| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 19, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Rte 302 snowmobile lot, about 1/4 mile from unplowed and gated Zealand Road on opposite side of 302 tom Zealand Road. Lot was mostly full by 10:30 am. Only 3 vehicles when I returned by headlight at 8pm. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
no issues worth much mention, might have been one small tree blown down easy walk over. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one large happy dog coming down from summit. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
One MSR Lightning Ascent snow shoe label left on Hale Brook trail not far from trailhead, and some yellow snow ! |
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|
 | Comments: |
Sunday March 19 out and back via Zealand Rd from 302 and the Hale Brook Trail to summit.
Carried all the gear- microspikes, ice axe, 12 point crampons, but only used snowshoes the whole way from Rte 302. Zealand Rd from 302 was well packed and firm from skies and snowshoes. Lots of skiers seen on Zealand Rd. On Hale Brook trail had to contend with INCONSIDERATE bare booters who risked personal injury and had left some post holes and ruined the cleanup that snowshoers had done. A few post holes were deep and on the side slope portions saw many places where they had slid some down slope with one boot. Saw a group of 5 or so bare booters coming down from above. It was a bluebird day and the sun exposed snow had softened. Snow in the shade was still firm or powdery. Although Hale Brook trail was broken out since the last storm, it had not seen enough snowshoe traffic to be in the best smoothly packed condition. Bright sun felt warm on the summit clearing around the cairn. Fell and slid a few times negotiating steep hairpin turns on the switchbacks. Spruce trees at higher elevation still covered in snow and I got some down the neck a few times from some lower hanging branches. Snow was deeper and more powdery at higher elevations. |
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 | Name: |
SOTA |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-03-21 |
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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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