| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Belvidere Mountain, VT |
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 | Trails: |
Frank Post Trail, Forester's Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, December 27, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Tillotson Road is plowed out to the last house, about 0.1 from the trailhead. There's a plowed out parking area suitable for 3-4 cars. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The big storms of 2023-2024 left some canyons along the Forester's Trail. Lower down, crossings were just barely frozen enough to walk across. Higher up, they were frozen but filled with blown snow; easy to drop into up to one's hips. Will probably get pretty messy in the coming rain. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Forester's Trail really took a hit from the big storms. Lots of deep cut bank erosion at water crossings, and the trail itself has become gullied out in many places. Blowdowns: there was a huge 2 trunk beech down on the trail about 0.9 from the trailhead, and a sprawling beech crown about 0.1 further along. I'm sure there were more in the evergreen forest higher up, but I couldn't always tell where the trail was. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Solo hike up Belvidere via Forester's Trail (starting out on Frank Post), breaking trail the entire way. About 4"-5" heavy powder atop narrow older tracks (possibly ski trails). Off trail snow depth was significant higher up (up to 2', with deeper drifts and drifted in gullies); real easy to step off the base and take a plunge. In one gully, I dropped in chest deep. Trail is sparely blazed and challenging to follow in the snow, especially higher up along the switchbacks. I was on an off trail at various points, especially just below the col. Concrete trees at the col and on the final ascent, difficult to push through. Piles of ice on the firetower landings and lower steps. Long Trail wasn't broken out either. |
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 | Name: |
Barefoot Paul-William |
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 | E-Mail: |
paulwgagnon@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-27 |
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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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