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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty, NH
Trails
Trails: Bike path, herd path, Flume Slide Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Spring Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Monday, March 13, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Easy a the Basin (east side). Regrettably, a lot of trash is scattered around in this parking area. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: On the approach section of Flume Slide tr a couple of crossings are a bit sketchy but passable with caution. The rest are either easy rock-steps or bridged. There is open water in almost all of them.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A couple of blowdowns on the ridge section between the 2 peaks. Flume Slide tr. in excellent condition. I'm not convinced the tracks followed the official trail all the way. If they did then there are long sections before getting to the steep sections where there are no blazes. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Good conditions - even on the steep section of the Slide tr. Not beginners territory but capable and experienced dogs would have had a good chance of making it on this trail today. A few icy sections are by-passable in the woods.  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Mostly packed down trails with solid footing. The ridge was more drifted than we expected and would have been better traveled in snowshoes - but we did not bring them. Instead, Helle and I brought a full suite of mountaineering equipment - in preparation for possibly icy conditions on the slide. There are couple of icy spots but much less than we expected and those can be handled by tagging into the woods and hugging trees.

We did use crampons and practiced a bit with the axes but with a bit of caution Hillsounds and poles would have been sufficient.

Congrats to John G on finishing his SSW48 - a very nice surprise encounter up on the ridge.  
Name
Name: LongMark 
E-Mail
E-Mail: perfrost@yahoo.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-03-14 
Link
Link: https:// 
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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