Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Zeacliff, Zealand Mountain (attempt), Mt. Hale (attempt), NH |
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| Trails: |
Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Twinway |
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| Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at Lower Ammonoosuc Falls lot on 302 |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
None |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Our group of five did an overnight at the Zealand Hut with hopes of visiting Zealand and Hale. From the parking lot to Zealand Hut, we packed down 3-6 inches of fresh powder over the existing showshoe track. Several groups came up after us on both 12/26 and 12/27 and it's now well consolidated all the way to the hut. Three of us continued breaking trail on the Twinway to Zeacliff and encountered increasingly deep unconsolidated snow. By the time we got to Zeacliff, it was knee deep with hip-deep drifts. There was no noticeable track to Zealand, so we decided to retreat to the hut. We were planning to return to 302 over Hale, but there was no noticeable track through the deep snow on Lend-a-Hand and our group just wasn't up to it in the cold. Looking up Hale Brook Trail on the way out, it we saw 3-6 inches on top of a snowshoe track. We also passed guy in crampons without snowshoes planning to head up that way, so it's possibly more broken out now. |
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| Name: |
Brian S |
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| E-Mail: |
newenglandrambling@outlook.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-12-27 |
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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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