| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Percival, Mt. Morgan, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Mt. Morgan Trail, Morse Trail, Mt. Percival Trail, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 11, 2018 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot was about half full when I arrived at 9:30 am. No issues getting in or out. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There were bonus crossings on today's trek from all the rain over the past few weeks. Lots of standing water in spots on the trail that turned small sections into sinkholes |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There was a large birch tree down across the Mount Percival Trail about 0.9 mi from the start at the Mount Morgan parking lot. It was laying in such a way that I couldn't duck under it so I had to take a couple steps off trail to go over it. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
My pup had a great time. No issues with the snow and ice. There were a couple ledges where we had to find alternative routes through the trees for safer passage. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None! |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
This was definitely a shoulder season hike. The last gasps of fall at the bottom and full-blown winter at the top. About halfway up the Mount Percival Trail what started as trace patches of snow along the edges of the trail began to encroach on the trail itself. The final halfish mile to the Percival summit was covered in a couple inches of snow/ice with bare rock jutting up here and there. I was able to keep good footing with my bare hiking shoes up to the summit.
From Percival to Morgan along the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail I continued to bareboot it, but could have probably used microspikes for better traction. There were long stretches of crunchy ice with a few short patches of smooth thick ice that would have been treacherous to step on without them. I passed several folks that were using microspikes along this section. They would have come in especially handy heading down the Mount Morgan path (the dog-friendly descent, not the ladders), where things were very icy at the start of the decent. I had to take extra care with my foot placement there. From there it was crunchy snow slowly giving way to a carpet of fallen leaves to finish things out. |
|
 | Name: |
Michael Vinson |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2018-11-11 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
