| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Herd path, Haystack Road, North Twin Trail, herd path, Fire Warden's Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 26, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of space for parking. There was one vehicle when I got there and 6 when I left with room for more. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Once over the bridge just as the herd path starts the water is running through-out the path.
We walked along the edge of this herd path as water rushed by, we were careful because many times we would sink down next to the water as the crust's edge would break away. (Still on the herd path) there was a small snow bridge I punched through but not a big deal with waterproof boots.
Once on the herd path of the North Twin Trail there is a small-ish tributary that was something to cross with care, I kept my snowshoes on and carefully scooted across a small log and poles came in handy. On the return leg of the trip we both noticed this brook had less water volume and one of the submerged rocks I had used was above water level.
We noted the violent rage of the Little River (not so little today)
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
none today |
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 | Bugs: |
none today |
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 | Lost and Found: |
There is a snowshoe that is propped up next to the private driveway sign, there is a snowbank that my keep it from being visible and the wind and weather will knock it over. I'll be in the area and can get it and send it back to you. |
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 | Comments: |
The herd path was choppy and we added to that a bit by wearing our spikes for this stretch only.
Once we reached the NTT we switched to snowshoes for the rest of the day. The monorail is unstable and there was a breakable crust with a few inches of new snow. The NTT was uneven, choppy and we would walk on the edge of the trail to avoid punching through into running water. We were the first ones on the FWT today, and were slowed down a bit by looking for the monorail and attempting to stay on it; stepping off the narrow monorail was just a minor issue and the sinking was shallow.
Once at the summit the sun came out for 30 seconds and there was a patch of blue sky as a reward - Yes, even Hale is worth the effort. The wind picked up and we quickly left and were happy to see Hiking Guy and friends. Great hike with AP
HBT sign was sticking up a foot above the snow and the HBT didn't look traveled recently but appeared to have a stable treadway with fresh snow on top. The Lend-a-Hand looks like there was a posthole party recently, some of the nastiest deepest holes along with unfriendly conditions - I didn't venture too far down the trail to know how far that went on for.
PLEASE READ: As a side note we spoke with a very kind land owner that told us that the new bridge (over little River, just before the herd path) had been built in 2014 and is available for hiker use, but asked if we would please not wear any traction devices over the bridge. We agreed and told him we would do our best to let others know this; we thanked him for allowing us use of this invaluable resource. |
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 | Name: |
Rachel |
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 | E-Mail: |
ball 1311 at yahoo dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-02-26 |
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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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