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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Whiteface, NH
Trails
Trails: Flat Mountain Pond Trail, McCrillis Trail, Rollins Trail, Blueberry Ledge Trail, McCrillis Path
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, December 9, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: No one was the parking area when we arrived; there were two cars added on our return, one leaving with a couple of dogs. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: There was just enough ice on the Whiteface River boulders that I put on spikes for the crossing. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There are three remaining blowdowns on McCrillis Path roughly around 3000'. There were 6-8" if I recall correctly and thus too large for me to get with my saw. They are straddleovers. Blueberry Ledge has some blowdowns but none are serious impediments. McCrillis Path looks to have had a few recent blowdowns but they had been removed before today. Thanks. I would think after a good snow that it might be tricky to follow parts of McCrillis Trail and even more so the McCrillis Path in its re-route section in the USFS. Until one reaches that section the trail corridor is wide and nice and it continues that way past the re-route. But now there is an arrow for the re-route which is good since the old route works great until one hits the Freddy Kreuger brambles. It looks like recent blue paint was applied as paint blazes from the USFS boundary until the major old road is reached. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper had fun. He had to take some care on the icy ledges on upper McCrillis and Blueberry Ledge trails. 
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: I lost my OR tan ballcap type hat somewhere on the upper Blueberry Ledge. There is a lost and found container at Ferncroft.  
 
Comments
Comments: The McCrillis Trail and Path "loop" is a splendid hike with plenty of solitude. It probably makes more sense to do it counterclockwise, since the Blueberry Ledge ledges are much more extensive and tricky than those on the McCrillis Trail and it is easier on ice going up than down. Spikes are highly recommended for any descent. The infamous old ladder section of Blueberry Ledge was actually quite easy being snowfree. But most of the other ledges had ice as did other sections of the trail above the steps. McCrillis Trail had much less ice in the trail, but the upper ledges were icy. I would guess tonight's snow will cover the ice on the ledges, which could make them even more tricky by hiding the ice and by keeping short spikes from getting a bite.

Pepper and I saluted a great hiking team - Per and Cinnilla on Whiteface. They did 640 peaks and over 5000 miles together. She was only 28 peaks short of finishing her Grid before injuries far from the trails took their toll. Cinnilla crossed the rainbow bridge last weekend and will be missed. Pepper left her one of his favorite treats.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-12-09 
Link
Link: https:// 
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