| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Twinway, Ethan Pond Trail, Kedron Flume Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 19, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Had dropped a car at the Willey House Friday 8AM. Only 2 other cars there then. About 10 there upon return ~2:30PM Saturday. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridge over the river on Ethan Pond Trail was sketchy given that the monorail on it was about 6" below the hand rails. With the coming snow, this will most likey be over the handrails. use caution, snowshoe sideways, or clear off the 3'+ of compressed snow on the bridge deck. Log bridges was in similar shape but not as wide/high. Everything else was solidly bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A LOT of leaners on Ethan Pond due to the weight of snow on them. Made deciphering where the trail was going tough (see below). |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw none, it would've been rough going for that long given the snow depth. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A broken pair of blue framed sunglasses on Kendron Flume trail just above Willey House. Left at Highland Center. |
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 | Comments: |
This report will be inaccurate as soon as it is written! Given the heavy snow falling, these trail conditions will be certainly different. Stayed the night before at Zeland Falls Hut so we left and headed out right on Ethan Pond. Fairly decent ski tracks on the trail with about 4" of fresh powder in them from falling and blowing snow. Track was about 4" too narrow for snowshoes so it was kind of frustrating. Well consolidated beneath and stable. Skiers had turned off at Shoal Pond trail, and from there on Ethan Pond Trail/AT became basically unbroken. Well consolidated below maybe 18" of powder, with drifts deeper. With so many leaners obscuring the not clearly tracked trail due to the snow weight, combined the fact that the white blazes of the AT being basically camouflage in winter/many seemingly covered with snow on trees we lost the trail soon after Shoal Pond Trail. Found it again, then promptly lost it. Cannot stress enough to take your time and great care in spotting blazes. We spent about an 1:30 and about a mile bushwhacking through waist high snow with shoulder deep spruce traps seemingly every 20 yards. Finally got back on trail just before the cammpsite spur (used the pond and base of Willey as landmarks). Easy going after the campsite. Snowshoes still required, but really well packed to the Willey Ridge junction. Could've used just spikes from then on down but decided to just leave the shoes on. Some GREAT butt sliding down Kendron Flume. No issues or icy spots going down there. Again, be careful trying to follow the AT and know that this report is now out of date! |
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 | Name: |
Captain ice Beard |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-01-20 |
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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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