Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek, NH |
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| Trails: |
Starr King Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 21, 2019 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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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: |
It ended up being a perfect day to be out on the trail for an Easter Sunday adventure! The first mile-ish was very wet and muddy! It was fun trying to hop rocks to stay on top of it all - and when I trusted a piece of land that duped me, I was so happy to have my Lowa's on! I upgraded to the Lowa boot last season and am SO impressed with them - they are the perfect boot! If you're hunting for a new boot, I highly recommend them. Beyond that first mile, remnants of the monorail started to appear and for a while it was fun hopping around from side to side as I climbed. At about mile 1.8 I opted for my spikes as my preferred traction to climb and I stayed in them all the way to Starr King and was able to climb without post holing.
After stopping for a snack, I opted for my snowshoes as the last ascent to Starr King required extreme focus on the monorail and I tend to enjoy fixing my gaze wherever inspiration calls my focus. I was so glad to have had the ability to distribute myself onto the snow as the monorail was so thin in places, it just required so much focus that it would have taken the snow tromping fun out of a few miles romp between peaks.
On my way back from Waumbek I passed 3 in traction only and they were experiencing post holes, some beyond their waist. I expect that snowshoes will be preferable for at least a few more weeks up there! On my way down I kept them on up until I reached the mud as my preferred tool. My puppy Mophie was along for the day, frolicking in the snow, mud jumping, and exploring! For the most part he was well behaved and obeyed at ALL commands to WAIT ... with one exception. Training requires practice and trial and error. |
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| Name: |
Extreme Erica |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-22 |
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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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