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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Cabot, NH
Trails
Trails: York Pond Trail, Bunnell Notch Trail, Kilkenny Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 24, 2018
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Berlin Fish Hatchery road gate is left open all the time in winter for snow plow. Trailhead parking lot is almost at the dead end of York Pond Rd. Both trailhead parking lots are a few hundred feet apart- Unknown Pond Trail parking is arrived at first on the right, then a few hundred feet further is Bunnell Notch Trail parking on the left. Both parking lots are plowed.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Dozens of water crossings- all can be easily crossed. Both snow bridged and open water. Some of the snow bridges are being damaged by bare booters/spikers postholing through the snow bridges.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Several leaners need to be removed. Tree blazes most everywhere on route are no visible. Where the yellow blazes are visible, they are very faded. A major reblazing is needed. Brushing is in terrible condition, especially at higher elevation but also at some lower elevation. Trails need yo be brushed wider and higher to allow for winter snow depth. Trail sign on tree above the Cabot summit sign has upper bolt not attached to tree and sign rotates.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw one dog. Dogs should not have difficulty with this trail. No poop on trail and almost no pee.  
Bugs
Bugs: None 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None. Trail was very clean with no litter.  
 
Comments
Comments: Solo hike to summit. Snowshoes trailhead to trailhead. Carried microspikes but no good use for them. No ice on trail, leave crampons and ice axe in the car. This is a snowshoe route, leave bareboots and microspikes in the car. They are not needed and will damage the surface of the trails.
Sunny in morning, then became progressively cloudy and light snow fell.
About 20 hikers and one dog encountered.
About half of hikers had snowshoes and half microspikes.
In the morning trails were mostly smooth and well packed from snowshoes, less well packed at higher elevation, with some limited post holes. By later afternoon, the bare booters/spikers had made a mess of the trail by digging up the surface and postholing it.
The "actual" summit location was broken out about a hundred feet beyond the Mt Cabot Summit sign.
The route from trailhead to summit has many water crossings and the route has lots of ups and downs turns left and right, right and left. I did some brushing by snapping branches off at eye level that are a hazard, but caution is still required.  
Name
Name: SOTA 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2018-03-24 
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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