| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Middle Sister (attempt), NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Champney Falls Trail, Champney Falls Cutoff, Middle Sister Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The Champney Falls trailhead lot is plowed but the two entrances have snow piles on them. My Subie got over the piles no problem. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Snowshoers are getting across the crossings no problem. Bare booters are punching through at the third crossing. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Thank you to whomever was recently out on the first switchback with a saw. There is a monster obstructing the Cutoff (see comments) that will need some help in the spring. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Oh my pupper had a day. I wish that I had video of her swimming through snow drifts like the beast that she is, but all that I could do was laugh. |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
In actuality, Middle Sister was not broken out, but it definitely makes sense that it was reported to be. Let me start at the beginning. We planned to hike for sunrise, and wore snow shoes door-to-door. The Champney Falls Trail up to the first falls spur is well packed with minimal post holes. Between there and Champney Falls Cutoff it is softer, and there are more post holes.
Champney Falls Cutoff was completely drifted over. I thought, “It’s only 0.3 miles, how bad could this be?” Ummm…. The first .2 miles were knee-deep powdery snow, which was relatively straightforward. Then we got to that awesome ledgy area with the great views … and with drifted snow it looked a lot like the Jefferson snowfield. That is one of my least favorite things. I sucked it up and went across, but knew that I would not be returning that way! After that, I came across a very obstructing blowdown and that’s where the wheels fell off the bus because I got a wee bit wet crawling under it. Ok time for a clothing swap! With Echo and I in dry clothes we turned right uphill to meet with the Middle Sister Trail. At this point I was breaking chest deep snow, wondering if I had accidentally been transported to the Carter Moriah Trail (I had not), and questioning my life choices. Why is this so hard? Umm, Echo kept standing on the back of my snow shoes. Thanks, Echo!!
We finally got to the Middle Sister Trail, hoping to see beautiful snowshoe tracks … and there was a single set of drifted over snowshoe tracks. OMG. We followed them, more or less, and attempted to reach the Middle Sister summit, but 50 yards below it, when I could see the remnants of the tower base, it all seemed to be just a big wall of snow in front of me. Looming like a monster and very much resembling that bad stuff that the Avalanche Center keeps posting about. Umm, nope. There were no snowshoe tracks, at this point, and I couldn’t figure out how to climb that looney tunes mess safely so we turned around. We definitely missed sunrise, and I was kind of bummed, but we did get some great views from First Sister on the way back.
We followed that one set of snowshoe tracks as best as possible, down the Middle Sister Trail toward Champney Falls Trail, but found ourselves in really deep snow multiple times. Like chest deep. Were these drifts or spruce traps? I don’t know. I did a lot of laughing, Echo did a lot of barking, eventually we got where we needed to go. About 50 yards from the Champney Falls Trail junction, all of a sudden there was a beautiful snowshoe trench … with really deep postholes. I believe this is why it was reported that Middle Sister was broken out; it totally looks like it from that junction. Well, it’s broken out now! LOL. Thinking about Middle Sister for sunrise? My advice is to wait until summer!
This will be my last NETC post. I was really distressed by the mean Potty Mouth People last week (so distressed that I couldn’t even write a trail report about that hike). I am switching to IG-only trail reports, so I will see you guys over there. Bikecamphikegirl- out. |
|
 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl and Echo |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2026-02-03 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
