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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Lafayette, North Lafayette, NH
Trails
Trails: Skookumchuck Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, May 21, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Great parking lot that you will be sharing with cyclists.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Many - in the lower elevations. Most of these are small and easy to cross. The first larger one you come to has a snowmobile bridge several yards upstream, just in case the water's running too fast for you. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Nice blue blazes. Signage is good as well, but we did have a laugh about the minor discrepancy about the distance to the Garfield Ridge Trail (4.p vs 4.8, etc). Many blowdowns, none insurmountable. There was one I could drag off the trail, so I did. Looks like work has begun on removing the others. Quite a bit of work to be done, a big thanks to whoever maintains this trail! 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Dogs would love the water. Be careful with them above treeline so they don't trample precious vegetation. Saw many dogs on Lafayette. 
Bugs
Bugs: They were making social calls, but not ready for dinner yet (thank God). 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Needed to stop in the woods before starting. On my way back, there was a small blue LL Bean (I think) Nalgene bottle in a Ziploc bag in the leaves. I left it by the kiosk. 
 
Comments
Comments: Let's take care of business first. After walking my 200 hundred feet in before starting our hike, I came out and what did I see at the kiosk? A pile! Probably canine...

Now to the good part. This was long, beautiful gorgeous hike. Something for everyone. Flowers: Red and Painted Trillium, Trout Lilies, white violets, plus all those other white
flowers you see in the mountains this time of year. Waterworks: many tiny streams, along with their tiny cascades; Skookumchuk Brook, running high enough to be interesting without
being impossible. Solitude: if you want Lafayette but don't want a lot of company, this is a good way to go. If you want a crowd, be patient, Lafayette will still have a crowd when
you get there. Views: haven't been to L since the early 2000s. It was fun to be on top and look out at the Pemi and realize how many of those peaks we have been to. Nice woods, too.
Open in spots, lovely birches.

Challenging part; Quite a bit of unstable monorail right before tree line. If you are an averege sized adult you WILL post hole (Prema only did twice). At times I was up to my waist and a few times steped into running water. Used the spikes descending. Soon this will be a thing of the past. Long day, but a good one.  
Name
Name: Beckie and Prema 
E-Mail
E-Mail: beckiejani@yahoo.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-05-23 
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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