Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Major, NH |
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| Trails: |
Mt. Major Main Trail, Major-Straightback Link, Brook Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 31, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking this morning at the Mt Major Trailhead on Route 11 in Alton |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Several easy hops on the Brook Trail, all still open. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trails are in rough shape. Some blazing starting to fade. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one dog today. Some dogs may have trouble on the icy sections of the Mt. Major Main trail |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Ice is the theme on this hike. Mt Major Trail starts off wet and muddy quickly changing to ice between the rocks. Eventually some snowpack works its way in up higher near the flat section of the trail. The rest of the way up is ice and snow mixed. The ledges are very icy and dangerous right now. I took the Ledge Bypass to get around most of it. There is one tricky spot a short distance below the summit having to cross over an icy, side-sloping ledge. The summit was pretty well bare with a few small patches of snow and ice. Coming down the Major-Straightback Link and the Brook Trail there were some icy areas as well but nothing too difficult. Microspikes are definitely needed for this loop right now. I came across a few hikers without traction. They were having to be very cautious and having to slide down some sections. I can only imagine the trails will be getting worse over the next few days with the warmer temps and rain in the forecast. Where is winter? |
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| Name: |
Skidder |
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| E-Mail: |
stephen.kidder@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-01-31 |
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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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