| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Noon Peak, Jennings Peak, Sandwich Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sandwich Mountain Trail, Jennings Peak spur, Drakes Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 24, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of open space at the trailhead both when I started and ended the hike. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues crossing Drakes Brook on either the Sandwich Mountain or Drakes Brook trails. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A large blowdown across the FS road portion of Drakes Brook Trail, which I went around off trail. No notable issues otherwise |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a water bottle inside some kind of insulated sleeve; left it on a rock at the entrance to the parking area. |
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 | Comments: |
Very little snow on the lower parts of the Sandwich Mountain and Drakes Brook trails, but once past Noon Peak, the snow depths started to noticeably increase. Put on microspikes just before Noon's summit and kept them on until about 1.5 mi from the trailhead descending Drakes Brook. About 1 to 3 inches of consistent depth on and around Jennings Peak, and 3 to 6 inches between the Smarts Brook Trail junction and the summit of Sandwich Mountain. The forest here was also completely caked in snow and rime ice, which made for an atmosphere reminiscent of actual winter (hopefully a sign that the Whites will get a real classic winter this time around). On the hike down, the snow started to get sticky and clumped on my microspikes at times due to the rising temps.
If you haven't already started carrying light traction with you on hikes, this weekend was the cue to do so. Wouldn't hurt to start carrying snowshoes as well, if just to get used to lugging them around.
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 | Name: |
Spencer |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-11-24 |
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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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