| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Liberty, Mt. Flume, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, herd path, bike path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 3, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The northbound Basin lot was a sheet of ice this morning. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The main crossing on Liberty Spring Trail was partially bridged and easy today. Snow is melting fast right now; water levels can rise and snowbridges deteriorate quickly. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Franconia Ridge Trail about .2 mi south of Little Haystack there's a blowdown blocking trail, need to walk around. Then a few easy step-overs and a duck-under. Overall this stretch of trail is not too bad. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Only encountered a couple pups today and they were both very experienced hiking dogs. Franconia Ridge if frozen back up may be challenging for some, although most hiking dogs would be fine on Liberty and Flume. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
E.T. Fudge, Imaginary Friend, Kurt and I did the ridge clockwise with an out and back to Flume on this wonderful early Smarch day.
38 degrees at 8am meant spring surface conditions. Lower section of OBP was still supportive and not horribly postholed when we started but very well could be by now. Lots of flow ice forming below the hut and was soft enough this morning where (sharp) light traction was enough. Above treeline on Greenleaf its a mix of ice and exposed rock; I cannot believe how much melted since I was here last month. The steep section below the dogleg, which is often a no-fall zone in winter, was flow ice but only for a few short sections. After a refreeze this spot could be difficult. Along the ridge down to Little Haystack there's a lot of exposed rock now with short sections of ice between, still some knee-deep snow pack in areas. The four of us used sharp Hillsounds to Little Haystack then tossed on snowshoes to head south down the ridge, they are certainly the best choice. The shoes stayed on until Flume then back to spikes for the trip back and down. LST is was solid and the snowbase depth dropped considerably as you descend.
The warm weather brought out the crowds today. We encounter many familiar faces out as well. Great seeing Georg and it's always a treat to toss Lucy snowballs on a summit! |
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 | Name: |
Kyle L |
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 | E-Mail: |
kjlanctot g mail |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-03 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/10884107322 |
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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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