| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 27, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking right off 93 |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A couple somewhat nerve-racking crossings going up Falling Waters trail (note: very aptly named). Due to the melt this previous week the water was flowing very strongly but there were plenty of rocks and trees to use as bridges. Just be smart and careful (and never hurts to bring a dry bag for your valuables and a some extra socks/underwear, just to be safe). Also note due to the running water, the structural integrity of the snow banks on either side of the crossing seems to have been diminished, so keep that in mind if you are going to try to leap the last bit |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of dogs. The husky at the peak of Lafayette seemed like he was in his element |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Temps had dropped overnight Friday so the trail going up Falling Waters was really solid and made for a nice ascent (man that last mile is brutal though). The trail is well established and can be narrow but as long as you watch where you're stepping you'll be fine. With the melt this past week the water falls were ROARING, which was spectacular. Franconia Ridge got a light dusting but is a lot of semi-bare rock and really well marked so easy to follow, basically just avoid the vegetation and you'll stay on the trail. There were some sections on the ridge that were fine with bare boots but I opted to keep the spikes. If I had stopped to take them off/put them on whenever necessary I'd still be out there. Going down Greenleaf/Old Bridle Path was similar to Falling Waters, though there were a few sections of bare rock on Old Bridle, and no water crossings. Around noon or so things started to warm up a bit and Old Bridle turned to mashed potatoes. Glad I started early because that would have been tough to climb in. Overall, microspikes were totally fine for the whole day. Saw a lot of people carrying snowshoes but nobody wearing them
Random thought: what's the deal with people leaving clementine/orange peels in the middle of the trail? I get that they are biodegradable, so it's better than leaving a plastic wrapper I guess but why in the middle of the trail? And why only ever orange peels? |
|
 | Name: |
SmellyMike |
|
 | E-Mail: |
devinemp2@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-28 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
