| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Noon Peak, Jennings Peak, Sandwich Dome, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak Spur, Drakes Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 26, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The trailhead parking isn't really plowed for us but is plowed making room for a couple cars as a result of the power company pushing back the snowbanks at the entrance of their transformer station. Beware of the no parking signs on their access driveway. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Skis |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Drakes Brook was roaring and not possible to find a safe way to cross so I used the Bridge on Route 49. Walk the short distance back up the road, it was difficult climbing up the bank from the river back up to the bridge. Snow bridges over streams on Drakes Brook Trail are all blown out and a couple were difficult to cross. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The blazes are very faded but well placed (thank you for the double blazes at the turns--back when they used to blaze trails well). Trail signs are just above the snow up high. Upper part of Drakes could use some brushing. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
If they wear snowshoes, they might post hole. |
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 | Bugs: |
none |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I thought it was going to warm up and make for some nice skinning and skiing--it didn't warm up but I still had some good fun. I skied at the beginning and thought it would be easier than walking the short distance back over the highway bridge over Drakes Brook but it wasn't since it was difficult to climb up the steep bank back up to the road. Drakes was roaring! I didn't follow the snowshoe track back down into the brook's ravine but stayed high through open woods and hit the Sandwich Mountain Trail. Snowshoe and posthole track frozen solid, untouched snow had a rough thin icy crust; my ski's skins were able to climb all but the steepest sections (did face slam twice getting my tip caught in the rough snowshoe/posthole track). I used my mircro-spikes on the near vertical section before the top of Noon Peak, it was icy but some compacted snow on the edges made it okay, there is a lot of snow 2 to 3 feet of snow in the woods. I did the same for the Jennings Peak Spur (I guess postholers miss the spur trails, yeah). From Jennings Peak to Sandwich's summit was pretty good skinning and I lost the trail nearing the top. I must have followed some moose postholes through nice open woods going straight up the ridge, no worries I hit the trail and enjoyed the nice snow. Sun was coming out a bit more and I enjoyed the wide vista on the summit. I skied a short distance down before deciding I was risking my life and I donned my snowshoes. I carried my skis in my hands since if I put them on my pack they would have gotten caught in the trees that were hitting my head. The snowshoes crampons cut into the crust well and it was good going all the way down the steeps switchbacks to reach Drakes Brook. I put my skis back on and had some good fun on the wide trail I was able to stay mostly stay out of the snowshoe track. Steve Smith noted that this was once a ski trail and it still is a nice one! There were 4 tricky stream crossings, one I almost skied into, another I had to use a fallen tree to get across and the other two I threw my skis across and did some tricky rock hopping. At the Drakes Brook crossing I wanted to continue the easy skiing but there was no way across so I went back up hill and bushwhacked back to road to use the bridge. |
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 | Name: |
Nordic Gal |
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 | E-Mail: |
amybike@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-02-27 |
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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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