| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 22, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking spaces (arrived before 8AM - departed before 4PM) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None worth mentioning |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
n/a |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
n/a |
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 | Bugs: |
Springtails (aka snow fleas) galore - which is kinda visually disruptive so we researched these little guys a bit on the drive home.
They aren't harmful...(we were a little worried about them hitching a ride home)
Different springtail groups have solved the freezing problem in several different ways. Some let themselves get dehydrated –- if you have very little water in your body, ice crystals won’t form. Most Springtails, though, have antifreeze in their blood. Usually the cryoprotectants are sugar-based, just like the glycol we use in automobile antifreeze.
They can be found on sunny winter days bouncing around.... If you are interested here is a neat link: https://www.wired.com/2014/01/snow-fleas/ |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A hiking pole near the beginning of the trail / parking area was planted into the snowbank (8AMish)
A large mitten was on the trail sign closest to the parking area when we left around 3:30PM |
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 | Comments: |
We headed up Falling Waters Trail taking our time to enjoy the many ice formations.
The trail was well packed but be careful if you step near the edges or you'd inevitably posthole.
We still opted to not use snowshoes, all using microspikes the entire day.
Nearing the Little Haystack a few rays of hope as small pockets of blue made themselves visible in the clouds.
As we ascended the AMAZING undercast allowed us to see many of the mountains peeking out 360 degrees, near & far!
The winds were calm, the temperature pleasant only needing thin outer layers.
As we started toward Lincoln the clouds, with the help of lighter winds from the west (only briefly picking up but still very much bearable), started to creep over the ridge, within an hour none of the neighboring mountains were visible and by 12:30 Mt. Lafayette was in the clouds.
Crossing the ridge there was lots of ice on vegetation and rock formations but the trail was very manageable, a few spots exposed with no ice or snow but we opted to keep our microspikes on the entire ridge.
At the summit of Mt. Lafayette we enjoyed mild winds and agreeable temperatures (thin outer layers).
Having enjoyed the company of fellow hikers we started down Greenleaf Trail, viability was limited to about 100 yards, completely manageable.
The winds still remained calm and favorable.
A brief stop at Greenleaf Hut then down Old Bridle Path, the trail was packed with some mushy snow in areas.
The weather, ever changing, is sometimes very kind and yesterday offered us a very pleasant trek across and a hike we won't soon forget. |
|
 | Name: |
Kally |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kally.abrams@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-01-23 |
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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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