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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Loon Mountain (North Peak), Scar Ridge (West Peak), Scar Ridge (Middle Peak), Scar Ridge (East Peak), NH
Trails
Trails: Ski trails, ski glades, herd paths, bushwhack, East Pond Trail, Route 112
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, March 13, 2015
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of room at Loon ski area at 6 AM. East Pond parking lot not plowed and no room nearby. Parked at Otter Rocks plowed lot, about 0.7 miles west. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: East Pond Trail crossings still snow bridged. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Started at Loon at 6AM, using ski glades to ascend much of the North Peak area (as grooming was still ongoing). From near the top of the chairlift, we followed skier herd paths to the two potential highpoints of Loon's North Peak (either side of the Sunset trail). We left the ski area boundary prior to the area opening. Bitter cold and windy up top, but fortunately temperatures moderated later.
From near the top of the chairlift, we hopped onto the bootleg ski trail (ski area boundary sign) and followed it east. Prior to it heading toward Black Mountain proper, we started the bushwhack to West Scar, taking a weaving course up it to stay in reasonable woods. Snow conditions were subpar, every step was a crap shoot in terms of floating on the snowpack or sinking in a foot or more. Areas of granular, powder, and drifts. Perhaps three feet of snowpack with much deeper drifts.
From the western west peak summit, we continued to the eastern west peak summit (reportedly lower) in scrappy woods (herd path not follow-able in this snowpack).
We then dropped toward Middle Scar, favoring north. With the current snowpack and the route we chose, the woods weren't terrible. Relatively smooth sailing from the col to the summit. With nice weather, we went to the cliffs on the south side of the summit (a few hundred feet in distance away) for an early lunch.
From Middle, we opted to drop directly down to about 3,200 feet, favoring east. Steep going with some thick spots, but once we neared the contour, the woods were scrappy but not super thick. Snow going due to the previously mentioned snow conditions, but it allowed us to avoid the ridge and the peaks along the way, as well as to get some nice views of the higher peaks. Upon arriving under the col before East, we ascended to the ridge and took it up to east in not terrible woods. We then skirted around the west and north side of the blowdown infested summit, remembering lessons learned from searching for the highpoint a few years ago. Very deep drifted snow in places.
From there, we dropped a little south of east in very steep and unsavory woods initially, before finding a steep but open line that dropped us onto the East Pond Trail perhaps around 2,900 feet. The trail had been broken out prior to the recent dusting of snow, and down lower had had a decent amount of skier traffic, so it was pretty smooth sailing down to the parking lot, followed by a brief walk along Route 112 to the Otter Rocks parking lot.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2015-03-13 
Link
Link: https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos 
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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