| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Liberty, Mt. Flume, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bike path, herd path, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the Basin lot on the northbound side of I-93. It was well plowed this morning. This is a large paved lot. Privies closed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The water crossing was mostly ice and snow bridged. It held my weight of 160LBS just fine. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No issues for dogs. I kept mine close on Liberty's summit due to the cliffs. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Route:
Out and back on the Bike/snowmobile path > herd path > Liberty Springs trl > Franconia Ridge trl.
Snowshoes from start to finish, but see notes about descending on Liberty Springs.
The snowmobile trail had several machines out today. I kept to the sides and the dog leashed to avoid collision.
Herd path: there is a brand new wood sign that reads "Liberty Spring --->" and is affixed to a tree at the start of the path. Path simple to follow. I broke trail through an inch of new powdery snow this morning. Snow softening this afternoon to the type that likes to ball up on spikes.
Liberty Springs: this is the AT and is well blazed in white blazes. Corridor simple to discern. Same inch of fresh powder deposited last night and this morning. I was also the first on this trail so snowshoes were the best choice for me. I'd argue that spikes may be safer for the descent of the steep sections as sneaky blue ice was hiding under the new, now softening snow. I did a bit of snowshoe skiing, some classic "Alpine splits," and a few "Alpine back-bends" before I reached the more mellow sections. The campsite has not been touched recently and the spring would be challenging to get water from as it is a trickle. It was open water, though. Four other persons met as I was descending, 3 wearing traction, 1 bare booting. This was churning up the new snow, but no postholes as the trench is firm.
Franconia Ridge: nicely blazed in blue. Simple to follow. About two inches of new powdery snow on the ridge. This was nice, light, fluffy snow. Easy to glide through in snowshoes. The biggest foes were the drifts- but these really weren't an issue until just below Flume summit. My dog had to keep hopping to try to jump through them. Snowshoes broke the drifts out, BUT, my prints were being rapidly filled back in by the wind and blowing snow for most of the ridge. There were a scant few sections of frozen granular snow, mostly where the tree cover was thick. I had a lovely spruce wash as well on parts of the ridge. I regretted not wearing a hooded fleece... The summits were socked in and being blasted by the wind. Liberty' summit had a lot of avoidable ice, Flume's summit was completely covered in snow. |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-02-14 |
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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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