Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Puzzle Mountain, ME |
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| Trails: |
Grafton Loop Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Monday, February 3, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked in designated lot for Mahoosuc Public Lands off ME 26 in Grafton Notch (signed, kiosk). The lot is plowed, flat, and icy but 2 wheel drive did fine. Able to hold 20 cars. I was the only one this morning. Note that this is also the official parking for the Grafton Loop trail east AND west if starting from the southern sections of the trail. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Small streams at the lower elevations pose no issues. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several small blowdowns. One larger one is still hanging over the trail near the col just below the summit cone. Can shimmy under this at present snow levels. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
No issues. Good trail for dogs, the leashed kind. |
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| Bugs: |
One spider. |
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| Lost and Found: |
None. |
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| Comments: |
This trail was a packed out superhighway. Lots of foot traffic with much use of snowshoes. This morning’s freezing temps permitted use of microspikes from start to finish without leaving any marks on the monorail. Nice.
Grafton Loop is well blazed in blue. Carins are visible above shallow snow levels on the summit cone. Ice in some areas, presently no issue. Enough foot traffic has roughed up the icy surfaces to provide good traction. Signs present and in good shape at junction with Woodsum Spur. Woodsum Spur is not broken out, at least from the lower junction.
There were recent tracks past the summit heading further along the eastern section of Grafton Loop trail (towards Long mountain). I started to follow them to see if indeed they were headed in the direction of Long Mtn but there is not a monorail and I had spikes on. So... another day. I don’t know how far the tracks went.
Views from the open summit are 360 degrees including Sunday River ski resort and the mountains of the Mahoosuc range. On super clear days you can see Mount Washington. But not today... |
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| Name: |
Remington34 |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-02-03 |
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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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