| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Carrigain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Sawyer River Road still closed, but only had patches of snow/ice in places. Mostly just dirt. The snow/ice was softer in the afternoon, and with a week of sun and warm temps, might be completely gone. Road walk was the easiest part of the day. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Snow bridges on feeder streams in first 2 miles of Signal Ridge Trail crumbling, on the verge of crumbling or just gone. Some broke, much to our dismay, while we were crossing them. The large water crossing at either the old trail or relocation on Carrigain Notch Trail was open, fast and ankle to calf deep. Neither one was better than the other. Feet will get wet. On the old trail, the beaver pond area and other crossings are doable, but still will require a dunk or two of the boots. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would take a pretty hardy dog to complete this hike with the current trail conditions! |
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 | Bugs: |
The least of our worries were bugs! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Very much the mixed bag of spring conditions. Just because the calendar says it is late April and the ground is bare at your house does not mean the conditions are the same in the White Mountains. Hiking Carrigain in the winter would be easier. Conditions progressed as we ascended from bare ground and remnants of monorail to unstable monorail to more stable monorail in the last mile or so. Most of the hike was unstable monorail, the kind that is barely wide enough for snowshoes, yet if you step just an inch off, you will post hole (as evidenced by the many thigh to crotch deep holes we saw along the edge!). The snowpack in the upper elevations is still very deep - 3 to 5 feet in places, and some of the signs at the top are barely above the snow level. Will be quite a melt out this year! Weather was reasonably nice until we hiked up into the clouds, then became damp and windy, causing us to make a quick u-turn at the summit after a few photos. We thankfully did not get rained on and had mild temps all day. There was a good sense of accomplishment upon finishing and it was a good day out with Schorman and LadyDi; we certainly earned that check-mark. |
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 | Name: |
SBanks |
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 | E-Mail: |
summersetbanks@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-04-24 |
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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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