| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Liberty, Mt. Flume, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gale River Road, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, herd path, bike path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 3, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Gale River Rd closed. A few cars parked in the pull-off at the end. Not sure if people have gotten trouble over that. Plenty of parking at the Basin which was not plowed this morning but was at day's end. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
First crossing on Garfield tr is not yet bridged, we bushwhacked up to snowmobile bridge, second crossing rock-hoppable with care. Large crossing on Liberty Sprigs trail icing up but not yet bridged, able to get across with slightly wet boots. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Cleared a couple of fresh blowdowns on Mt Garfield Trail. Garfield Ridge Trail has a number of leaners and a few duck-unders but we cleared 4-5 of the waist-level annoyances. Franconia ridge trail between Little Haystack has a big mess that people are walking around. Cleared a few more between Liberty and Flume. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw 2 dogs on near Lincoln. Seemed to be doing fine. Not too much ice up there... |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Road walk was icy with just a dusting of snow. Start of Garfield tr was bare until the first crossing! After the crossings, the trail was very fast with hard packed snow and very little ice. Garfield Ridge trail wasn't as consolidated but microspikes were adequate. Any more snow and we would have worn snowshoes. Above treeline section of Garfield Ridge trail was a bit sketchy in a few places but didnt warrant crampons. Franconia ridge was pretty busy - most people in bare boots or light traction. Lots o bare rock mixed with snow covered ice and a few fluffy drifts here and there.
Between Haystack and the Liberty junction, a good hard packed base under an inch or so of fresh snow. It was squirelly enough that looking back, it might have been faster in snowshoes. From the junction, the rest of the trail to Flume was a highway, no ice. Liberty spring trail was a mix of hard-packed snow and ice and made for a generally fast descent. Ran into a large group of sledders who were struggling and surely wishing for less ice. Fantastic day to be above treeline. Lots of sun, very little wind, incredible views all day long. Great running into Joe on Lincoln. Mark - thanks again for your help this morning! |
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 | Name: |
Jeff & Karine |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-02-03 |
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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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