| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Carter Dome, South Carter, Middle Carter, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Imp Trail, Camp Dodge Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 13, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The parking lot was not plowed and was a mess. There was no space when I arrived so I parked behind a friend I was hiking with since there were no legal spots along the road. Have heard from others that during the day cars parked along the opening of the lot and blocked people in. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There's a crossing early on the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail that has a single-wide log to cross it. Manageable, but tricky, wearing snowshoes. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lost track of the blowdowns - they were everywhere. Was able to step over or duck under all but one (between Middle Carter and Imp Trail) where I had to crawl. The branches are hanging low with heavy ice and snow. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few dogs out there and they seemed to be handling things fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
No bugs. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing lost or found. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Did this one with the Random Group of Hikers. One of the nice things about winter is there are fewer people out there so it's a good chance you will see people you know - saw Rachel along Nineteen Mile Brook, then Pete at Zeta Pass, then Joe and Bob near South Carter. Other friends on these trails today were Dan, Alison, and Alex.
Wore the long boards today (36" Tubbs Mountaineers) to try them out and get ready for Baxter. Also carried my regular snowshoes just in case I struggled with the new ones. Kept them on from parking lot to road. Should have loaned out the second pair since there were some bare booters tearing up the trail.
The snow down low was crusty and sticky while the stuff up higher was softer and more fluffy. There are small to medium blowdowns throughout the whole route but only one required us to get down and crawl. The bigger nuisance was the huge chunks of ice weighing down the branches along the side of the trail. Clunked my head and jammed my shoulder into many of them.
The trail should set-up nicely if it gets cold tonight. The condiotns made for a pretty decent ascent and a fast descent. |
|
 | Name: |
Michael & Monica |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-12-13 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.meetup.com/random-hikers/events/218863091/ |
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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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