Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek, NH |
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| Trails: |
Starr King Road, herd path, Starr King Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Friday, February 3, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Starr King Road lot not plowed and posted no parking on Starr King Road. Since it was 5:45AM, I parked in the snowmobile lot (conflicting no hiker parking signs) across US 2. Not sure where the "hiker parking" is, but presumably it's a few spaces near the monument adjacent to the gas station. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
About half a dozen step over blowdowns on the way to Starr King. Perhaps 2 between the peaks, frozen into the snowpack. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
A trace to an inch of new snow overnight.
Seems like recent traffic favored the herd path that starts at the entrance of the parking lot, rather than the trailhead proper at the top of the parking lot.
Perhaps 8-12" of snowpack in the hardwood section, hard pack with 2-3" of powder on top.
Snowpack dramatically increases in the softwoods and is a good 4 feet deep between the peaks with some overnight drifting.
No sign of a footbed heading to South Weeks.
I wore snowshoes roundtrip; the recent powder made for good snowshoeing conditions. One could attempt to boot this, but since it's winter, a 4K, and good conditions, why not snowshoe? Oh, and if one has to step off the footbed, it's a super deep posthole at this point.
Was hoping for a sunrise, but the clouds engulfed the summits around that time. Periodic clearing before and after. |
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| Name: |
rocket21 |
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| E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-02-03 |
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| Link: |
https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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