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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah, NH
Trails
Trails: Carter-Moriah Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Monday, March 26, 2018
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: 2 parking lots near end of Bangor Street in Gorham, a smaller one at the trailhead and a larger one a few hundred feet away on Bangor St. The trailhead sign is behind some old unused Dodge trucks at the very end of Bangor Street on the left. There is a house right next to the trailhead and it has a motion sensor which turns on a light when you pass by. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: No water crossings that could be detected. If there are any, they are completely hidden under snow. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Needs brushing, especially at higher elevations. Needs brushing that allows for winter snow depths ! Also needs some brushing for side clearance. I kept snapping off some of the branches that were at face level. Could use more blazes and fresh paint. Several large blow downs that are crawl/duck unders after removing pack. Will need a big saw. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw no dogs and saw no paw prints. Dogs should not have an problems with the trail. 
Bugs
Bugs: Huge outbreak of snow fleas 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None, and no litter on trail. No dog poop. 
 
Comments
Comments: Solo hike, late daylight and at night with headlamp.
Snowshoes with trekking poles used trailhead to trailhead. You can leave bare boots, spikes, and crampons in the car. You need trekking poles with snowshoes.
Trail was in snowshoe-packed condition with NO postholes. That's right, NO postholes. The bare boot/spike squads have not found this trail yet ! Snowshoes only please.
In sun-exposed areas trail had softened during day and refrozen at night.
There are few short steep sections, one in particular that needed on descent firm planting of snowshoes with a short stride and use of poles.
Except for these few steep sections and a few duck/crawl unders this is an easy trail to the summit.
At summit area, Carter-Moriah could be seen broken out onward toward the north, but appeared to not have seen as much traffic.

 
Name
Name: SOTA 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2018-03-27 
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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