| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Morgan, Mt. Percival, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Morgan Trail, Crawford Ridgepole Trail, Mt. Percival Trail, Morse Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 11, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot open, clear, dry with plenty of available spots |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Rock hoppable, but lots of mud and leave covered water |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Well marked, signed and blazed; good drainage/water bars, but lots of leaves clogging up the water flow |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw plenty, no issues observed |
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 | Bugs: |
n/a |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Fun hike. Started at the Mount Morgan trailhead and began up the Mt Morgan trail. Trail was variously slippery dry layers of leaves, and wet leaves. About 1/2 mile in some notes of snow, becoming crusty and icy. Did put on spikes before heading up the last .4 to the ridge. Spikes weren't required, but significantly improved our confidence and speed. Hit the ladders within an hour. Ladders were in the sun and dry. Went up still in spikes but would recommend against it as you get off the ladders onto the ledge before the cave. Took off packs and passed them through to each other. Top of the cave was sunny but icy with thin layer of snow. I was able to get over and stay on the yellow blazes, but my wife was too short to hop up and bushwhacked a bit to continue up the ledges. Nice summit, great views. Continued to Percival. Snow was a little deeper on the trail, maybe 3-4" and crusty. With the gusty wind and shaded trail it was cold, so we really kept moving. Stopped and at lumch in a sunny clearing before heading to Percival and the caves. The caves were fun, and offered some opportunity for real thought. "Where's the trail?", "Can I go this way?", "Can we get back up?". Glad there wasn't more snow, as some of the gaps between the boulders were deep and could swallow you up if you slipped, or thought it was shallower than it was. Took Percival trail down. Kept spikes on until snow gave way to snow/leaves and leaves. Lots of blocked water here, and lots of mud, water, and wet leaves. Cleared as much as time would allow. Water crossings were easy, but one was pretty deep. Cleared a stick/branch/leave dam on the water crossing on the Morse trail. Caves were a fun feature, and both peaks have great views. |
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 | Name: |
Tom Perry |
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 | E-Mail: |
congtperry@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-11-12 |
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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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