Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Liberty, NH |
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| Trails: |
Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Some bridged over, some require a short hop from one bank to the other. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One or two minor blow downs across the trail lower down. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Whitehouse Trail is well-packed snow from the Liberty Springs parking lot to the junction with Liberty Springs trail. Lower down on Liberty Springs, there was a fresh inch of powder on top of a well-packed trail. This remains the case above the junction with Flume Slide Trail, for approx. another 1/2 mile. As the trail begins to steepen, more fresh unpacked powder (2-3â€) made it slightly more difficult, but the trail was still easy to follow. However, the last 3/4 mile or so before the junction with the campsite, unpacked powder became deeper and more tiring to break through. Snowshoes were an absolute must!! I considered turning back a few times due to the deepening snow, but reached the 1/4 mile FPA sign and decided to soldier on! Unpacked snow became much deeper and the trail more difficult to find above LS Campsite, thanks to some completely drifted over sections. I pushed through with my snowshoes, and made it up to the ridge! The trail sign at the ridge junction was non-existent (buried under snow), I just noticed blue blazes to my right and followed them towards the summit. The ridge was in VERY rough shape with lots of significant drifting making the trail tough and exhausting to follow up to the summit. It’s tracked out now, but what a challenge up there! Descending was MUCH easier thanks to the deep snow and the ability to follow my own tracks. All told: 2.5 hrs up, 1.5 hrs down. Tremendous views on summit of Liberty!! |
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| Name: |
MC |
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| E-Mail: |
mcarmonwx@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-03-13 |
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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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