Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua, NH |
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| Trails: |
Bolles Trail, Bee Line Trail, Brook Trail, Liberty Trail, Piper Trail, Champney Brook Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Monday, February 22, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Champney Brook Trail lot is plowed but icy. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Too many to count. I stopped counting at 18, but there are more than that. All were solidly bridged or hopped. I broke through one on the Bee Line, submerging a snowshoe. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few scattered blowdowns on Bolles. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Probably not today. |
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| Bugs: |
Nope. |
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| Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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| Comments: |
As sometimes tends to happen with me, this loop turned into an all day epic, mainly due to the conditions on the west side of the mountain.
Bolles was unbroken crust. I started in Hillsounds but quickly switched to snowshoes. Neither was a great option. At the Bee Line junction (after the looooooong descent from the height-of-land), someone had come up from Paugus Mill Road and then deeply postholed all the way up Bee Line. These boot prints of course froze, making for awkward, exhausting and slow travel. Higher up, I could see where they stopped to put snowshoes on, only to take them off again a short time later (?).
The steep ledges on Brook were tricky in spots, with thick ice and loose snow. I switched back to Hillsounds here, some may be more comfortable in crampons. I bushwhacked around one sunny ledge that had softening snow from the sun.
It was later in the day than I wanted it to be, so I didn't stick around on the summit too long. It was also pretty windy above treeline. Summit ledges are mostly dry. Views were astounding in the clear air, not a cloud in the sky. The Prezzies looked like I could reach out and touch them.
Piper and Champney Brook are well packed out snow and ice sidewalks, which is where I made up time. Lots of ice on the upper sections of Champney Brook, but easily handled with spikes.
Due to time, I skipped the falls loop. Chocorua kicked my ass today, but it was still amazing as always! |
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| Name: |
KenM |
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| E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-02-22 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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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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