| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt .Hale, Zealand Mountain, Mt. Guyot, South Twin Mountain, North Twin Mountain, Galehead Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Twinway, North Twin Spur, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail, Gale River Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 13, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Zealand lot on 302. Both Zealand Road and Gale River Road were plowed at some point, so they are all snow and ice free--just soft dirty/mud. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow - Spring Snow, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Pre-rain storm, both crossings just past Zealand Hut on Twinway were bridged nicely. Upper crossing on Gale River was open but manageable. Lower crossing on Gale River was open with no rocks to hop on--we all just walked through. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blowdowns throughout. Didn't keep track. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We brought three with us and they enjoyed the day. With all of the rain in the forecast, the crossings might be a little dicey on Monday & Tuesday. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Zealand road was plowed and snow free all the way to Hale Brook. Carried snowshoes up to this point, but put them on once we reached the trailhead. Hale Brook was nicely packed and mostly post hole free, but the side-hill leading up to the second crossing is starting to get sketchy. The rest of Hale Brook was nice; the branches weren't too bad and the snow was still a solid monorail. Snowshoes were very nice to have. Once we put them on we never took them off again until the end.
Lend-A-Hand had not been hiked since the snow earlier in the week but was firm underfoot. No trouble following the trail, though it does meander in a few places. No water issues.
Twinway was much, much better than expected. Both crossings at the beginning were solidly bridged and the climb to Zeacliff was smooth. From there, the tracks ended but we were able to follow the trail corridor mostly without issue. I had to pull out the GPS a time or two to re-orient, but it wasn't nearly as much of a problem as we expected it to be. The snow was firm and the branches are starting to get a little higher. Zealand spur sign was buried. From Zealand to Guy got a little more difficult, but still not terrible.
Guyot was a bit slush, and there was a section of bare rock immediately after we turned right toward S. Twin. the 2.1 to S. Twin was tough--nobody has been out there recently and the trail was a little bit more difficult to follow. We wandered a bit, but made it without issue.
North Twin Spur and Twinway to the hut were both very nice. Galehead more of the same. Gale River down the road was uneventful, but the flat 2 miles at the bottom was almost snow free and very, very wet. Walked right through the last crossing.
This report will probably be completely useless in two days with an inch of rain coming, but oh well. Snowshoes will still be helpful for some time to come--lots of snow left! See Strava for photos |
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 | Name: |
Nate Weeks |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/2287871957 |
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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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