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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Carter Dome, South Carter, Middle Carter, NH
Trails
Trails: Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, North Carter Trail, Imp Trail, Camp Dodge Cutoff, Route 16
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, January 26, 2014
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of room today at the 19-Mile Brook Trailhead. Construction trailer occupying the right side of the lot, but still lots of room. Fee tube was taped over. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Anything of note was ice-bridged, though a few on the Carter Dome Trail were questionable. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: One on the Imp Trail (or maybe it was the North Carter Trail), with bypass established. Some inconsistent mileage on trail signs (2.2 miles to North Carter Trail per Zeta Pass sign, 2.7 to Zeta Pass per sign at the North Carter Trail junction). 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Not much on the trails to pose a problem, but very cold today. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Decides to give this one a go anyway and play it junction by junction. The only part we scrubbed was going to Hight, since the winds sounded extremely strong through the trees. -10 to -12 the entire time we were on the ridge, but we only felt the wind in a few short spots and so it wasn't really that bad as long as we kept moving.

Spikes were fine all the way to Zeta Pass, never more than 2" on top of ice or hard pack to there. Carter Dome Trail to the Dome from there was extremely drifted, we should have brought the snowshoes after all. Some drifts were knee-high, and most places were at least 6-8". Oops. Probably mostly drifted back in again now anyway, based on what happened in the short time we were there. Met one fellow (Zack) on Carter Dome who came up from the hut in crampons, he said snowshoes would be better there too. Roughly 3" on hard pack/ice from Zeta Pass over South and Middle Carter, and 1-2" going down North Carter and Imp Trails, spikes were fine though it is snowshoeable, if barely.

Thanks Theresa, Kyle, Tom, and Doug for braving the cold and coming out to play. A great group, we had a blast!  
Name
Name: madmattd 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2014-01-26 
Link
Link: https://mattshikes.blogspot.com 
Bookmark and Share 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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