| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Moosilauke, Mt. Moosilauke - South Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gorge Brook Trail, Carriage Road, South Peak Spur, Snapper Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 5, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked in the cul-de-sac (forgot), and my car lived to tell the tale! Not sure if this was the first weekend, but the gate was open, so no road walk from 118, thankfully. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches, Standing/Running Water on Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Brook has washed out Gorge Brook Trail in two places about 0.6 above Snapper Trail junction. One is a minor inconvenience, the other, upper one makes for some iffy rock-hopping and wet feet. D.O.C. marks it well on both sides of affected area. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
D.O.C. does an excellent job with trail-building and maintenance. Must have put in a lot of work since last fall. It will be interesting to see what they do to recover the washouts on Gorge Brook Trail.
One thing though - D.O.C., my friends. You've got such great signage all over the place - would it kill you to put a sign 100 feet from the road-ending sign-in kiosk, where the Gorge Brook Trail diverges left from the old, blocked road, saying "Gorge Brook Trail to summit." Really? Does it take a Yalie to figure this out? ;) |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Ran across no dogs today. It was a perfect day for hikers of all kinds. |
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 | Bugs: |
I saw a bug or two at my car, none after. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A beautiful day on a big, gorgeous mountain. Views were A-quality - could make out Stratton, Dorset and Monadnock on the far horizons. Views of the Whites were outstanding - I especially liked Hancock and the Tripyramids, and of course the Franconia Range. The Presis, alone, were cloud-enshrouded well into the afternoon - I finally saw Big W poke his head out once I got to South Peak at 6 pm. That was nice icing on a fantastic cake. Enjoyed the views of Lake Winnipisaukee especially, and the Connecticut River Valley. The view of Tunnel Brook Ravine from South Peak is a must - the South Peak spur trail is one of the most beautiful I've seen.
OK, enough ravine about how pretty it was. Was there snow? Mud? A little snow on trail above about 3750', but either entirely avoidable or bare-bootable without concern - my microspikes, along with a lot of water and extra clothes, got a free tour of the mountain. There was mud and running water in some places, but the conditions were comparable to the Stratton hike I did in early October 2010. Mostly just fine for hiking with a few spots of concern along the way.
Was it cold? Yes, at the summit at 5 pm or so. I donned a winter toque above 3500' on the Gorge Brook Trail, then my fall jacket at about 4200', but never the rain pants or faux wool heavy shirt. Synthetic shorts were fine, and my biking gloves, which protect vs. callouses from the trekking poles. The heavier gloves stayed in the jacket pockets.
I did get shivery and started to feel a bit disoriented after maybe 20 minutes at the summit, so I got moving again and had no further issues. I'd say it was 45 degrees with variable winds from 10-15 with 20 mph gusts at the summit. Pretty benign. I saw a grand total of 6 hikers today - sparser than expected. Weather permitting on a given day, Moosilauke is welcoming visitors with fine conditions - come see this magnificent mountain. |
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 | Name: |
Chris Stratton/Driver 8 |
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 | E-Mail: |
christratton@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-05-06 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.facebook.com/arkie.in.ct |
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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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