| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
West Royce Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Basin Trail, Basin Rim Trail, Royce Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, April 20, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only car at Basin Pond when I left, two other cars there on my return, both occupied. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings running low, either bridged or easy rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Many blowdowns on the loop. Basin Trail had some ancient blowdowns, most 24-30 inches diameter. I cut two smaller blowdowns on Basin Rim Trail, and there were a bunch of larger ones on Royce Trail. All easily stepped over or gone under. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies were bothersome on the ridge and especially on the ledges. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I've been looking to do this loop for years, ever since being brought to Basin Pond as a kid, and then trying to at least get up to Rim Junction on a couple other occasions. This time it went off without a hitch. Left Basin Pond at 9:15, and made decent time up to Rim Junction on mostly dry trails. Once on Basin Rim Trail, I passed 4 younger gentlemen coming the other way who were out backpacking, and those would be the only people I saw all day. Great views from all the viewpoints along the way, with decent temps (I'd estimate it was in the 50's) and light breezes. There were two short sections of snow/ice on the trail, one on either side of West Royce summit. Once on the Royce Trail, you seem to meander a bit, ending up on the west side of the ridge, then climbing to the height of land to start descending. Once past the Royce Connector this trail loses elevation in a hurry, especially past the Laughing Lion Trail junction. Once below Mad River Falls, things leveled out, and it was a pleasant walk out to 113. I then walked on the road back to Basin Pond, about another mile, arriving at my car at 3:15. I calculated 10.1 miles, and ~2700 ft of gain. Not bad considering I haven't hiked since 12/31/11! Fantastic day to be out! |
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 | Name: |
Bill Robichaud |
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 | E-Mail: |
bill.robichaud@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-04-20 |
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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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