| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Moosilauke, Mt. Blue, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Beaver Brook Trail, Benton Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, April 21, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Large lot at the trailhead, all to ourselves. USFS fee lot. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The main ones have wooden bridges, the others are minor. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few minor blowdowns on the Beaver Brook Trail, one or two in the steeps, and another one or two while skirting Mt. Blue. ~6" variety. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Steep and icy trail, probably fine for dogs experienced with such conditions, but watch it along the cascades. |
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 | Bugs: |
Luckily not quite yet... |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A Monday on the Moose! Thanks to the report from the day before on this route, we left the snowshoes in the car instead of carrying them once again. They may have been useful in a few places, and definitely will be in the coming days as things soften further, but on this day the monorail was solid enough that if we stayed on it, we didn't posthole.
Slide off the rail and you posthole anywhere from 6" to 3'. We managed with light traction (Kahtoola Microspikes and the Hillsound equivalent), but coming down in a few spots was tricky. The lower rebar section had a bypass that was even icier than the trail, and with fewer handholds, so we took the trail route, with care. Down low the monorail was fairly wide and solid under an inch or two of soft snow, but in the sun while skirting Mt. Blue, the monorail was extremely narrow and a bit mushy. Still a couple of feet of snow up high in the trees, mostly bare rock and bare-bootable above treeline. This trail will be "interesting" in the coming days for sure.
On our way down we 'whacked over to Mt. Blue from a little above the location of the herd path. The snow was supportive enough that we managed without postholing except when we found a couple spruce traps, but snowshoes would have made this a lot easier. The pencil for the logbook is rather short, if someone could bring up a new one (or two) on their next trip that would be great.
Much clearer skies than forecast, and only a light breeze on top. We took a nice break up there enjoying the views, during which 2 people came up (1 via Beaver Brook, 1 via Gorge Brook). Apparently Ravine Lodge Road is now completely snow-and-ice-free, so it will likely open soon.
Thanks Theresa, Patrick, Denise, and Chris for joining in on the fun. This was a great way to spend Patriot's Day. |
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 | Name: |
madmattd |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-04-23 |
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 | Link: |
 https://mattshikes.blogspot.com/ |
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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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