| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Carrigain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Winter lot down to dirt. Plenty of parking. We were the only ones there today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We walked right through (trail runners and “waterproof” socks…not waterproof as it turns out…good thing it was warm today). The current wasn’t too strong. You couldn’t really get through the first one without getting wet feet or at least using submerged rocks. We used the winter route as that had the firmest track. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Nothing new since the last trail report |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We set off around 8:00 and bare booted Sawyer River Road. It was probably 70% clear. The deepest snow is actually right at the parking lot. The remaining ice on the road was pretty firm, but you could tell it would be slush on the way out. Signal Ridge had ice and firm trail right from the start (and snow filled woods, too). It was still firm enough for spikes, so we donned them and set off. All drainages are open and involve descending the couple feet of snow and then climbing back out on the other side. There sure are a bunch in the first mile! Once we started climbing in earnest, we swapped out for snowshoes. It was softening up enough that we were sliding back with each step with spikes and if you missed the center of the trail you’d slide off of the developing monorail. Someone had had a miserable hike previously and postholed the entire softwoods section to the summit. It made for a tedious hike for us. I’m just thankful that we didn’t get hurt thanks to the carnage that they wrought. I’m also thankful that we had our snowshoes as we had to wear them all the way back to the trailhead. It was a soft, collapsing mess this afternoon and I shudder to think about how much effort it would have taken without them. Back on the road, more of it had melted off and the remaining ice was slush. Bare boots worked great. Moose tracks in the hardwood section, and no fewer than six different bears including one on Sawyer River Road near the trailhead and one in the softwoods who had taken the trail down for over a mile (and had post holed way less than the aforementioned hiker). |
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 | Name: |
WanderingSoules |
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 | E-Mail: |
soules@writeme.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-04-17 |
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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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