Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Roberts, Faraway Mountain, NH |
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| Trails: |
Mt. Roberts Trail, High Ridge Trail, Faraway Mountain Trail, Cold Spring Trail, bushwhacks |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 16, 2019 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at the gate on Ossipee Park Road |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Smooth sailing to Mt. Roberts, and then progressively worse all the way around the loop. There's a track to follow, but it is not very supportive. With the warmer temperatures and bright sun, I was frequently postholing even in snowshoes. For Faraway Mountain, ignore the snowshoe track on the western side. This will just lead down into and back up a small ravine. Instead, continue along the ridge to a more obvious carriage path with a chain (mostly buried) blocking the way. Follow this all the way to the summit.
On the way down, I am sorry to say I followed what whoever had been there before me had done and cut some switchbacks - first, the giant loop east of Faraway and second, from the western most point on the Faraway Mountain Trail straight down the ravine to the Cold Spring Trail. These routes were hardly more frustrating than the trails, even though they were not packed in the least.
Overall, going out and back to Roberts would definitely be worth it right now. However until the snow either goes away or gets significantly harder, I would probably avoid continuing around to Faraway. It's just not much fun. |
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| Name: |
Chris Lumens |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-03-17 |
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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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