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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks West Field, Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Wiley, Mt. Avalon, NH
Trails
Trails: Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, bushwhack, Mt. Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail, Avalon Spur
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, March 4, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes:  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Crossings on trail were well ice bridged. I punched through on the bushwhack, but nothing too bad. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Some duck under blowdown on the Wiley Range tr. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Avalon trail was hard packed to the A-Z junction. The A-Z to the col was soft and rough, so I went to snowshoes, which stayed on until the top of Avalon at the end of the hike. I continued on A-Z past the Wiley range tr. and descended until I had a view of West Field. I began a bushwhack to West Field, initially downhill and crossing some streams. The first bit was a little thick and the boughs were snow-loaded, but then things opened right up. There was new powder and I was sinking about 6" on each step. Very nice snowshoeing in open woods on the gentle north slope of West Field. Just before the top, I hit a short-lived thick section, then open woods to the recognized highpoint. I followed my tracks out. Following my tracks would provide very easy access to this peak right now.

Having made good time, I went for Tom, Field, Wiley, and Avalon. It seems that people are not carrying snowshoes, a decision that turned one couple around short of Wiley, due to deep drifts. Someone ahead of me went to a lot of extra effort due to no snowshoes. I feel that my tracks did a lot to smooth things out. There were some good views on route as clouds came in and out.

I have not been doing much 4k hiking these days, but I do keep track and Wiley marked my 300th grid peak...a ways to go, with lots of other objectives taking priority.  
Name
Name: zporterColdRiverCampCook 
E-Mail
E-Mail: zap88@tds.net 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-03-04 
Link
Link: https:// 
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