| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Black Mountain (Sandwich), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sandwich Notch Road, Algonquin Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, February 20, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Sandwich Notch Rd isn't maintained in winter; it is a snowmobile trail. I parked in a widened area before the snowplow berm and after the snowplow turnaround which is shortly after the last year around residences/open fields and a ways before the Sandwich Notch National Forest sign. There there is room for 2 maybe 3 vehicles. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A handful of small running drainages, one not jumpable, but nothing significant |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is a significant two stem (sruce and a fir, very roughly 8" OD each) blowdown on the trail a couple hundred feet before the steeps section to the col. It was a crawl over on this hike but likely it will create a wide detour around it when the snow is gone. With snow cover hiding the footbed it can make following the trail into the steep section (no obvious corridor is visible) a bit tricky although I don't expect this trail gets much winter use. I also walked by the entrance to the steep ridge climb from the col as the corridor isn't obvious, but my memory worked just enough for me to go back and find it. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Some spotting might be needed on the scrambles. It is not for the inexperienced pup and one should have a way to carry the dog out if unfortunately necessary. If there was active snowmobiling then a leash would be advisable for the long road walk. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
This report is mainly for the trail maintainer as I don't expect it will encourage anyone, least of all postholio, from using it. After hiking yesterday in crowds on the return leg with a frozen bootholed surface between peaks I wanted something completely different. I saw no one this hike, the snowmobiles weren't running, and the only tracks on the trail I saw were remnants of an old ski track that ended at the most open drainage. Snowshoes with aggressive traction were needed for the ascent with a crusty snow over granular providing good traction while the heel lifts made the climbing sections much easier. I removed the snowshoes once for the most difficult scramble. The many scrambles above the col slowed things down considerably in both directions. It was quite wintry on the exposed ridge in the wind and the views were excellent along it, although gray skies lessened their scenic aspects. Below the col a ways on the descent the crust had softened leaving mashed potato snow but it made for an acceptable snowshoe descent. There are quite a few large patches of bare ground in the south facing hardwood slopes. I used spikes on the road which was nice mix of crust and ice for walking in the morning and still solid enough for the hike out. If it had been churned and then warmed it would have been a long slog out. |
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 | Name: |
Zero |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-02-20 |
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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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