| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Lion Head, Boott Spur, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Summer Route, Lawn Cutoff, Davis Path, Boott Spur Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 22, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
At around 9:45am, the main Pinkham Notch parking lot was full, as was the lot just south of it across the bridge, on the west side of Rt. 16. We parked in the lot about 0.4 mi south on the east side of Rt. 16. No snow in any of these areas. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None, except for the big ones with wooden bridges. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
At Pinkham Notch, the information board said that the winter route was closed, but at the bottom of the Lion Head Trail winter route, there was no sign indicating it was closed.
The sign the top of Lion Head Trail has only one board, indicating Lion Head Trail; it should have a perpendicular board indicating Tuckerman Ravine Trail.
A few more blazes on Boott Spur Trail below treeline would be helpful: there were a few places where the trail makes a right angle turn and that were not well marked - we were not the only ones who temporarily got off trail, as we could see from boot prints. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Never before have I had to switch traction so many times during a hike! Our route was Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Trail (summer route) up to the upper junction with Tuckerman Ravine Trail, down Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lawn Cutoff, Davis Path to Boott Spur, down Boott Spur Trail, down Tuckerman Ravine Trail.
Tuckerman Ravine Trail: Started with bare boots, but soon there was enough packed snow to make microspikes more efficient. Many, many skiers were walking up with us.
Lion Head Trail (summer route): This was less travelled and rougher, with postholes. Higher up, there is a traverse across a *very* steep snow field that requires an ice axe for safety, and crampons are a good idea here too. In this section, some people were shoveling out a path wide enough to stand upright on, to make things a little easier, but still an ice axe is recommended.
Lion Head Trail (combined route, higher up): There were dry rocky sections for which bare boots were best, but also steep snowfields for which crampons and ice axe were best.
Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lawn Cutoff, Davis Path to Boott Spur: Bare boots on rocks.
Boott Spur Trail: Above treeline, it was mostly bare boots on rocks; there is a small stream running down much of this part of the trail; it was shallow enough to walk in, but it made some rocks slippery. Near where it reenters the trees, there are a few very short but very steep sections of snow for which we took out microspikes/crampons and ice axe again. After reentering the trees, it was mostly frozen postholed snow for a while, so we used microspikes; it was mostly solid enough to support us. The bottom part of the trail was almost completely free of snow, so bare boots worked from here to Pinkham Notch. In particular, the ladder near the bottom of Boott Spur Trail had no ice or snow at all. |
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 | Name: |
mathbp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-04-23 |
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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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