| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Starr King Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 29, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Summer lot has a few large bumps leading up to it that may pose issues for cars, but is otherwise surprisingly sanded. Filled to the brim today, with others using the winter parking on the other side of US 2. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One stepover prior to the well. Otherwise, some leaners. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Spring conditions this morning prior to the cold front moving in. Fields are brown, but there is still top to bottom snow on the trail.
Snowpack initially starts off only a few inches deep with ice monorail on the trail. I was able to bareboot this stretch, but spikes will likely be needed tomorrow. Some areas of mud and running water.
Once in the softwoods, the snowpack instantly increases to 1 to 3 feet. After two postholes, I put on my snowshoes and left them on all the way to the summit and back to the top of the hardwoods. If one hiker postholes 10 times per direction, a day of 20 hikers will leave 400 postholes for others to suffer through.
Apart from some postholes (especially a stretch just before the summit of Waumbek), it was fairly smooth going on granular that was starting to set up. I noted that everyone I saw who carried snowshoes was wearing them up here. I also noted barebooters going in over their knees when they stepped off the hidden monorail.
Mild temperatures down low, but cold and windy above 3,000 feet. Light snow flurries up on the ridge, which was in the clouds. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-12-29 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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