| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Doublehead, North Doublehead, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Doublehead Ski Trail, Old Path, New Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 9, 2020 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lot is “semi-plowedâ€. It looks there may have been a storm or two since the last time it was plowed but the snow has been packed down well by the vehicle traffic. There were six cars in the lot when we got there but double that when we got down. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There were a few small ones but all were bridged. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No issues. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Ellie did great. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Did this one as a late start and early finish hike. We were staying at a place on Carter Notch Road so it was local. There is no warmup on this one - leave the lot, cross the bridge, and start heading up. The steeps don’t start until the Path branches off to the right. The lower portion of the Old Path that coincides with the Ski Trail is super packed, as would be expected. The Old Path itself was a bare boot posthole mess. Those conditions continued up to the col, over to South, and then over to North.
While North is a 52 with a View Peak you are missing out on the best views if you skip South or don’t bother to go down to the lookout just below the summit of South. The lookout past the cabin shows you the flatness of Maine, whereas the lookout below South gives you a unique look at the Carters, Wildcats, and Presidentials. The list needs to be tweaked to swap these two peaks.
The cabin on North was locked (you get the combination when you reserve it) but we were able to (1) peak in the windows and (2) talk with the people that stayed in it Saturday night. While fires are permitted you have to provide your own firewood. They said they scavenged a few pieces but relied on portable propane heaters. Even though it was below zero overnight they said it was toasty inside.
We opted to take the faster and more fun route for the descent - sleds down the ski trail. The upper portion was pretty fast (maxed out at 12 mph) and while it took about two hours to get up, it took us about 30 minutes to get down. Passed a bunch of skiers who were earning their turns by skinning up the trail. We didn’t encounter another hiker all day and none of the skiers had come down before we finished. |
|
 | Name: |
Michael and Monica |
|
 | E-Mail: |
michaelfblair@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-02-10 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.meetup.com/rndmhkrs |
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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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