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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Old Speck Mountain, ME
Trails
Trails: Old Speck Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 7, 2018
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: The main Grafton Notch parking lot is routinely plowed and I can't imagine it won't be clear for the rest of the spring 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Only one of the streams at the very beginning was free of ice and snow. It was easily jumpable. All of the other snow bridges are holding for now.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: 1 or 2 blowdowns that were easy to get around 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw 2 dogs on my way down. They had made their way about 2/3rds of the way up and I imagine they summited.  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Left the lot shortly before 9am and was back to my car at 1:30pm. I saw about a dozen people on the trail today. Most were wearing snowshoes. I believe one gentleman made it to the top without any traction, though. There was a firm base on this well-travelled trail and only an inch or two of loose powder from a small storm the night before. I chose to hike until about 3400 feet with microspikes before I put snowshoes on. Drifts began obscuring the trail as you approached the peak and snowshoes became helpful but not absolutely necessary.

I carved out a path with snowshoes from the AT to the main overlook on the Eyebrow trail, but then turned around. On the way back, the first mile of the trail was starting to get slushy in the afternoon sun and 40 degree weather. That section will probably begin the thaw-freeze cycle as the weather improves in the coming weeks.  
Name
Name: Drew 
E-Mail
E-Mail: dttaylor105@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2018-04-08 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

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