Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
North Sugarloaf, Middle Sugarloaf, NH |
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| Trails: |
Zealand Road, Trestle Trail, Sugarloaf Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Lower Falls lot |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Water crossing on Trestle trail was interesting but doable. Took lots of investigating with trekking poles to find boulders under 2 ft of fresh snow and ice bridges. Ice bridges are thick but were covered in slush from freezing in sub-zero temps and the water receding through the day. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Happy spring! An absolutely amazing day to be out on the trails. Crystal clear visibility led to spectacular views, especially of the Presidential Range that seemed a vibrant white. Zealand rd is packed like a sidewalk, although the sun softened it a bit by afternoon. Trestle trail/Sugarloaf trail prior to the snowmo crossing was choppy due to bareboot/spike traffic but above that was packed nicely. Solid packed trail up to the junction and over to Middle Sugarloaf. North Sugarloaf branch was untouched, so I took the task of breaking through 1-2 ft of powder the entire length. It could use more travel with snowshoes to fully pack it down. I took the left on my way down to complete the Trestle trail loop. It seems it was tracked out prior to a minor snowfall, so that as well need more work with snowshoes to sufficiently pack it out. See above for crossing info. After the crossing there was no tracks until the campground where there was some light snowshoe/ski tracks. This also could use some packing out, but the entire loop is now tracked out. Use caution at the crossing as the ice bridges may be unstable and deep powder makes it difficult to discern what is underneath. Enjoy! |
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| Name: |
BK Noonan |
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| E-Mail: |
scrapperbk@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-03-20 |
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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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