Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Moriah, NH |
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| Trails: |
Stony Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 8, 2015 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot was un-plowed from the overnight snow (~2"), but easily accessed. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
The big water crossing 1 mile in was well-bridged, though it looked like someone a while back smashed through the snow off to the side. The upper crossings were deeply buried, and non-issues. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few minor blowdowns on the ridge, and the corridor is rather tight in places due to the snow depth. A cairn on the ledges where the trail turns and descends briefly into the woods would be useful, though at least this time I was ready for it and didn't miss it. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
It may have been a bit chilly for one on the ledges where the wind at times was whipping, but otherwise no hazards. |
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| Bugs: |
They flew South for the winter. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
3 folks headed up Saturday night and camped a short ways down the Moriah Brook Trail, while the rest of us hiked up in the morning and met them at the junction on the ridge. Broken and partially consolidated trail to the ridge, with a couple inches of powder from overnight, great snowshoeing conditions. The ridge had a partially-drifted trench, which was completely obliterated in any open places along the ledges. Some drifts were thigh-deep and even more. On our way back, our tracks were already erased as well in the same places.
Snowshoes are definitely required for this one for a while to come, as the night fluffy powder that has been falling for the last couple weeks does not compact quickly. Plus more snow falling as I type this.
There was evidence of a snowshoe trench coming up the Carter-Moriah Trail from Bangor Road, and old evidence of travel South towards Imp/North Carter. No evidence of traffic on the Kenduskeag Trail towards Shelburne Moriah.
Lightly falling snow most of the day, with temps slowly falling all day (19F at the start, 14F at the finish). A few limited views into the valley along the ledges. I measured wind speeds of roughly 10mph on the summit, coupled with a -3F air temp. Congrats to Mike on finally finishing his NH 4000-footers, with only a couple weeks to spare before heading off on his next adventure! |
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| Name: |
madmattd |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-02-09 |
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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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