| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Whiteface, Mt. Passaconaway, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Blueberry Ledge Trail, Blueberry Ledge Cutoff, Rollins Trail, bushwhacks, Dicey's Mill Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 8, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at Ferncroft at 7:30, but full early afternoon (no overflow). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Snowbridge on minor Blueberry Ledge Trail was postholed by a postholer. Crossed tributaries above the Dicey's Mill crossing without issue. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Firm start to the morning with overnight temperatures dropping below freezing, but snow softened up in the sunshine later in the morning.
Blueberry Ledge Trail was mostly snow covered up to the upper Blueberry Ledge Cutoff junction, but the gully ledgy areas were either bare or black ice. I suspect the upcoming week's weather will fry a lot of this. Above the cutoff, full snowcover and increasingly deep. Footbed deviates from the trail in a few places, which Microspikers are discovering the hard way. Blazes are at shin level in a few places. A lot of ledges still filled in. Unfortunately, some inconsiderate Microspikers TRASHED the trail in the warm sun yesterday afternoon, leaving lots of postholes (some hip deep). BRING SNOWSHOES.
Rollins Trail was awkward with inconsistent monorail conditions and random postholes. Firm late morning, except where the sun was breaking through. We cutoff the last downhill to Dicey's, and a few other places, via bushwhacking on very supportive (with snowshoes) snow in open woods.
Dicey's Mill still fully covered above Rollins. Last scramble below the summit is ice, which looked to be challenging in spikes. Great views right now from both of the near-summit view ledges due to the snowpack.
Descending, Dicey's Mill was a minefield of postholes in places. Apparently someone claiming to have hiked the loop 11 times was telling people in the parking lot that they didn't need snowshoes today. Bad advice. Dicey's Mill was baking in the sun and getting increasingly soft around lunchtime. Some nasty postholes. I finally got fed up and dropped off the trail at 2,600 feet and enjoyed a beautiful bushwhack in open woods on the shoulders of Nanamocomuck and Hibbard, popping out at the water crossing. Absolutely ideal bushwhacking conditions with deep, supportive snowpack and warm sun.
A few tenths below Wiggins, the trail is fried along the sunny south-facing shoulder on Wonalancet, including the gully. Snowpack resumes when the trail returns to paralleling the brook, until reaching the house.
Beautiful spring day with a sub-freezing start, rising to the mid-40s. Though next week may result in a lot of melting, there is still a LOT of snow out there. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-04-08 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos/ |
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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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