| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Black Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Chippewa Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 13, 2011 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Small plowed parking area at trailhead with room for two cars, maybe three in a squeeze. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All snow-bridged. The swampy area near the trailhead is all frozen and snow-covered. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No water, and dogs may have trouble on the ledgy area near the summit where the trail disappears due to significant drifting. Beware of spruce traps in this area. Tuckerman and Polly, who are both experienced winter mountain dogs, struggled today in the ledge section. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
With one significant exception, the footbed is in excellent shape and easy to follow. The exception: the large ledgy area below the summit, where drifts have obliterated the trail. Route-finding through the drifts is extremely difficult -- and beware of large spruce traps (I fell into one up to my shoulders, and even Tuckerman fell into a deep one). We also battled high winds today on the ledges. But as others have noted, Black Mountain delivers some of the biggest bang for the buck in the Whites. The views from the summit on a clear day are stupendous, and even on a day like today we could see for miles and miles. The view of Moosilauke from the top of Black Mountain is probably the best there is of that great mountain. Though the ascent is just 1,500 vertical feet, this peak via the Chippewa Trail isn't a gimme: one section of the route climbs about 800 vertical feet in half a mile or so. But it's a wonderful winter hike. Except for three people we ran into near the trailhead at the end, we had the mountain to ourselves today. |
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 | Name: |
The Feathered Hat |
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 | E-Mail: |
stevebjerklie at yahoo dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2011-02-13 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/99682097@N00/sets/72157625916547547/ |
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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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