| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Brook Trail, Liberty Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 16, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Four spaces at end of Paugus Mill Rd |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Steep embankments due to high snow depth |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Brook trail not well blazed in sections |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Snow fleas by the millions |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Loop hike up Brook trail and down Liberty. Half mile hike down Paugus Mill road from parking area to trailhead. Brook trail had not seen use since at least the snow last Sunday. First 1.5 miles was stable monorail and seemed to be fairly well packed but last 1.5 miles was unstable and soft like there wasn't much pack underneath. It seemed as though a lot of people had made it 1.5 miles, but very few made it further. We were post holing with snowshoes up to our thighs too frequently. Trail was difficult to follow in spots after 1.5 miles due to sparse blazing and little use. After junction with Bee Line we pretty much had to use GPS to stay near trail. Snow is very deep and drifted. Got lucky and found Liberty (never saw a trail junction sign). Ledges have windblown hard crust over deep snow cover and are slick, and there are some very dicey sections where one slip and that's all she wrote. We elected not to summit due to the slick conditions. Once we got to the Liberty cabin conditions improved as the Liberty trail was packed down by snowmobile use which provided firm stable snow for the first mile even though it had been post holed pretty well. The last two miles were softer and the post holes really made it difficult to find stable footing and not sink into the pack. All in all a pretty tough slog all the way around, but still nice to be out in the very scenic woods. I wouldn't advise attempting this loop without a GPS. |
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 | Name: |
Notch48 |
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 | E-Mail: |
bowmore17@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-03-16 |
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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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