| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mtn., NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 15, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No problem parking at 8:30am. By the time we finished our hike (around 3pm), there were also cars lined up along the side of the parking lot closer to 93, in addition to the usual parking spaces. But there were still parking spaces available, even on this sunny and not very cold Sunday. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Snowbridges - it looked as if some people had punched through them in a few places, but as long as you stayed on the packed trail, they were stable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We saw a few dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We did the loop clockwise. The entire loop is well packed. The only thing unconsolidated about it is that there is 2-4 inches of loose snow on top of the packed snow below treeline (maybe slightly more near the top of Falling Waters Trail, but even there nobody staying on the trail was making postholes - some people found it easier to descend there by sliding). The snow just off the trail on the sides is deep and powdery, and there one could easily posthole 2 feet or more. Above treeline, the trail is even more packed since loose snow has been blown off in most places, but there was not enough ice to make crampons useful, and there were brief sections of bare rock.
To summarize: microspikes were best above treeline, and either microspikes or snowshoes were fine below treeline (those in microspikes were not damaging the trail). Snowshoes would be recommended on any day where there is a potential for significant snowfall. |
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 | Name: |
mathbp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-02-15 |
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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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