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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Mansfield (The Chin), VT
Trails
Trails: Mountain Road, CCC Road, Eagles Cut Trail, Laura Cowles Trail, Long Trail, Sunset Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, February 4, 2018
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Not much space for cars in winter on Mountain Road. More folks there to CC-ski up and down the CCC road, than to hike. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: No issues 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: One downed tree on the spur path to Cantilever rock, easy to avoid. There was another small tree down over the trail somewhere, I don't recall where, but it wasn't a hindrance. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: None 
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Found a shiny blue aluminum water bottle on the way to Cantilever Rock. Contact me if it's yours! 
 
Comments
Comments: Headed up from the west this time, taking the very steep Laura Cowles up to stay out of the wind as long as possible, and Sunset Ridge down since, well, I prefer loops (and didn't want to descend all that steep!). LC was half broken-out, SR pretty much fully so. Temps were pretty mild, considering, but winds were very strong up above treeline and on Sunset Ridge especially (upwards of 40-50mph gusts). I struggled to maintain balance several times.

Wore snowshoes the whole way, even up on the rocky summit. The recent few inches of snow helped provide enough of a blanket/cover on the ice that the shoes nearly always retained a good grip. Parts of Laura Cowles were certainly tricky, but really not half as bad as if that snow hadn't fallen a couple days earlier. Above treeline, some bare rock, some ice, but also a lot of snow-coated ice to help with grip. A good amount of snow is forecast so that will only help; but still, walk carefully up there.

Found a shiny blue aluminum water bottle on the spur path to Cantilever Rock. Contact me if you lost one.

61 of Winter 67  
Name
Name: Erik Bertrand 
E-Mail
E-Mail: erik@bertpc.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2018-02-04 
Link
Link: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/40eb37c5ef7721a2c6fd94d4cba4ccc819751ad8 
Bookmark and Share 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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