| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Black Mountain (Benton), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Chippewa Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 16, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot plowed, first car in this morning but a few other in the lot and a few on the side of the road when I returned - room for maybe 6-7 cars max if people are considerate when they park |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No major issues, small and easy rock hops |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No major obstacles that I can remember. The trail is a bit tricky to follow in a few places once it opens up to the ledgy areas, very few blazes and between patches of open rock and minor drifting making it hard to follow previous tracks - I had to back track a few times, nothing major but a few more cairns or blazes on trees would help. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw two that seemed to be having a great time, no major problems for dogs that can tolerate the cold and winter conditions |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Chilly 10 degrees at the start - trail had seen some use within the past few days and wasn't too icy down low - 3-4" mostly packed snow down low increasing to 6-8" up high. I put rock spikes on about a half mile below the summit and left them on until back at the parking lot, probably could have taken them off a half mile earlier but was so close at that point I didn't bother - more steady footed people may be able to bareboot the whole hike but I was definitely faster on the descent with them. No need for anything more aggressive at this point - at no point did I wish I had my sharp Hillsound spikes and the rock slabs approaching the summit would have dulled them anyways, at least a foot of snow would be needed to warrant snowshoes. No wind and great views from the summit, hung out for about 10 minutes then left when I started to get cold. Checked out the lime kilns on the way back, definitely very cool and worth the short side trip. Steep steady trail but a great first hike for the day! |
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 | Name: |
SKS |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-11-16 |
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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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