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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, NH
Trails
Trails: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, January 11, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Lot is plowed with a mix of bare pavement, hard snow and a bit of ice. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Pretty easy today, but a couple are not completely bridged so rock/branch hops were needed. The forecast warm-up may make things a little trickier, but water levels are low. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Nothing major, on FW there is a head banger part ways down from the ridge and a little ways past that a potential tripper. These aren't a problem in regular light and current snow levels, however. There is one new blowdown of a blazed tree that is in the trail and a minor nuisance perhaps half way down FW; I left it untouched because it had the blaze and a path was forming along it. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: The trails were in great shape for Pepper and the one other dog we met, Kara. Pepper had very little icing as the mildish temps hadn't seemed to alter the snow texture - it wasn't sticky at all - and much of the trails were packed or semi packed. Kara appeared to be having a great day too. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: One light pink Nike water bottle was hanging by the side of the trail as it leaves the streamside to head up to the ridge. 
 
Comments
Comments: I put my MSR snowshoes on at the start and kept them on for the whole hike. I only benefitted from flotation in a few drifting places on OBP and on the upper FW, but the traction was just right for the varying conditions. I could see my strike length was much longer than the barebooters, sometimes almost twice as long, with no slippage. On the ridge, particularly between Lincoln and Haystack, there were exposed rock/ledge areas where I had to be a bit careful with snowshoe placement, but it wasn't bad. The snowshoe down FW was fantastic with lots of powdery drifted snow acting as a cushion. There were many barebooters but no postholing. Traction (spikes or good snowshoe crampons) for a section of Greenleaf below Lafayette would be almost essential; the crusty rime like snow required bite to avoid a long slide down. These sections also show no obvious footpath, which is no problem with visibility but could be if shrouded in clouds. I even managed to get off the ridge path several times like a newbie; but again in light that's no problem at all.



It was nice to visit with Joe and Kara and friends on Lafayette. As usual I was going light and too lazy to add layers or dry mitts, so my fingers were very cold, and I had to keep on trucking across the ridge, which got windier the closer we got to Haystack. By winter terms it wasn't bad, and as soon as one got into the woods the wind was not a factor. What a splendid way to take a vacation day. Thanks for the excuse Pepper.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-01-11 
Link
Link: https:// 
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