Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
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| Trails: |
Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot off 93N was almost empty |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
none |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
a few blowdowns but manageable |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Great hike today. Cold and windy on ridge, probably minus 20-30 with wind chill, but otherwise a perfect, bluebird day. The packed snow on the trails was crusted and dusted, and I used spikes for 90% of the climb up Falling Waters before switching to snowshoes on the final push to Little Haystack. Along the ridge, it was all microspikes. The trail was reasonably easy to follow, but windswept and blanked out in places. No problems getting to and across the peaks though. On the descent from Lafayette, the wind had exposed the surface ice on the west face. Microspikes were working OK, but I switched to crampons and kept them on until tree line. Snowshoes from there and about 1/2 way down Bridal Path, then back to spikes to the parking lot. There were a few blowdowns along the way, but nothing significant and the trails were easy to follow and in good shape. Easy to posthole to either side of the packed trail so keep to the center and you'll be good. |
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| Name: |
Rick Whitney |
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| E-Mail: |
amc@rickwhitney.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-02-18 |
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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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