Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, NH |
|
| Trails: |
Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail |
|
| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 22, 2018 |
|
| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No issues |
|
| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Slush |
|
| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
| Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues, all either bridged or rock hoppable with low water levels |
|
| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several leaners and a few duck unders on Old Bridal Path but nothing crazy for this time of year, otherwise trails in decent shape |
|
| Dog-Related Notes: |
Hannah had a great day - it's still winter up high but she handled the snow, ice and wind like a pro. Saw three other dogs, all had courteous owners keeping them under control and all seemed to be having a good time |
|
| Bugs: |
|
|
| Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Comments: |
Did the loop clockwise today because of the winds - trail was hard packed in the morning, we used snowshoes up to the hut for televators and so we didn't have to carry them but spikes would have been fine. We switched to spikes at the hut expecting less snow than we encountered, but they still got the job done - some small drifts of powder, some hard packed styrofoam snow and some soft ice up to the summit. The track deviates from the actual trail in a few places once above treeline and heads straight to the summit bypassing the spring. More snow than we expected on the ridge as well, snowshoes would have been useful in a few places but with the windy conditions we didn't bother switching out, spikes were fine for the ridge walk. The most ice was between Lincoln and Little Haystack but with sharp spikes we were fine. We were hoping to use snowshoes coming down Falling Waters but the trail had softened significantly and got very chewed up from everyone coming up, pretty sure no one had snowshoes with them and it was super choppy and would have been dangerous ... plenty of people that didn't have appropriate clothing or gear today, even in these conditions there were people in jeans, shorts, sneakers and/or no traction - it's still winter up high and there's easily 5-6' of snow in places, not smart! Lots of soft snow turning to slush on the decent, a few sketchy areas on the steeps just below the falls but manageable with traction. It might be spring but snowshoes would keep the trail in better shape and make it less dangerous with the warmer temps, please wear them! Hard to beat the blue skies with endless views though - thanks Ali and Hannah for a fantastic day. |
|
| Name: |
Hikes with Hannah |
|
| E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2018-04-22 |
|
| Link: |
https:// |
|
|
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. |
|