| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Blue Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 11, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The roads in were a bit bumpy and rough but were in fine shape and free of snow and ice. There isn’t really a parking area...just and end of the road so there’s not a whole lot of room without blocking people. I was the only car there. You’ll know where to park as there’s a gate preventing you from going any further. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Only one at the start of the eastern part of the loop (so at the very end of my hike). It was much wider than I remember a year ago so it’s probably a bit high but the water level was low and it was a very easy rock hop. I still managed to slip, fall, and give my shin a good whacking though. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns that I recall. There seemed to be a good number of bog bridges on the trail even some that went uphill! They were covered by snow but evidently I should have still been using as them as I sunk through a few inches of mud a couple times on the trail next to them. The trail is marked with blue diamonds and arrows and is blazed quite frequently. There are many twists and turns (the trail switchbacks a lot and is never steep) so keep an eye out for those when you seem to come to an abrupt end of trail but they are well marked. Note that the turns are occasionally around old roads and that you could easily continue onto if you missed the markers. Also, the section of trail that coincides with the Yellow Trail is usually marked simultaneously with blue and yellow diamonds (one on top of the other) but sometimes just yellow ones and sometimes just blue ones which could lead one to believe that they missed the point at which the two diverge. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None seen but should be a fine trail for dogs |
|
 | Bugs: |
I saw some snowfleas on a recent hike. Can’t remember if this was the one. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Well there was some talk in the redlining community that this was indeed needed for redlining (it was later found, or rather, recalled, that this trail was intentionally left off the spreadsheet as the trail wasn’t described in the guidebook; just mentioned), and after other plans got squashed leaving me only with a small chunk of time, this seemed like a good time to get it.
I was surprised to find just how much snow the mountains had gotten this week. Not more than a few inches fell here, but driving through Franconia Notch was beautiful. Snowshoes are not needed (or really useable in my opinion) as there’s just too little snow and it’s too bony. Waterproof boots are essential though and many will probably want to use gaiters as well. The snow, at its deepest, maybe came halfway up my shin, if that. Other than at the very beginning and a few open muddy, wet spots, snow coverage was complete but not usually more than a few inches. There was almost no ice except one part where some blue ice was forming and I had to be careful of my footing without microspikes. There’s also a very thin film of ice over water in some flat parts. Of course, with yesterday’s warm temps and all of today’s rain, I imagine the snow will be gone by tomorrow leaving a wet, sloshy, muddy mess. If you don’t like that sort of thing, I’d give it at least two days to dry out. At least Tuesday and Wednesday look at least partly sunny!
No blowdowns, well marked and fairly easy to follow trails, and never steep! A pretty well defined trail for it being new too even with a bit of snow on the ground. A nice new (2016) trail system to enjoy! The yellow and red trails as I recall were similar, except Red Trail was more obscure and a bit harder to follow, likely because it’s less used and newer. Some cool “artwork†of sorts along the way and there were lots of snow hare tracks and a set of small cat (bobcat?) tracks as well. Great views at the trails beginning and some other points along the way towards Franconia Notch, Cannon, the Kinsmans, and some other nearby mountains such as Ore Hill. |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-04-13 |
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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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