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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Liberty, Mt. Flume, NH
Trails
Trails: Bike path, herd path, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, April 4, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at Basin northbound lot. Upon return, more than half of the vehicles were from out of state. Noted that Lafayette Place southbound lot (campground side) is closed. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All open, all currently rock hoppable. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Large blowdown above the camp site. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Please, if you're going to hike higher peaks up here, be prepared and safe. Please bring snowshoes. Please do not buttsled. Please do not attempt in shoes and shorts. Especially in these times, search and rescue does not need this.

How do you "socially distance" when there's soft, deep snowpack, you're not wearing snowshoes, and you can't step off the narrow packed trail when you cross paths with someone else?

Bike path was half covered, half bare. Covered stretches were a little icy early this morning, but not as bad when soft. Perhaps rock spikes not a bad idea early.

Herd path was wet, but did not have much covered until the top traverse, which had some lingering monorail.

Liberty Spring Trail from the turn to the Flume Slide junction was wet, but only patch snow.

Full snow cover started about a tenth above the Flume Slide junction. Apart from one 100 or so yard stretch above the water crossings, there was consistent snow cover, initially about a foot in places, increasing above the hardwoods.

Franconia Ridge Trail had 3 to 5 feet of snowpack (blazes at shin level in places). Summit of Liberty is actually snow-covered nearly to the highpoint, as is the ledgy area north of it. Good snowpack between the peaks, but softer. One barebooter was already leaving postholes by mid morning, as well as peeing on the trail (hard to step off trail without snowshoes). Pretty good drift just prior to the Flume summit, with the packed footbed skirting off trail.

Not overly busy today, but discouraging to see quite a few unprepared folks in these times.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-04-04 
Link
Link: https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos 
Bookmark and Share 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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