| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Moriah (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Stony Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 7, 2010 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems on water crossings - snow bridges on major crossings were still intact |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
a number of blowdowns and bent trees |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Moriah attempt via Stony Brook 3/7/10
Stony Brook was broken out until about 2500 elev. Sunday morning, at which point (N44 20.158 W71 09.057) a well-broken bushwhack diverged uphill and to the right of where the unbroken trail was not readily apparent. The bushwhack took us much higher on the ridge than the regular trail; it started as a nicely broken if steep ascent but went too high and degenerated into a rough and winding course, eventually with only one set of snowshoe tracks, intersecting the trail just a few feet from the Carter-Moriah/Stony Brook junction.
Carter-Moriah Trail was not broken out in either direction from the junction, although the lone hiker ahead of us had forged ahead toward Moriah through very deep snow. Heading toward Moriah, the trail was not recognizable beyond the first .1 mile or so after the junction. We turned back 1.1 miles from the summit due to a shortage of time. GPS data seems to show we were right on the trail based on a track from last summer, but we could find no clear path through very thick branches and deep snow. (The lone hiker ahead of us reported that he found the summit but to do so in the time before we saw him again must have moved with extraordinary speed through the thick scrub and/or quickly located the trail further up.)
We did break out Stony Brook from Carter-Moriah down on the way out, following the marked trail (blazes at ankle height where visible) easily back to the place where the bushwhack diverged. So, of you are out there before the next snow, keep left at 2500' and avoid the ugly detour!
Snowshoes were useful all the way, with fairly packed and crusty snow below 2500' and lots of deep, heavy stuff higher up. The snow melted quite a bit at lower elevations and will develop icy spots as it cools off. |
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 | Name: |
Charlie Dingman |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2010-03-08 |
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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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