| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Whiteface, Mt. Passaconaway (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Blueberry Ledge Trail, Rollins Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 27, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The Ferncroft Rd. parking area, as well as the spur road to it, was (and still probably is) very icy. I saw at least a few vehicles that were slipping and sliding, so drive carefully if you come here and the lot and road are still slick. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The only major crossing (on Dicey's Mill Trail) had a log across it that's been seeing a lot of use, but walking across it with snowshoes on could be awkward. I didn't feel like taking mine off just for that crossing, so I just walked right through the brook with them on (I love my waterproof boots). |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The entire length of the Blueberry Ledge Trail was well packed out and completely doable with just light traction. The scrambles below the summit were a little icy, but not nearly as bad as I thought they would be. Excellent views from those scrambles and the ledges before and after (including the ledge lookout sometimes mistaken to be the summit of Mt. Whiteface). The Rollins Trail from the McCrillis Trail (not to be confused with the McCrillis Path) was well broken out to the wooded and viewless true summit of Whiteface, but immediately after that, the trail was noticeably less traveled, with a lot of drifting going on and some scattered snowshoe postholes from the recent mild weather. The weather conditions also took a nosedive after I left the summit- the wind picked up, low clouds quickly rolled in and enshrouded everything (including Mt. Whiteface), and it started snowing. The snow depths along the Rollins Trail were also quite deep for the most part.
Due to weather/trail conditions and fatigue, I skipped Mt. Passaconaway and decided to just go down the Dicey's Mill Trail. That trail was well broken, but snow was starting to accumulate along the footbed, so I kept my snowshoes on. The roadwalk back to Ferncroft was icy with a thin layer of snow obscuring the ice, so I had to really watch my steps here. |
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 | Name: |
Spencer |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-01-27 |
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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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