| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Liberty, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bike path, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 29, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty at the Flume Visitor Center. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The one major crossing was at high water. I poked around upstream and crossed the brook while holding onto a tree trunk that lay across the brook. Still got my feet wet, though. Expect to get wet if hiking Liberty via this route. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few minor blowdowns on the lower part of the Liberty Spring Trail, which were probably concealed by snow earlier in the year. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Good dog hiking conditions today- relatively firm footway, and lots of water! |
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 | Bugs: |
A few flying about, but not an issue. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
There were a few patches of snow on the bike path, but the Liberty Spring Trail was completely snow free (although wet in places) to about 2,500 ft. or so. After that point, there were a few small patches, and then pieces of monorail started to appear. Past 3,000', about a 1/2 mile or so from the tentsite, snow cover was constant, and there was about 2-3 ft. of it in most places. On the Franconia Ridge Trail, conditions were similar to the upper part of Liberty Spring, although the ground was bare in spots past the alpine zone sign. The summit was completely snow free. I barebooted to about 1/2 mile from the tentsite, but switched to snowshoes. Took them off near the summit, then put them back on again at the same point on the descent, and then took them off a ways below where I initially put them on. This route can easily be done with just light traction, but I brought and wore snowshoes because I misplaced my spikes, so I figured snowshoes were better than nothing.
Despite the initial crappy forecast, the weather turned out to be beautiful! It was still very overcast, but the cloud deck was high, and it never rained! The wind was relatively light, and the temperature was mild. Excellent views from the summit as a result, and even Mt. Washington was in the clear! Glad I disregarded the forecast! |
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 | Name: |
Spencer |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-04-29 |
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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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