| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Firescrew, Mt. Cardigan, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Manning Trail, Mowglis Trail, Clark Trail, Vistamont Trail, Holt Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 29, 2023 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of cars parked at Cardigan Lodge, and quite a few cars were parked along the road (seemingly without issue) |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No water crossings on this route! |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
In general, pretty good. A couple of trees down, but all are easy to get around. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one. He was having a blast! |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
N/A |
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|
 | Comments: |
Great day for a counter-clockwise loop over Firescrew and Cardigan. It was quite windy at the summit of Cardigan, but that's to be expected. Down low, trails are ever so slightly muddy or dry. Starting around 2,200', there are small patches of snow in the trees heading up Manning Trail; the trail, however, is clear of ice and snow for all but a couple of very, very short patches (like 10' or so at a time). There is one ledge at around 3,800' where there is a decent pack of snow and ice on the ledge; at this spot, a nervous hiker might want to have spikes, but I bare-booted it. Once up onto the ledges of the Manning Trail, no issues--they're clear of snow and ice. Heading down Clark, there's much less snow in the trees (and none on the trail) than on Manning. Vistamont was its usual "quiet self" (i.e., it gets a lot less foot traffic than Holt Cutoff) but with no snow, trees down, etc. Heading down Holt back towards Cardigan Lodge, the trail is in summer-like conditions (read: dry).
tl;dr: expect some mud down low. You might see an occasional spot of snow higher up, but I wouldn't bother bringing spikes unless you're super nervous and are going up Manning. All in all, a great day to hike before the rain comes! |
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 | Name: |
IanB |
|
 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-04-29 |
|
 | 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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