Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Upper Spring, Equinox Mountain, Lookout Rock, VT |
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| Trails: |
Red Gate Trail, Blue Summit Trail, Lookout Rock Spur, Yellow Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 27, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the Red Gate trailhead on West Union Street in Manchester. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One large blowdown blocking the trail on the BST that will require a chainsaw. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. |
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| Bugs: |
Nope. |
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| Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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| Comments: |
Did a little something new and went to VT today, as Equinox has been on my to do list.
First part of the BST is well packed and bare bootable. Around the cabin, I switched to snowshoes and left them on for most of the day. Route was broken out by one bare booter to the Upper Spring junction. The spur to the spring, more like a water main at this point, was unbroken, as was the BST beyond this point. I broke out the trail from there to the summit in 3-5 inches of powder. Also broke out the spur trail to Lookout Rock from the summit, and the Yellow Trail from Lookout Rock back to the BST. Several bare booters came up behind me, so the trail is a bit of a mess in the upper section. Snowshoes are the best choice above the spring junction. No real ice to speak of, but I did notice the booters were starting to uncover some of it.
Stellar conditions on the summit, bright blue skies and just a little wind. The summit is developed with a visitor center, but it's not ugly. There's an interesting monolith here with a trail map on it, which includes trails not found on the GMC or EPT maps. There was mention of a "Little Equinox Mountain (3313')" but am not sure if it's publicly accessible.
On the spur trail (a snowmobile trail?) over to Lookout Rock from the summit are some vintage metal "traffic" signs, guiding people to the Rock and toward Dorset. Beyond Lookout Rock, a trail continues along the ridge, but I didn't follow it, looks like it gets brushy pretty quick. |
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| Name: |
KenM |
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| E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-02-27 |
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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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