| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Kelley Trail, Lawrence Trail, Square Ledge Trail, Square Ledge Branch, Oliverian Brook Trail, Old Mast Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, March 31, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The gravel road and parking access are a little rough and slow going, but my road is way worse. There were maybe a half dozen vehicles there. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Oliverian Brook was open but low at its crossings. I removed my snowshoes for one; on the other I carefully walked on small stones to get across with them on. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I don't recall any significant impediments but the easily walked under massive yellow birch that tipped over was a grand old tree. The Square Ledge trail section I was on requires careful attention to the corridor and a general understanding from a map of direction and slope to stay on it in winter as it is in the wilderness and not paint blazed. The other trails were mostly easy corridors to follow but deep snow means a low "ceiling" to the corridor in a wilderness area. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I think it would have been a good hike for a winter trail dog following in snowshoe prints but they would have had to avoid sliding into the postholes or deeper bootprints especially in the morning when they were well frozen. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
The trails from Ferncroft over to Bolles have always been nice snowshoes so that was my intent today. Unfortunately the bareboot scourge that has made hiking 4Ks way less enjoyable, is now spilling over on to traditional snowshoe and ski trails. I couldn't use snowshoes hiking up Kelley because it was a trail of frozen deep bootprints and higher up postholes over an older ski track. Lawrence over to Cabin was fortunately untouched and the crust made for an easy snowshoe over and back on top of a deep snowpack. Cabin had seen a snowshoer; Lawrence to Paugus had not. Lawrence over to Old Mast Rd was more rough frozen bootprints but less trashed than Kelley. I was relieved to see Square Ledge from there was untouched and headed down easily on the crust covered snow. About a third of the way I was surprised to see often deep bootprints/postholes appear coming up the trail and noticed they veered way off trail to the east and then were gone. Heading further down on the trail the bootholes went way off the trail quite a bit crossing back and forth. Don't casually follow the bootholes on this part of Square Ledge is my advice. I'm not sure if my shallow snowshoe track will last the storm. From that point on back to Kelley & Lawrence those single bootprints/postholes were present on the trail but as the temps rose and the snow softened I could go over them and lessen some of the holes. Oliverian Brook north was untouched. After a repeat hike of Lawrence the snowshoe out Old Mast was on a softening base and easy going. |
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 | Name: |
Zero |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-03-31 |
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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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