Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Avalon, NH |
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| Trails: |
Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Kedron Flume Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, May 12, 2019 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Crawford Brook easily crossed by rock hopping. Expect lots of mud and water on the trails. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Very easy to lose the trail after the Crawford Brook crossing. I met a couple other folks who got off trail at that point like I did. A few blazes would probably solve the problem. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
Snow fleas on the ridge and a few mosquitoes on the ascent/descent in muddy areas, but didn't get bit |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
I got off trail right after the Crawford Brook crossing and spent a good hour bushwhacking, following others' lost snowshoe tracks, and postholing through 2-3' of snow until finally coming across some stable monorail again, where I put on my spikes. The Avalon monorail was pretty mushy, making for a slow ascent. Things solidified on A-Z. Monorail was intermittent but solid and/or easy to walk next to all the way up to Tom. Willey Ridge was nice and firm due to the freezing temps, but I still fell into a few waist-deep spruce traps. A couple I met with snowshoes also had a rough time with the conditions and turned back at Field. I decided to go to Willey and then descend via Ethan/Kendron. The ladders were fully melted out and easy to descend, but some steep, slushy monorail slowed me down significantly. Finally took my spikes off on Kendron and roadwalked ~3 miles back to the Avalon trailhead. Overall, a fun but tiring day! |
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| Name: |
David R |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-13 |
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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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