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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Whiteface, Mt. Passaconaway, NH
Trails
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, February 19, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes:  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The Dicey's Mill Trail crossing is wide open. There is a fairly thick birch that we carefully snowshoed across. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: The road walks were icy this morning and slushy this afternoon. House in the field on Dicey's Mill is plowed this winter.
Blueberry Ledge Trail was a combination of spring snow and wet powder. With the temperatures down low north of 40, it was very spring like. That said, snowshoes (good snowshoes; ones that feel good under foot and have good traction, not the tubular walk-around-a-field junk) were very much needed. Unfortunately there were barebooters on this trail, at one point postholing about as deep as I've ever seen...must have been very painful. At least as of this morning, all of the ledge scrambles were fully covered/ramped in snow and very easily ascended in snowshoes. Hit no ice or bare ledge. By the looks of it, most folks turned around at the south summit (and I suspect many do not know the true summit is north of the Sleeper junction on the Rollins Trail).
The Rollins Trail was broken out but not well consolidated (transitioning to spring snow this afternoon with stuff dripping from the trees). Snowshoes a must and fortunately no barebooters had attempted it recently. Lots walking through branches due to the snowpack. Was amazed to see the blowdown patch about a third of the way to Passaconaway, which at current snow depths is practically like a 200 foot long ski slope with far reaching views east. Whoever broke out the trail yesterday did a good job route finding, as only a few minor turns were cut off. The two side slope areas are dicey if one does not have good snowshoe crampons, due to the firm ice crust underneath.
Dicey's Mill Trail from the Rollins junction to the summit has a good snowshoe footbed, with one switchback bypassed. We also did the very short bushwhack from the highpoint to the Chocorua viewpoint, which is faster than taking the trail around the top of the summit cone.
Dicey's Mill below the Rollins Trail was also spring snow. Lots of bareboot posthole activity (appears they did not make it to the summit, so they can't count Passaconaway in February for their Posthole Grid).
Lots of snow melt/consolidation this weekend, but I think the snowpack is still ahead of where it was a week ago. Perhaps about 3 feet at the base, then 4 to 7 feet higher up.
Nice to hike in base layers, baseball cap, and work gloves.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-02-19 
Link
Link: https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos 
Bookmark and Share 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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