far easier than the Precipice Path. It eventually reaches a section that is probably an old farm trail, and not too far after that reaches the snowmobile corridor trail.
It is somewhat humorous to note that on the way home I passed Mt Major - cars were lined up 20+ deep on both sides of the road, in both directions. I saw no one all day after the police officer, and was content with the views & the woods :)