| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, January 1, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked on 302 in a lot a few feet from the entrance to Zealand Road (which is closed for the winter and unplowed). Lot was fairly full at 9:30 AM; lots of snowmobilers with their trailers. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Streams are still flowing; the first crossing has a log bridge, further crossings are small and easy to hop over. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of fallen trees easy enough to hop over (though I did get tangled up in my snowshoes and topple over while trying to cross one of them). D'oh! Fortunately no one saw. ;) |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a couple of happy looking dogs on Zealand Road. They seemed delighted to be out in the fluffy white snow. |
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 | Bugs: |
-- |
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 | Lost and Found: |
-- |
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|
 | Comments: |
I walked up Zealand Road (unplowed, slight incline most of the way) seeing only a few other snowshoers. Definitely the right footgear; while the trail is broken out, the snow is quite powdery and fluffy. Microspikes would have been completely inadequate. It took me about an hour to walk to the trailhead of Hale Brook, which is obvious (big sign, picnic table).
From there, the Hale Brook trail starts ascending gradually through pretty winter woods. After about a mile, you reach a ridge that drops steeply off to the left; the trail here is unstable, even with snowshoes, and tricky to navigate without having your downhill foot slide down the mountain. After this, you reach switchbacks, which come as a relief. From there it is a steep, but straightforward, trip to the wooded summit. Much more beautiful and interesting in winter than in summer! On the way down, the switchbacks were tough to navigate in snowshoes; I tried side-stepping down and ended up doing some completely unintentional butt-sliding. At least when you're flailing around in powder it doesn't leave bruises! Great hike overall. On my way out, I saw several people cross-country skiing on Zealand Road. |
|
 | Name: |
Sarah |
|
 | E-Mail: |
skgcarmichael@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-01-02 |
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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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