| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua , NH |
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 | Trails: |
Champney Falls Trail, Piper Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lot is plowed - thank you! |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The first crossing is snow bridged, but was making scary loud noises when we returned to the trailhead at 8:20am. There are clear tracks to bypass this if needed, by walking on the Kanc.
On the way up we skipped the second and third crossings because it was dark. We followed snowshoe tracks approximating the old trail. That worked out really well. On the way down we easily crossed the third crossing because the stepping stones are above the water and mostly dry. The second crossing has really fascinating / completely terrifying ice that is piled up and crusty in places. We rock hopped downstream from that chaos. LOL. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No obstructing blowdowns on this route! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
My dog had a blast, as always. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
We packed out someone’s frozen 1L water bottle. |
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 | Comments: |
We hiked for sunrise and watched it from about 200 yards below the summit,in a protected nook, as it was windy and cold. Sharp Hillsounds were perfect. There are some postholes on Champney Falls Trail but the real doozies are on Piper. You can see that someone came up from 16 and was (no exaggeration) leaving knee to thigh deep postholes every 8-10 steps. It looked pretty painful to me. Everything was solid for a sunrise hike but these warm temperatures don’t bode well for trail stability. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl and Echo |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-12 |
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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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