| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cardigan, The Firescrew, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Holt Trail, Manning Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Need 4WD to get to Cardigan Lodge due to mud. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Several minor brook crossings ascending Holt but manageable despite the recent rain. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I wanted to do something cool and different before the arrival of Spring. Ascended Holt Trail, barefoot up to the 3rd brook crossing past the bridge. Snowshoes needed up until I passed the 2nd scramble as snow became sparser. Snow became deeper again approaching the last steep scramble; Here, I lost the trail, drifting south of the last scramble by 20 yards. I attempted to bushwhack up an unfamiliar series of slab steps but the exposure became too risky. Ultimately I made my way across to the north in knee deep snow, finally arriving above the last scramble; That was a welcome surprise as the last scramble was a combo of trace snow covering glare ice. This left me with only one minor, exposed scramble to deal with while wearing crampons.
Summit was empty; Not a soul in sight. Made my way to Firescrew, bareboot, then went back and forth between bareboot and microspikes. Manning was a messy combination of monorail, wet rock, mud, and running water, with snow virtually gone for the last 1/4 mile before reconnecting with the primary trail back to the lodge.
A great, challenging day. In hindsight, an ice ax would've been handy but overall the ascent up Holt was in my wheelhouse. Holt isn't in bad shape in terms of monorail and snow cover; Very stable. |
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 | Name: |
stompmachine |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-18 |
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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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