| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Smarts Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Lambert Ridge Trail, J Trail, Ranger Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 11, 2024 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot for Lambert Ridge/Smarts Ranger Trail was plowed, but icy. Parts further up had begun thawing underneath due to runoff, leading to some surprise ditches that were easy to drive into. Some of the dirt roads leading in were becoming muddy and could definitely present some issues for some cars. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Some tiny runoffs bridged over by snow, but definitely many thawing through.
|
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Nothing comes to mind |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Should be fine! |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
|
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|
 | Comments: |
Started with Smarts via Lambert Ridge trail up to the fire tower, then took the J Trail over to the true summit. Came back down via Ranger Trail at the junction. Lambert Ridge Trail had been heavily bare booted & postholed, so, after the warm temps and overnight freezes, it was a bit of a painful nightmare. Would highly recommend waiting for the next snow before opting for that route. J Trail between the fire tower and summit wasn't broken out at all and was pretty overgrown, but still much faster/smoother going than Lambert Ridge had been. On a wing and a prayer, went with Ranger Trail on the descent. It was much more lightly traveled, so was consequently much smoother going and easy to pack the soft snow down into something vaguely resembling a path. Used a weird combination of spikes/snowshoes throughout in a desperate attempt to convince myself the wrong footwear was the problem. |
|
 | Name: |
Amelie Crowe |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ameliecrowe22@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2024-02-11 |
|
 | 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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