| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Rowe, Gunstock Mountain, Belknap Mountain, Piper Mountain, Whiteface Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ridge Trail, Brook Trail, Saddle Trail, Blue Trail, White Trail, Old Piper Trail, Piper-Whiteface Link, Whiteface Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 17, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for maybe 7-8 well-parked vehicles at the end of Belknap Mountain Road for Whiteface Mountain Trail. Obviously there's huge amounts of space at the Gunstock ski area. No issues. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The one minor crossing on the lower half of Whiteface Mountain Trail is an easy two-step crossing. No other crossings on this route, thanks to most of it following ridgelines. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns - one on the ridge of Mt. Rowe and another on White Trail. Lots of standing and running water on the trails, but 'tis the season for that. Signs are all in place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
There are some icy spots on Gunstock and Belknap that a dog might struggle with. Otherwise they'd be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
None yet, though we heard from another hiker that the ticks are starting to come out. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a traverse from the Gunstock ski area to the Whiteface Mountain trailhead. The road going up Rowe warms you up quickly - it had some areas of somewhat loose rock but not too bad. A few patches of ice on the upper part, but they were easily avoidable. The slabs coming down from Rowe toward Gunstock were slippery. Going up Gunstock, the lower section of trail had some significant mudpits, while the upper section closer to the summit has some icy stretches. It's possible to bareboot these areas if you are very careful, but many people would want microspikes there. The summit of Gunstock still has plenty of man-made snow from the ski area, but it's definitely softening up. The descent off Gunstock consisted of ice, slippery ledges, and running water. The climb up Belknap was the iciest part of the hike, and the only part where significant sections of forest around the trail still had snow cover. The descent off Belknap down White Trail was a mix of more slippery wet ledges and substantial ice flows. Those ice flows abruptly ended where the forest changed from coniferous to deciduous, just before the first outlook on that trail. We removed our spikes there, and there was no need for them for the remainder of the hike. Ledges below that outlook, and then up and over Piper, were wet and slippery, but there was no more ice. The ATV road that Whiteface Mountain Trail follows toward Whiteface has at least seven or eight large puddles, and many are surrounded by slippery mud - be careful so that you don't fall in.
The weather began cloudy, with limited visibility, but the clouds started to clear as we reached Gunstock, and we had excellent views from the outlooks descending Belknap and on Piper and Whiteface. While descending Belknap and hiking over Piper, we were hit by a brief hailstorm, but it cleared up by the time we reached Whiteface. Very fun day with a great group of hikers! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-18 |
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 | 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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