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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Big Bickford Mountain, Scarface Mountain, NH
Trails
Trails: Skookumchuck Trail, bushwhack
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plowed 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: One crossing (the first on the Skook Trail, but not Skook Brook), which was rock hoppable. There's also an old snowmobile bridge just upstream that can be used. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A few moderate sized stepover blowdowns on the first section of the Skook. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: To start, the Skook had a fraction of an inch of sleet/snow on it from the previous day's storm. No problem barebooting.
At the first water crossing, we headed uphill and gradually worked our way to Big Bickford through open woods, following the drainage until we neared the ridge. The snowpack increased as we climbed, however the morning temperatures allowed us to bareboot much of the way up with no postholing. Things softened up as the morning progressed, resulting in us needing snowshoes upon reaching the ridge.
The summit of Big Bickford was somewhat open with a few feet of snowpack, however morning fog revealed little in views. It looks like there could be moderate views just southeast of the summit. We found the recognized summit, but the canister has been vandalized and is empty and only partially remaining.
We then backtracked toward the col and then headed up to Scarface in mixed, steeper woods. After finding the recognized highpoint, we headed to the western side of the summit and found a very nice, small view ledge looking into the notch.
From there, we descended into mixed, steep woods, eventually emptying into previously logged hardwoods. The snowpack decreased at this point, so the snowshoes came off. From there we headed back toward the brook and retraced our morning tracks.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-04-13 
Link
Link: https:// 
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