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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Hight, Carter Dome, NH
Trails
Trails: Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: 19MB trailhead lot off NH 16 is plowed and large. It is icy but is rutted enough to provide traction. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The major water crossing on Carter Dome is ice bridged thanks to some freezing temps. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Trails are in good shape. A couple of step overs on Nineteen Mile Brook (19MB). One large blow down on Carter Dome but a walk through has been made so it looks like this one could stay. Blue, frequent, highly visible blazing on 19MB. No blazing on Carter Dome. Infrequent faded white blazes on Carter Moriah. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: No issues for dogs on these trails. 
Bugs
Bugs: Nope! 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None. 
 
Comments
Comments: 19MB is a firm, packed superhighway. It is highly maintained and blazed in blue. I was able to bare boot on the ascension (it was frozen firm enough to be a sidewalk). I was also able to bareboot on Carter Dome trail all the way to Zeta Pass. It was also a snow sidewalk. Then...

At the junction of Carter Dome and Carter Moriah heading to the summit of Mt Hight I met a dilemma. The trail was NOT packed out. So snowshoes then. But I remembered that I darn near chipped some teeth after falling face first on the ice near the summit last time. So spikes then. But the trail’s not packed out. Snowshoes. But there’s nearly always a sheet of ice at the top. Spikes. But... So in my state of indecision I had gotten really cold. Ok. Spikes on. Postholing be damned.

Moral: snowshoes would have been just fine and nice to have broken out this section of trail. Good news: the spikes only went 3 inches deep as there is a monorail under the powder. So I must apologize for the spike prints. I would have switched to snowshoes after the summit if it weren’t for the fact that I got way too cold with the freezing temps and winds. I literally could not stop to put on the shoes. I had to get out of that wind.

I did don the snowshoes when I got to the junction with Carter-Moriah and Carter Dome. I did not take them off until the junction with 19MB. I kept them on even on the super steep descent down Carter-Moriah towards the hut. There was a lot of accidental butt sliding on this steep part. I’d lose footing, go down, then invariably end up sliding.

Carter-Moriah is also well packed but has more powder on the monorail. If temps stay below freezing I could justify employment of either snowshoes or microspikes on this trail. Snowshoes help you stay on the monorail. Spikes keep you from sliding down cliff side into Carter Notch. Pick your poison I guess. ;)

Thanks to a new trail friend for the company! Made the last miles fly by. Also met a nice young college student doing a final photography project. Best of luck!!  
Name
Name: Remington34 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-01-29 
Link
Link: https:// 
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