| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Sleeper (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Downes Brook Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, November 26, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow/Ice - Small Patches, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Many! The 9 water crossings (each way) are manageable by stepping on submerged rocks. Snow and ice are starting to make them tricky. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Downes Brook in pretty good shape. A few step overs. We cleared the 3-4 blowdowns at the top of Downes Brook that were blocking the trail.
Kate Sleeper is a whole different story. Section from Downes Brook to East Sleeper is still nearly impassable. The number and size of the blowdowns is mind-boggling. The incredible winds seem to have toppled every sizable tree along this stretch. There is no easy way to bushwhack around this section as the blowdowns are everywhere. We spent 3-4 hours clearing as much as we could today but there is still considerable work to be done. The trail is now visible through the worst of the blowdowns on the flat section before the climb though there are still about 30+ climb-overs and duck-unders in a couple hundred feet of trail. Did not get to clearing any of the blowdowns on the climb to East Sleeper - there are several large blowdown patches obscuring the trail as far as we explored but the woods are a bit more open here so bushwhacking around is a bit easier.
Anyone venturing to this area, bring your BIG saw. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Kate Sleeper probably not fun for dogs right now. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
After spending a few hours here before Thanksgiving, I was itching to get back again to clear the trail more. This beautiful trail is part of one our favorite traverses and we were hoping to get a lot more cleared before winter. The damage I saw last week did not even compare to what we came across today. By far, the worst blowdown damage we have ever seen.
Although we are feeling a bit defeated after today's minimal progress, we could still be convinced to head out for another day of trail work if anyone else wants to help out this poor trail... |
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 | Name: |
Jeff & Karine |
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 | E-Mail: |
Klossner.jeffrey (at) gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-11-26 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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