| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Moosilauke, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ravine Lodge Road, Gorge Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 9, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No issues in the winter parking. Access road may be icy before long with the melt and incoming rain. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridged |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown partially buried in snow near treeline. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
Full top to bottom snow cover, though softening with the increasing temperatures and humidity.
Ravine Lodge Road was plowed and sanded from the gate to the lodge. From the trailhead, there were some bony areas (e.g. the rocky areas in the summer). Much better snowpack starting just before the view point (i.e., above the last known water sign). Deeper snow above 4,000 feet, and snowpack continued all the way to the summit (which can sometimes be bare during winter months).
I wore snowshoes for the entire ascent and kept them on for the descent until a few tenths below the aforementioned viewpoint, at which point I barebooted without issue. Snowshoes were the most efficient way to ascend above the viewpoint due to the softening snow; snowshoers were zooming past Microspikers, who were postholing in the upper elevations.
Snowshoes will be particularly tomorrow during the rest of the thaw, as any postholes at elevation will set up and make the trails awful for future hikers. Please be considerate and leave the trails in equal or better shape than you found them.
Cloudy morning with temperatures above freezing and a few breaks of sun later on. Beautiful undercast with the white peaks of the Franconias and Presidentials poking through. Snow falling off the trees later in the morning.
Unfortunately encountered a few unprepared hikers starting just before noontime (Massachusetts plates arriving late). |
|
 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-12-09 |
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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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