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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Crescent, Carlton Notch, NH
Trails
Trails: New Trail, Mt. Crescent Trail, Crescent Ridge Trail, Boothman Spring Path, Old Mt. Crescent Trail, Cook Path
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 6, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: The new parking area is a great change. The access road is a typical narrow gravel road with some grit on it. Today, the travel lanes in the parking lot were plowed, the upper parking spots had been plowed except for the latest couple of inches of crusty snow. But I had no problems pulling in or out. There was one other car then when we returned to our car. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Unpacked Powder 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: A few very minor walkover drainages. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There were no significant obstacles or brushiness on any of the trails. The New trail and trails it intersects are signed, usually by handwritten signs. The old sections that go from the Jimtown logging road to Randolph Rd. are interesting. If one turns right onto the logging road or goes around the big yellow gate and turns right, shorting on the right there is a small rectangular sign saying Path and a handwritten sign indicating it is Mt. Crescent to Randolph Rd. Looking across the road there is no sign but a short old path section up to Boothman Spring Spur. Boothman Spring Spur crosses the logging road a short distance further, marked on both sides by round signs saying Path. If one follows it towards Randolph Rd. old Cook Path splits off. We followed it to the houses; I recall a place a sign would have been helpful going down but a left turn on the old road works. Heading back old Mt. Crescent splits off without any sign. There is a sign on Randolph Rd indicating that the trails had been moved to the new parking area, but seeing the old signs off Jimtown, nice paths and the handwritten sign for Mt. Crescent, it felt like the old trails were still there for wandering around by old timers from Jimtown and perhaps locals from Randolph Rd. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper had fun. There was much less crust than in other places we've hiked, it wasn't as strong, and so much of the hike he was in a few inches of snow. But it didn't snowball, and he had very little icing on his paws. There was very little open water. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: We hiked up the New Trail, Mt. Crescent to the viewpoint and then summit, then took Crescent Ridge to Underhill Path, then back to the summit and down Crescent Ridge to Mt. Crescent. Where it intersected Cook Path we took it briefly to Boothman Spur, then continued down it across Jimtown to Cook, then back up to Jimtown, then over to, down and back up the old Mt. Crescent. Much of this was just fun snowshoeing on unbroken trails I actually remember being on, but some of it was just force of habit from redlining: "If it looks like a path, take it. Just in case."

We followed one set of bootprints up to the major viewpoint, after that the trails looked like they hadn't been used by anybody except moose. I put my snowshoes on after a couple hundred feet, the sugar snow under a thin crust just provided no traction. The snowshoes were perfect. For a low peak, Mt. Crescent has some steep sections on both trails to/from the summit. I was very glad to have my MSR snowshoe crampons for those sections. There was wonderful untouched powder on the ridge, with a light breeze, cold temps and sunshine. It was great. There were no signs anybody had been on Carlton Notch or Underhill either. My snowshoes obviously didn't pack the trail down and the one other hiker and dog who went up and down Mt. Crescent after us wasn't using them, so expect sugar snow especially past the main viewpoint. I don't think spikes would do anything to improve traction for most of the trails we were on.

The views from Randolph Rd. of the northern Presi peaks are special, they are even better from the main viewpoint near the Mt. Crescent summit. The view of the Kilkenney peaks from the northern viewpoint is unique. Thanks Pepper for another great hike in winter solitude.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-03-06 
Link
Link: https:// 
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