| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Sugarloaf, Sugarloaf, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Elwell Trail, Goose Pond Snowmobile Trail (Orange Trail) |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 7, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area was not plowed. Room for a few vehicles on the shoulder of West Shore Rd. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All trails were well blazed. No blowdowns. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We had one along. He did better on the ice than we did. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Saw a few - they're starting to wake up. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Lost and re-found a dog leash. Thanks to whoever put it on the wooden box at the trailhead kiosk. |
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 | Comments: |
Fun, and nicely warm, hike. This is the time of year when we put spikes on and take them off several times over the course of a hike, and this hike was certainly no exception. We put spikes on after a few tenths of a mile, when Elwell Trail started to climb. Just after Elwell Trail crossed the snowmobile trail (which in this section was a sheet of ice), the snow and ice disappeared and we removed them, and kept them off up to Little Sugarloaf. We put them back on for the descent from Little Sugarloaf into the col, which was steep, icy, and very slippery. Some of the ice had a thin layer of water on top of it, making it extremely slippery and difficult for micro-spikes to grip securely. There was one particular section that was very short but nonetheless quite challenging to get down - I would not suggest attempting this descent without spikes until all the ice has melted. The first part of the climb up to Big Sugarloaf was gradual and under evergreens, so it still had quite a bit of ice, but then the trail entered a steep section with deciduous trees, and that part of the climb was dry (so we removed our spikes). Nothing problematic above that point except for lots and lots of leaves - they can be very slippery.
On the way down, we took Goose Pond snowmobile trail to Goose Pond. This trail was half slushy, melting ice and half extremely wet, muddy ground. The snowmobile trail was like that all the way back to the Elwell junction. We did notice that the melting had made substantial progress in just a few hours, though. We wore our spikes from the bottom of the steep section on Big Sugarloaf all the way back to the trailhead, though we could have barebooted several sections. Snowshoes would've been useless - there wasn't much snow on the trails (it was mostly ice), and practically nowhere is there more than a foot of snow remaining.
Views were excellent from the summits, and the warmth felt really good. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-07 |
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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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