| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Long Mountain - West Peak, Long Mountain - Middle Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Summer Club Trail, Jimmy Cole Brook Road, logging roads, bushwhacks |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 7, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Access road to Christine Lake was plowed. Parked near the lake. |
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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: |
On trail, bridged. Long Mountain Pond was frozen over, although there were some slushy spots. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Initial portion of Old Summer Club Trail (gated) was plowed, followed by a short stretch that we broke out, followed by groomed snowmobile corridor all the way to Jimmy Cole Brook Road junction (where the Old Summer Club Trail leaves the corridor). We took a right and ascended Jimmy Cole Brook Road, which was unbroken with maybe a foot to a foot and a half of powder on top of the frozen base. As far as logging roads go, this was smooth sailing all the way up to about 2,350 feet, where we entered the woods (road takes a sharp south turn). Bumped into Brian Williams, who claimed he had rescued some puppies from RPG fire nearby while watching a refugee jump off a cliff. I think he conflated the optics on that one.
Upon stepping into the woods, powder immediately became knee deep. We had generally decent woods all the way up to the Stark town line, which was a well blazed, open swath. We took this uphill for awhile, then eventually left it in open woods to head toward the 3,270 subpeak, then cut the col and ascended to West Long in open woods. Slow going with deep snow and occasional moose postholes.
From West Long, we descended a little to the southeast of the ridge to skirt some spruce (lost maybe 80 vertical feet vs. a direct line), then cut over to Long Mountain Pond in good woods (careful on the pond and its outlets, as there were some slushy areas covered by drifted snow), then slabbed toward Middle Long in good woods, though slow going due to deep powder.
Long trek due to tough breaking, but the return trip was twice as fast due to the nice footbed. Morning sun helped keep temperatures generally above zero. Never had to push through a single area of thick spruce thanks to the snowpack and choice of route. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-02-07 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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