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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks North Tripyramid, Middle Tripyramid, South Tripyramid, West Sleeper, East Sleeper, NH
Trails
Trails: Pine Bend Brook Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, East Sleeper Spur, Downes Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 23, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of parking at Downe's Brook Trail (fee lot) and off the road at Pine Bend Brook Trail. We left a few cars at each. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: LOTS. Pine Bend Brook's were fine, easily hoppable/leapable. Several of the 10 significant crossings on Downe's Brook Trail, however, were very difficult, and none of them were easy. Black ice on many of the rocks, some long steps between rocks needed, and the water was fast and deep. We rarely were able to cross where the trail crosses. Light traction is advisable on the crossings, though I'm not sure it helped all that much honestly. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: We cleared/limbed several blowdowns off of Pine Bend Brook Trail from the gully to the summit, including one mess that we cut most of out at the left turn at the ridge top where the herd path to Scaur departs. More work remains, with some needing a larger saw to clear, but the trail is passable for now until the snow accumulates. We saw a trail maintainer out clearing a couple blowdowns and doing some brushing along the ridge between North and Middle Tripyramid, thanks! The sign on the South Slide signifying the start of the Kate Sleeper Trail is hard to see, as usual. Kate Sleeper Trail is in pretty good shape, just a blowdown here and there still needing to be cleared (none a major obstacle at this time). The mess between the East Sleeper Spur and Downe's Brook Trail that Hurricane Sandy caused last year was incredible, as was the impressive work done by the various groups that cleared the trail through the mess. The entire forest was turned on its side in here! A blowdown was blocking the East Sleeper Spur (duck-under). Several widow-makers hanging in the treetops to keep an eye on. Downe's Brook Trail was in OK shape, though some re-routing will be needed to deal with several eroded banks alongside the trail that are likely to get worse. While we're at it can we remove some of the crossings? (hahaha). 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw a couple of labs that came up Sabbaday, seemed to be fine. There's no real trouble on our route except perhaps all the big Downe's Brook crossings, depending on the dog. 
Bugs
Bugs: Nope! 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Joined in on a group hike over the Tripyramids and Sleepers for Scott Disnard's NE100 finish on East Sleeper. Congrats again Scott!

Our group made good time over the Tripyramids, had a slight navigational mishap finding the Kate Sleeper Trail junction (the sign is buried in the trees off the side of the trail and is easy to miss), but we all made it to East Sleeper just fine. We had a small celebration there, then hit the trail down, knowing we'd be needing headlamps. The descent was slow, taking nearly 4 hours to get down the 5 miles of Downe's Brook, most of that due to being under headlamp for half of it, and getting the whole group across all the stream crossings in the dark was difficult.

A trace to less than an inch of snow throughout the hike, with some minor ice here and there on the trails. The South slide was sunny and largely clear of snow/ice. Most folks put on microspikes at some point during this hike (most on Downe's Brook Trail), though a few made it through with some care without them.

A long day out, but the weather was much better than forecast (warmer, sunnier, and we felt little wind). One peak left for 2013's NH4K round.  
Name
Name: madmattd 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-11-25 
Link
Link: https://mattshikes.blogspot.com/ 
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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