| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Hedgehog Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
UNH Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 18, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The UNH Trail parking area is well plowed with space for more than a dozen cars. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Once upon a time a happy hiker girl bought a Silky Big Boy saw.
And then her very most favorite trail, in all of the White Mountain National Forest, came up for adoption. It had been fabulously maintained for over a decade by a wonderful person.
She adopted the trail.
The trail has a history of many blowdowns.
The girl and her saw lived happily ever after.
***
(Two small blowdowns removed today). |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one, it was cold and the snowshoer and the dog had turned back about 0.5 miles up the East side of the loop. They reported no blowdowns but deep snow. |
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 | Bugs: |
:) |
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 | Lost and Found: |
On my way back there was a literal parade of bits and pieces of gear. The AMC group had lots of new snowshoers who were taking about their new gear purchases in the parking lot when I arrived. Hopefully the lost gear bits were reunited with their owners. |
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 | Comments: |
I hiked the UNH Trail out and back to the Hedgehog summit via the west side of the loop. Beyond the Allen’s Ledge spur it was unbroken (and prior to that it had been rototilled by a single barebooter.)
It was mid calf to knee deep from Allen’s Ledge, then became knee to thigh deep. And then it was hip deep; I measured the snow depth at 31” when I was still 0.2 miles from the summit. This was my first time snow-wading and it’s also the most significant solo trailbreaking that I have ever done. I was dismayed to see nearly 20 people following closely behind me - I didn’t note them until I stopped at the summit and turned around - particularly when the person right behind me remarked on how much difficulty I seemed to be having over the last bit of the hike. Sigh. Though that definitely put a bit of a damper on my day, I do recognize that most of the AMC group was novice snowshoers who had no idea what I had just done! I am happy that I got to see one of my favorite spots with untouched fresh snow and that I had the time and weather window to beat a trail all the way to the summit, and will take that as a win! I was also happy that everyone that followed me was in snowshoes so the trail is super nice, right now. Go get it!!
Mount Passaconaway is looking gorgeous with a new coat of white, and I am excited for more next weekend. ;)
Thank you to everyone that broke out 4kers this weekend - it’s super hard work!! :) |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-12-19 |
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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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