| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Kearsarge, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Access road, Winslow Trail, Barlow Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 14, 2019 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
room for a few cars outside of gate (Winslow State Park side) |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
all water rushing down trails - several hop-overs also; several extremely deep puddles near summit |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
no major issues though possibly drainage issues |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
none |
|
 | Bugs: |
none |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was a very challenging hike given the conditions. I brought traction but didn't use it for a variety of reasons.... to be explained. Road has icy footprints and large sheets of ice alternating with bare patches. Once I got to the trail junction (picnic area), I took the Winslow Trail up. I had to pick my steps carefully as there were large ice patches and ice floes alternating with bare rock. Micros were just too much given the bare conditions but not enough for the ice. It was just very slow. Then, once I got to within about a half mile or quarter mile of the summit tower area, I realized the water on the rocks had frozen into a very thin film of ice on ALL surfaces. It was treacherous and there was very little snow in convenient places for traction. Again, micros just weren't the right thing. It took a very long time to pick my way back down the Barlow Trail. At one point I was like, there is no way out of here....the safest foot placement kept leading to dead ends where there was no safe way off the icy rocks. I could have put on my spikes but they aren't great on a film of ice either. It was just very unpleasant. In the end, this hike took me around 3 hours and was just under 5 miles...... but I never really hit a downpour, so, that was a plus. |
|
 | Name: |
Becca Munroe |
|
 | E-Mail: |
beccahiker@yahoo.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2019-12-14 |
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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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