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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Moosilauke, NH
Trails
Trails: Ravine Lodge Road, Gorge Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, December 23, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: As others have noted there is parking roughly half way up Ravine Lodge Road. There's room enough for 15-20 vehicles though there were only a handful here today. The road is plowed and I had no issues with my snow-tired Hyundai Elantra making it to the lot. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Major ones are bridged on this route. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Trail is well signed and in good shape. DOC does a great job here. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: I saw four today.  
Bugs
Bugs: None. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Nothing. 
 
Comments
Comments: Perhaps 3-6" of new snow from yesterday made snowshoes the best choice here today: I wore them from the Class of 1982 bridge near the lodge until the middle of the switchbacks where I switched to spikes...prematurely in retrospect. One the way out I put the shoes back on just below treeline until the end. You could switch to light traction for the final push to the summit if you wanted. The trail wasn't packed out much in the morning but 'shoers were in the majority today and trail was packed much better in the afternoon. I did see a couple of folks with light traction and a barebooter (wearing jeans!!) but those options seemed to be too much work.

Overall I counted 14 people on the trail today. I even had the summit to myself for a short time but today was not one to linger as it was pretty blustery on top. Instead I dropped just below treeline to have lunch under the sunshine and blue skies....out of the wind :) An excellent day on a fantastic peak!

BTW: None of the other trails from this side are broken out...in case you are wondering.  
Name
Name: HMJ 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-12-23 
Link
Link: https:// 
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