| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Cardigan, Mt. Cardigan (South Peak), Rimrock, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Cardigan Mountain Road, West Ridge Trail, Ranger Cabin Trail, South Ridge Trail, Skyland Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, February 19, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plowed parking for a few cars near the gate on Cardigan Mountain Road in Orange. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of minor blowdowns on WRT and ST. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure. I saw a few who were very happy to be out. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Nope. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
One last hike before my knee surgery, and since Cardigan is a favorite, it's a good place to "end" for now.
The road walk and WRT were a well-packed and solid snowshoe track all the way to treeline. I wore spikes up. Above treeline was a mix of snow, ice and mostly bare ledge. From the summit, I backtracked to the junction of WRT and RCT and put snowshoes on for a loop over South Peak and Rimrock. There was evidence of past boot traffic on these trails but they were largely unbroken. The short section of Skyland I was on looked like it hadn't been touched all winter, aside from someone who started up then turned around. Back at the WRT / ST junction, I switched back to spikes for the descent. Snow was sticky by the time I reached the summer parking area, so I ditched the spikes and barebooted down the road.
Lots more snow now than when I did this hike a little over a month ago, which mostly hid the usual ice bulges. As temps warm up, that ice will reappear and snowshoes will be needed round-trip. Very windy at the fire tower today, it felt like I was going to be pushed over a couple of times. But still beautiful as always.
Bye for now Cardigan, I'll be back soon. |
|
 | Name: |
KenM |
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 | E-Mail: |
kmacgray@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-02-19 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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