| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Gunstock Mountain, Belknap Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gunstock Mountain Trail, Brook Trail, Saddle Trail, Blue Trail, White Trail, Round Pond-Piper Link, Old Piper Trail, Piper Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 19, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lower parking area on Carriage Rd. ("Belknap Range Trails" on Google Maps) is small, with room for about 4-5 cars (if some park in front of others). At noon when we finished, there was a line of parked cars along Carriage Rd. There is a closed gate preventing cars from driving further up Carriage Rd. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
At the bottom of Piper Mountain Trail there is a wooden footbridge over a stream - in good condition, but slightly icy. No other crossings. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are very well marked. No blowdowns anywhere. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
(Note: This is before the snowstorm happening tonight, Sun Jan 19.) Gunstock Mountain Trail was a mix of bare ground and icy patches - we bare-booted about 2/3 of the way up Gunstock Mountain Trail and then switched to microspikes since the icy patches were becoming more prevalent. Some rocks have black ice. Along the ridge between Gunstock and Belknap, there were 2-3 inches of snow, so we kept the spikes on. We climbed the observation tower on Belknap Mountain using spikes since the steps were icy. Descending was the reverse: frequent icy patches mixed with wet sticky snow at first, but once we were partway down Piper Mountain Trail we removed our spikes and bare booted the rest. At the end of Piper Mountain Trail, there is a very short walk along Carriage Rd. - this part of the road itself was icy, so we walked on the edge of the road. Note: None of the icy patches were very steep, so crampons were not needed anywhere. Also, nowhere was there enough snow to even consider using snowshoes (this may change soon, however). |
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 | Name: |
mathbp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-01-19 |
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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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