| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Major, Straightback Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Boulder Loop Trail, Brook Trail, Belknap Range Trail, Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, North Straightback Link, Mt. Major Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 8, 2025 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of space at the Mt. Major parking area off Route 11 in Alton. It was all bare pavement today (though with the snow coming overnight, it probably won't be for long). I actually thought there would be more vehicles there today, since it was a pretty good day weather-wise. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All frozen over and easily crossable. The lower one on Brook Trail was completely covered in snow - if you didn't know there was normally a river crossing there, you might not have guessed. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns. Signage is mostly good, including at both ends of the relocation on the lower Mt. Major Trail, but there's no sign at the upper junction of Jesus Valley-Beaver Pond Trail with Brook Trail. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw two. Both were well-behaved and seemed to be doing fine. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was an enjoyable snowshoe hike. The lower section of Boulder Loop Trail, up to the junction with Jesus Valley-Beaver Pond Trail, was groomed for snowmobiles, and that part can be barebooted, but as soon as the snowmobile track peels off, we put our snowshoes on and kept them on for the rest of the hike. Boulder Loop Trail was well-tracked - footing occasionally needed care through the bouldery areas, but the snowshoe track was easy to follow, and we helped to firm it up. When we reached the summit of Major, to my surprise nobody else was there - that doesn't happen too often. The view of Lake Winnipesaukee was excellent, and the Ossipees across the lake were still somewhat visible though the clouds were partly obscuring it. The upper part of Brook Trail, again to the junction with Jesus Valley-Beaver Pond Trail, had been well used by snowmobiles, but past that point there was just a good snowshoe track. The snowshoe track continued on Straightback-Major Link past the junction where Brook Trail peels off to descend. It was a little bit choppy in places, but we helped smooth it out. When we reached Quarry Spur, it had just one set of snowshoe tracks on it - there was no real trench. Just a tenth below the summit of Straightback, where the trail dips into a gully and then climbs steeply out of it on a sidehill, the packed trail goes a little bit to the left of the actual trail, but it still leads to the same place. At the summit of Straightback, all trails leading from it were at least partly packed out, and we could hear snowmobiles coming up Straightback Mountain Trail - they turned around just before the true summit though.
We then descended Anna-Straightback Link slightly to the junction with Dave Roberts Quarry Trail - the steep, frequently icy pitch in that section was totally covered by snow so it was easy. We had lunch at the junction, and then headed up Dave Roberts Quarry Trail. This trail wasn't really packed out - it had just one snowshoe track and a couple of bareboot tracks. About halfway to the junction with North Straightback Link, the snowshoer decided to turn around and we had just the one set of bareboot tracks to follow, meaning that we were essentially breaking out the trail. Luckily, this section has only minor ups and downs and the snow was fairly light and fluffy, so breaking it out wasn't too tough. Upon reaching North Straightback Link, it too had just a couple of tracks on it, so we carefully started to head down. We didn't get very far, though - at the start of the steep, rocky, ledgy section, the tracks ended. It looked like the previous hikers had maybe tried to find a way around the steep section, so we followed what might have been a set of tracks to the left, but those ended as well before we got too far. Continuing down the now-unbroken North Straightback Link could have been potentially dangerous - that section has holes between the rocks that were invisible under the snow, and it is steep and ledgy as well. We didn't feel comfortable breaking out that part, so we retraced our steps back to Dave Roberts Quarry Trail, back to Straightback, and then back to the junction with Brook Trail. We descended Brook Trail, which was much more straightforward and heavily used. At the lower junction with North Straightback Link, we noted that it was unbroken from this side as well. Anyone wanting to use North Straightback Link will have to break out the trail, from scratch, pretty much the entire way.
The rest of Brook Trail was very easy - as noted above, the water crossings were ice-bridged and practically invisible. Then we rejoined Mt. Major Trail, where I got to, for the first time, take the newly rerouted section that avoids the deeply eroded lower 0.4 miles or so of the old trail. The rerouted section is well signed at both ends and meanders through the woods at mostly gradual grades; it was pleasant, except for one thing. The rerouted section has a large number of stone steps, probably put there to avoid erosion. I can imagine how they would be very useful in the warmer months. But when the steps have snow on them, they become much more difficult to use, since each step is not flat anymore, and metal traction devices like micro-spikes or snowshoe cleats could damage (or be damaged by) the stone steps. We had to awkwardly try to put our snowshoes sideways when descending those stone steps.
Moral of the story is that, except for the trails on Mt. Major itself, snowshoes were necessary today. And after the snow we're supposed to get overnight, snowshoes will be needed on every trail. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-02-08 |
|
 | 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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