| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Royce, West Royce, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Royce Trail, Royce Connector Trail, East Royce Trail, herd path, Basin Rim Trail, Basin Trail, Hermit Falls Loop, roadwalks |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 20, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked roadside just south of the gate on Evans Notch Road. No other cars when I arrived, several more when I returned. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The Cold River crossings on lower Royce Trail were tricky this morning, some rather committing moves to get across, poles were very helpful. The crossing of Basin Brook was on logs and wet rocks. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several old step-overs on Royce Trail below Mad River Falls, then several more step-overs and a duck/crawl-under between there and Royce Connector. A few step-overs on Basin Rim, and some ancient step/climb-overs on Basin. I was flicking and removing what I could for downed wood on the trails throughout the hike. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
The route currently has some bad icy sections that wouldn't be good for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
It was an excellent day to head back into Evans Notch and get some solitude on the Royces. Lower Royce Trail was a nice walk in the woods, though the crossings were dicey. Things got more icy above the falls, though I was able to bare boot all the way to East Royce, and the ledges beyond the summit. Traction on from the top of East Royce to about 0.3 from Rim Junction where the snow/ice disappeared. In a lot of spots there was a firm snow surface to walk on, from 2-12", some soft snow in sunny spots, and lots of ice thrown in for good measure. Descending off West Royce, there were two sections of steep ice, that I almost wished I had crampons for. Basin Trail was clear for the most part, with some bits of ice near the top and along the pond, and a lot of leaves in the upper half. Hermit Falls has a big tree down in it, sad face. Really a perfect weather day for these peaks, bright sun, with little wind, and super clear views. Seeing no one on a beautiful Sunday, priceless. |
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 | Name: |
Bill Robichaud |
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 | E-Mail: |
bill.robichaud@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-03-20 |
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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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