| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked off 302, lot was plowed and most of the ice has melted from the parking lot |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Both crossings are snowbridged, however it's best to poke around with your poles to make sure you're not going to go through |
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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: |
Spikes and snowshoes today. Road walk can be barebooted/spiked. It would be great if people tracked on ONE track on the road, as opposed to wandering all over the place, and I'm usually not one to complain.. Ran into the always wonderful and good spirited Ilse, who informed me she broke out Hale and hers were the only tracks up there today. At the start of Hale Brook Trail I put on snowshoes fairly soon - there was only a couple inches of snow to start but the spikes were balling and just not getting enough bite to move efficiently. The snow really increased the higher I went up. You may be able to bareboot/spike to the first water crossing. The sidehill was in typical winter slog mode - it seemed best to just step in the already laid snowshoe tracks as opposed to trying to break it out to a two-snowshoe-wide trail, if you know what I mean. Summit was delightfully sunny and warm. Fire Warden's Trail looked mighty choppy but traveled, and no tracks from Lend A Hand Trail. I tried to smooth the track out on my way down, but it's pretty unconsolidated up higher and snowshoes would be a good idea in the near future unless you're into a good struggle. I saw no one other than Ilse all day. I'm now set up to grid this mountain out next month! |
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 | Name: |
Samantha J |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-13 |
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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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