Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Bald Peak, North Kinsman, South Kinsman, NH |
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| Trails: |
Mt. Kinsman Trail, Bald Peak Spur, Kinsman Ridge Trail, Kinsman Pond Trail, Cascade Brook Trail, Basin-Cascade Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 8, 2015 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Mt. Kinsman Trail not plowed out with about 1 foot of snow as of 2/8 evening. Possible to get a few cars with good clearance in on the side of the parking lot driveway. Basin lots plowed out on both side of highway. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
All frozen |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Up the Kinsmans from the west and down the east with party of 6 RGoH in snowstorm. Snow depth on west side of ridge was about a foot at lower elevations to 1.5 feet or more up high; east side of ridge up to 3 feet or more. Mt. Kinsman Trail up had been packed out before Sunday's snow by an AMC group (thanks!) with a few inches of fresh snow but surface was soft and snowshoes made more sense. Some soft drifts on ridge. We noticed that some people seem to be stopping on the false summit of S. Kinsman and not going further--perhaps thinking that is the summit. We opted to do our civic duty by breaking out the Kinsman Pond Trail on the descent (which showed fading signs of a single very large pair of snowshoes many days prior)--now it's stomped out good minus whatever snow falls during the current storm. Better to walk across the ice of Kinsman Pond to the far south end of the pond then cut back east to the trail than brave the waist- deep drifts on the trail near the pond. Cascade Brook and Basin Cascade were already well broken out. Snow was still falling when we exited, with about 4" total new powder thus far. We did not see sign of any other hikers on the trail, but we did not visit the hut. |
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| Name: |
pgagnon999 |
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| E-Mail: |
pgagnon999@outlook.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-02-09 |
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| Link: |
https://www.meetup.com/random-hikers/events/220219305 |
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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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