| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 11, 2013 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area at base of Zealand Road is not plowed and not accessible. I parked at the snowmobile parking area about 1/4 mile further down Rte 302, which was in good shape and very large. 9 deg F at 8AM when I left.(32 deg F when I got back). No cars AM but about 6 trucks/trailers when I got back. Still plenty of parking. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All water crossings except first small brook were snowbridged, although sections were a little thin and collapsed if you put too much weight in certain areas. Very easy to cross. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There was one large tree down about 1/4 mile up Hale Brook Trail but it was high enough to crawl/duck under. Upper parts of trail had "car washes" in many places from all the snow laden trees but no problems. A lot of yellow blazes had been repainted and were easy to see and follow on the entire trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a lot of dog prints on Zealand Road. Trail seemed OK for dogs too. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
n/a |
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|
 | Comments: |
Conditions good.
___ZEALAND ROAD___ was well packed from snowmobiles, cross country skis and other foot traffic. I wore snowshoes for the entire hike but the road could easily have been done bare boot and/or with microspikes. The section after the bridge at the Sugarloaf trailhead is less packed and narrower but still easy to negotiate.
___HALE BROOK TRAIL___ was also in good shape. The lower section had been previously packed and had 3-4" of new powder on it. From the last section in the ravine (where the trail flattens and goes through an impressive stand of birch trees) and through the switchbacks climbing out of the ravine the trail was less packed and had 5-10" of fluffy powder until about 1/4 mile from the summit, where the snow firmed up, was shallower and tracked easy. Too bad the summit no longer has good views. I did this trail 20 years ago and the views were excellent. Trees are too tall to see much now. Still a good hike with a lot of views out to Washington (which stayed out of the clouds all day)through the trees on the upper part of the trail. Tons of snowshoe rabbit tracks on upper section too but I wasn't lucky enough to see one. |
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 | Name: |
DayTrip |
|
 | E-Mail: |
bblanchette0709@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-01-11 |
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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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