| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 24, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of cars and plenty of spots in the parking lot |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All water crossings were low enough to provide many options for crossing. We did Falling Waters Trail crossings early in the morning while the temp was below freezing so there was a lot of black ice making footing uneasy. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We saw a handful of happy pups |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
My teenage son and I did the classic Franconia Ridge Loop today for his 2nd and 3rd NH48s. Temps were below freezing to start so water crossings were slick, otherwise the Falling Waters Trail was dry down low. When we got to 3400' the ice started and we put on microspikes. The ice was pretty bad from Shining Rock to treeline and it was slow-going with the light traction. Crampons would be overkill but we saw one person with Hillsounds which seemed perfect. Once above the trees the microspikes came off. Franconia Ridge trail was dry with some old snow in the few places with trees. Greenleaf Trail was fine until treeline when the ice started again and the microspikes went on again. The ice was warmed by the sun and was crusty in places so it wasn't too bad. The ice continued down Old Bridle Path until the open ridgeline where it turned to mud and we finally removed our microspikes. In areas below Greenleaf Hut the ice was still pretty bad. All in all it was a beautiful day and the best conditions I've experienced on Lincoln and Lafayette. I was surprised by the number of people without traction still making a go for the ridge.
I will have a full trail report with photos and video up on my blog eventually, I'm catching up on my backlog so it shouldn't take forever. |
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 | Name: |
maine-wanderlust.com |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-04-24 |
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 | Link: |
 https://maine-wanderlust.com |
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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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