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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Carter Dome (attempt), NH
Trails
Trails: Bog Brook Trail, Wild River Trail, Rainbow Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, February 19, 2012
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Carter Notch Road is passable all the way to the Hall's Ledge Trail trailhead (about 0.1-0.2 miles past the Bog Brook Trail trailhead). The trailhead for the Bog Brook Trail has room for three cars. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All water crossings -- and there are quite a few on the Bog Brook Trail -- are nicely snowbridged or easy to cross. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Two large duck-under blowdowns, one medium-sized duck-under blowdown, and one medium-sized walk-around blowdown on the Bog Brook Trail 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Trails are in decent shape for dogs. With a bit of effort, there's available open water at the numerous brook crossings on the Bog Brook Trail. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Our plan was to summit Carter Dome from the south, up the Rainbow Trail. Given that this trail receives limited use in the winter, we knew that we might have to break some trail.



The Bog Brook Trail is packed out the entire way -- but not firm enough to avoid punching through occasionally to the very boggy sections under the trail; snowshoes were the tool of choice. Water crossings were a breeze.



The Wild River Trail was broken out but not consolidated. Occasionally there are few sets of snowshoe tracks -- all end up joining and following the correct route. The trail is broken out past the junction with the Rainbow Trail, heading east into Perkins Notch toward No Ketchum Pond and the Perkins Notch tent site.



The Rainbow Trail had not seen anyone for perhaps the entire winter -- we broke trail through about 3-3.5 feet of damp powder with 3-inch crust on top for about 0.5-0.75 miles -- as far as we could see a definite trail corridor (there are no blazes whatsoever on the first section of this trail). We lost the corridor in the middle of the birch glades (lovely birch glades they are) and, running out of time, decided to call it a day.



We'll go back another time and try to finish this up to the top. Thanks, Steve and Polly for fine company on a beautiful day in the Wild River Wilderness.  
Name
Name: Pancks and Tesco Heaney 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2012-02-19 
Link
Link: https:// 
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