Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, NH |
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| Trails: |
Skookumchuck Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 5, 2019 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
lot was empty mid-day |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
crossings were minor and easy |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
2 larger blowdowns on Skookumchuck - 1 has a bypass developing - near 4K elev. Forgot where other was. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
lots of water so why not? |
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| Bugs: |
snow fleas!!! Great to see them!!! |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Terrific conditions!!! Snowboarded at Cannon for the am, then headed across the road to Lafayette via the Skook. Started out at base with only an inch or 2 of snow so I just carried the snowshoes. Around 3K', above the stone stairs, I put the snowshoes on, as had someone who preceded me. Whoever that was, THANKS for breaking out the trail!!!! From there on up, the trees were quite brushy. Easy footing with snowshoes - there is a good track. Bareboots would probably punch through the ice under the snow as there are multiply layers of snow and ice. I wore snowshoes even along the ridge as there were pockets of deep snow and patches of ice. My snowshoe crampons aren't the best so I tried not to look down from the somewhat icy snow"fields" or patches of ice-covered snow along the ridge. Some sketchy climbs up the sub-peaks but I tried not to psyche myself out. Took over 3 hours to reach the summit as the last hour was quite tedious along the ridge. Only saw a handful of people (with tiny "hello kitty"-type packs and no snowshoes!!!! c'mon people!!!) on the summit. Terrific flat-light views into the Pemi Wilderness and in all directions. Got down without taking out the headlamp though barely!!!! |
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| Name: |
Becca Munroe |
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| E-Mail: |
beccahiker@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-01-05 |
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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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