| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Passaconaway, Square Ledge, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Oliverian Brook Trail, Passaconaway Cutoff, Walden Trail, Square Ledge Trail, Square Ledge Branch |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 12, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The main parking area is still covered in ice with some dirt beginning to show; the smaller area closer to the Kanc used in Winter is fine for all vehicles. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossings are opening up or opened, but water levels are low. I was in snowshoes all day so the last few on Oliverian Brook and on Square Ledge Branch near Oliverian were a bit tricky as I tried to be easy on the snowshoe crampons, but I wasn't worried about soaking my feet. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All intersections signed but the one for Walden's right turn where it meets East Loop is on a tree that is partially down and it is hard to see. There are scattered blowdowns on Walden, Square Ledge and elsewhere. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Since I didn't worry about Pepper's paws icing up, the presence of open water was fine; none of the crossings were fast or deep. The soft snow on Square Ledge and its Branch slowed him down a bit as he occasionally pawholed. As always the hike out on the packed trail was great fun. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
There is a single trail crampon hanging on a tree on the Oliverian Brook trail below the Cutoff. |
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 | Comments: |
Oliverian had a fairly solid base to it making snowshoeing easy. There were two very nice barebooters on the trail, and in the upper sections they had endured a few very deep postholes on their hike up. I would guess the hike down was harder still, hopefully they got out fine. Square Ledge had a single set of snowshoe prints on it, sometimes deep ones. I tried to stay in them as the trail was not consolidated; it probably got very little winter use. The steep section to the east was slow going down due to ice and the snow just sliding. The Branch had no recent signs of use, but it was an okay snowshoe considering. Pepper found this stretch a bit harder as he pawholed frequently. Oliverian Brook from the Branch to the Cutoff was somewhat consolidated but unused recently; it was a decent snowshoe with an occasional deep one every once in a while. The stream crossings were almost all open, and there are a number of them, but the water flow was low and slow. Oliverian below the cutoff remained a nice snowshoe even on the warm hike out. For a last minute decision, it was a fine hike with the mighty tough little dog. Thanks Pepper. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-04-12 |
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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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