Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Liberty, Mt. Flume, NH |
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| Trails: |
Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, herd path, bike path |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 30, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
OBP/FW lot plowed. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No issues |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Encountered 2 Aussie Shepherds and 2 Aussie Shepherd-based mixes. Copious underlying ice was an issue -- lots of lifts. |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Unexpected new powder snow (2"-4" down low, 3"-6" at elevation, now broken out, but new base not yet consolidated. Lots of tough ice flows are hiding beneath the snow everywhere, but especially on Lafayette's summit cone. My recommended traction at this point would be snowshoes below the ridge on the way up, sharp spikes (Hillsounds and up) on the upper part of Lafayette's summit cone, snowshoes along the ridge, bareboots on the way down. Though not my first choice because of wasted energy, a light traction pure play would work too, although would be dicey on the worst ice flows with just MicroSpikes. And on the final descent, traction detracts from the potential to save some steps via short standing glissades, though I know that lots of folks would opt for stability over glissade potential. |
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| Name: |
alexmtn |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-01-31 |
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| Link: |
https://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?57402-A-Surreal-Solo-Day-On-the-Franconia-Range |
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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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