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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Imp Face, Middle Carter, South Carter, NH
Trails
Trails: Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, February 6, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Imp North clearing is just a road side indent w/o facilities. Was wide open with essentially no snow. Easy parking for 6-7 cars. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction, Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Numerous crossings. One on lower part of Imp and 2 smaller ones past look out. Also several on Carter Dome Trail. All were some combination of open running water, weak snow bridge, snow covered rock and ice. A few required some care but they were easy overall.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: About 6-8 blowdowns along way. Most were on Imp. Generally easy step overs but there was one duck under I had to get on hands and knees for. Large blowdown about 100 yds from 19 Mile Brook parking lot that was pretty annoying. Lot of branches protruding out to snag back pack loops, etc. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Fine for dogs although there are several short steep icy ledges in various spots that might present a problem for small or inexperienced dogs. 
Bugs
Bugs: none 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: none 
 
Comments
Comments: Pretty much every condition across the spectrum today. Start of Imp (North) Trail was bare ground with patches of hard ice and a thin dusting of fresh snow. Approaching the outlook the ice became much more common and it was covered in 1-2" of powder. With all the side hill slopes it felt uneasy under foot so I actually switched to crampons (my spikes are on the old side so that may have been a factor). After the outlook it was generally soft, unconsolidated powder on top of ice and frozen granular conditions. Climbing to ridge there were some windswept areas with hard, thick gray ice and some thicker powder. Carter-Moriah trail was all over the map. Bare windswept ground, sand-like powder, thick gray ice and drifts over the knee. Enough people had gone through that snow shoes really weren't necessary. There really is no snowpack to post hole. Just the drift itself. The drifts were sporadic. Lot of the ledges along ridge had thick ice and bare rock. The deepest and most sustained drifts were in the Middle-South Carter col and climbing up toward South Carter. Carter Dome Trail was generally a packed, wet feeling powder on hard granular and ice with some powdery areas. The lower parts and upper section of 19MB were somewhat granular base over ice and had occasional icy patches. The last mile or so to 19MB parking lot was essentially bare with thick, bullet proof gray ice that even in spikes was quite slippery. You could see all the slip marks in the thin veneer of powder. Saw about 12 people today, all in microspikes. I really liked the crampons for much of the route gripping the hard ice through the several inches of powder, the added security on the narrow side sloping areas (of which there are many) and being able to just go up and down the fall line of the trail. It was nice in the deep powder too for avoiding the slip and slide feeling of walking in the sand. Able to keep a nice slip free stride with the longer spikes. The ice was very hard for most of the route. I bare booted the road walk to the car. :)  
Name
Name: DayTrip 
E-Mail
E-Mail: bblanchette0709@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-02-07 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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