| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua, Champney Falls, Sabbaday Falls, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Champney Falls Trail, Piper Trail, Champney Falls spur trail, Sabbaday Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 29, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water crossings were not an issue -- the first one (where the bridge was washed out a year ago) is snow-/ice-bridged and an easy crossing. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail is in good shape -- new/cleaned waterbars from this past fall are doing their job, minimizing some of the blue ice on middle sections of the trail (prior to switchbacks). |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Yes -- believe it or not, we saw an occasional mosquito yesterday, given the 30-degree temperatures on the trail. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Perfect weather conditions made for an excellent day up Mt. Chocorua, with a start and finish prior to yesterday's storm. (Naturally, yesterday's storm results will alter the information in this report.)
The Champney Falls Trail up to the switchbacks is a packed highway with some sections of very thick blue ice. From the switchbacks up to the intersection with the Piper Trail, though, was another matter: very thick (sometimes angled) blue ice with an occasional section of packed snow. We used Hillsound Trail crampons the entire way with excellent results (but did bring something more aggressive, just in case).
With the right traction, this was a fast-moving trail -- perfect conditions and very little exposed rock to trip one up.
The summit cone was mainly some packed powder, drifts, and much, much rime-glazed bare rock, making for some slow going in a few places -- not much blue ice up here.
Falls spur trail was packed powder and some sections of blue ice.
Sabbaday Brook Trail to the falls is packed powder with one section of blue ice. |
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 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-12-30 |
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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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