| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Avalon, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, Mt. Tom, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Willey Range Trail, Mt. Tom Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, December 22, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Along road next to Highland Center. Plenty of spots. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The main crossing, 1/4 mile in from the lot, was challenging. I went for spikes over garbage bag over shoes on the way in and it worked well. Others I met claimed success without the bags. On the way out I didn't use the bags and would have pulled it off except I chose poorly on one of my final steps (unsafe slushy ice instead of the rock right next to it...oops). You'll definitely need at least waterproof boots and spikes as the water levels continue to drop. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No significant issues from the recent storm. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one very fluffy dog heading out just as I was heading in. They either did Willard or turned around at the crossing, which would have been challenging for a pup. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Started at 9:30, maybe 10 cars already parked. Was surprised at how many people I saw headed down between 10-11am...I guess they started early. Bare boots to the river crossing (1/4 mile in), garbage bags/spikes for the crossing, then barebooted to the 2nd crossing about a half mile later (which was an easy cross). A decent amount of ice between the crossings, but rock hopping with bare boots was OK. After the 2nd crossing the snow starts to increase and sharp spikes are necessary even though you'll have to walk on some bare rocks at times. Once the trail split to head up to Avalon the rocks are all covered and it was snow and hard ice. Hillsound trail crampons were the right tool for the rest of the way...a couple of ice waterfalls between Field/Willey but other than that trail was great. Kept spikes on all the way to the last crossing on the way out, you definitely need them for the ice covered rocks. |
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 | Name: |
Borealis |
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 | E-Mail: |
kdwelch1@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-12-22 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/10421733524 |
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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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