| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Carter Dome, South Carter, Middle Carter, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome, Carter Moriah Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, December 21, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
This was the only trailhead parking lot that had more than a few cars in it that I could see today from the road, coming up I-93 to 3 to 2 to 16. It had 8-10 on our arrival so we parked there. If the lot had been full I would have parked at the USFS Great Gulf parking area which has plenty of room, and done the short walk up the road to either the Joe Dodge (if we had done a loop with the cutoff whack) or the 19 Mile Brook parking area. I usually like to do any road walk in the morning to avoid traffic but there wasn't much on Rt. 16 in the late afternoon today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossings on the Carter Dome trail were ice bridged but there were open and/or break through sections to avoid. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is a large white birch blowdown before the last crossing on Carter Dome that people are walking around, but it is an easy straddle. There are two small stag stems across Carter Dome above Zeta pass but these are currently easy walk/duckunders. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper had fun. It was a pretty easy day for him, the only trail breaking was on Carter Dome above Zeta Pass. The crust was too thin for him to walk on it, so he followed me, and the snow under the crust was not sticky, more of an icy equivalent to dry sand. Other than that he had a hard packed surface above 19 Mile Brook. 19 Mile Brook still has patches of running water and wet ice bulges on it, so I guided him along the edges or up on the sides to keep his paws dry. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I put on my old Hillsounds as soon as I saw 19 Mile Brook was a choppy mix of ice boot prints, crusty snow, some rocks and some open water. Carter Dome was a nice flat crusty snow all the way to Zeta Pass and then on to Middle Carter. Carter Dome above the lower intersection with Carter Moriah hadn't been broken out so we put on snowshoes. It had varying amounts of icy crust over granular ice which was a little slow but nothing like what we've been hiking in. It was a fun snowshoe on the return leg. We saw four other hikers in this section, all put on snowshoes for it, with two heading over to Hight on Carter Moriah. This granular snow didn't pack so I'd recommend snowshoes for it tomorrow. The section of trail just below Carter Dome had some deep postholes in it, but the snowshoes tended to fill them in. I was told the trail up from the Hut to Carter Dome was well packed. The trail past Middle Carter looked to have had one snowshoer on it, reportedly someone coming over from Moriah, so I don't know anything about North Carter or Imp. We were on those trails a month ago and they were a wet and icy mess, so I was glad to retrace our steps from Middle Carter to South and then out. We met one large group doing the Carters, all in spikes, having heard that was all that was needed for that section.
This was Plan B due to the summit's forecast and obvious high winds and clouds on the highest summits as we drove up. Even then on 19 Mile Brook we shot past Carter Dome a ways before I changed my mind and substituted Carters for Wildcats. Pepper must wonder about me sometimes, but it turned out to be a great choice. The packed trail sections were fast and easy, and the snowshoe section of Carter Dome only a bit of work going up and a fun snowshoe down. 19 Mile Brook was kind of rough but manageable. We got to hike a bit and chat with Gridiots Alan & Linda and a nice group of hikers who did the Carters which was an unexpected bonus. There wasn't as much sun as forecast, and the winds at times even in the afternoon were brisk, although these trails rarely expose a hiker to them directly. The clouds over the Presi peaks were interesting. Thanks Pepper for a great day away from the work computers. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-12-21 |
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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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