| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Peak, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Mt. Kinsman Trail, Bald Peak spur trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 23, 2018 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking for 10 or so cars at the trailhead parking lot off of Route 116, in Easton. Lot was plowed at one time, but is now melted/re-frozen plate ice with some rutted styrofoam snow. No problem for small passenger car. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The three that we encountered weren't too much of an issue -- rock-hoppable with a couple of inches of water on top of some of rocks, with layers of ice forming (light traction helpful). Water levels are much lower than a few days ago, and should continue to lower a bit as the drainage freezes up a bit with the cold temperatures. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are in fine shape. Some old duck-under or small step-over blowdowns, and one new walk-around hardwood top that can be taken out with a small saw, but nothing of note. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
We had a couple of hours for a quick hike, and opted to head up to Bald Peak via the Mt. Kinsman Trail -- beautiful views from that vantage point. We decided to go a bit further up the Mt. Kinsman Trail, to check conditions, and turned around with about a quarter of a mile to go before the Kinsman Ridge Trail.
Fascinating (and a wee bit depressing) to see all of the snowpack loss from the warm temperatures and rain a few days ago: sort of like typical late fall. Down low, the trail is pretty much clear, with bits and pieces of remaining ice and styrofoam monorail until about the spur trail for Bald Peak -- just enough to be tedious, either with or without light traction.
Spur trail is more of the same.
Beyond the spur trail, the Mt. Kinsman Trail becomes much faster -- stable, spike-able, styrofoam monorail with posthole-able crunchy powder on either side. We were able to zip up this and come down pretty quickly are we reached our turnaround time. I suspect that these conditions continue to the ridge and on the ridge. (This is more like early winter conditions.)
We carried snowshoes -- they never came off the pack -- but there's certainly enough snow for them at higher elevation off the monorail.
The entire ridge at higher elevation has a nice, light, spruce-up dusting of new snow on it -- very pretty from Bald Peak, with alpenglow on it. |
|
 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2018-12-24 |
|
 | 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. |
|
