| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt Lafayette, Little Haystack, Lincoln & Liberty , NH |
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 | Trails: |
OBP, Franconia Ridge, Liberty Springs |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 16, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Basin NB had maybe 5 cars when we started at 7:30 & was still not full when we finished the hike. Basin SB was the same. Lafayette parking lots were getting pretty full by 8am. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Liberty Springs trail has 1x crossing that took a few minutes to figure out the best rock-hop |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Minor Blowdowns, only challenging ones were the few overhanging the steeper snow/ice patches (more on that below) |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I lost count of the number of dogs - all very well behaved. Mike from SLASR would've been in hiking doggie heaven |
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 | Bugs: |
I inhaled my first bug of the season partway up OBP. I think the word got out about a bug-eater on the loose, so the rest stayed away nearly the entire hike. Descending on Liberty Springs they started to show up ~2500'. They weren't biting, just nuisance gnats. They really didn't seem to be doing anything much, they were like College Kids flitting around trying to figure out what to do with their life |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
On the ridge between Falling Waters and Liberty Springs trail intersections there are sizeable patches of snow hanging on. There is about 1/2 mile stretch in the middle that had surprising amount of snow nearly non-stop, still up to 2+ feet deep and spanning the entire trail side-side. It was also surprisingly solid to walk on (the next few days may put a dent in this). My best description is 'pre-monorail', you could see where it would melt out fastest and where it would hang on down the center of the trail. Still didn't need traction on any of the snow patches (poles were enough)
Doing the loop clockwise is the way to go. Getting the roadwalk (bike-trail walk) from Basin to OBP knocked out 1st and starting to hike from OBP trailhead set us up for success. We got to the summit of Lafayette before the crowds and by the time that rush-hour on the Franconia Ridge Superhighway picked up we were already passing Falling Waters intersection and continuing South. |
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 | Name: |
kjzjpg19 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-05-16 |
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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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