| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Way |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lone hiker (again) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I've gone up Valley Way every day since the 4/9 snowstorm and each day brings totally new conditions.
Today there was a one-inch coating at the start with the 'usual' surface ice starting at the Fallsway jct (changed to microspikes) @ .5 miles. Traction was good up to just past the dual stream crossings at 1.3 where the new snow was already 3-4" deep. At the base of the first steep part (1.4) I put snowshoes on and the powder was dry & dense. Footing was good up to Lower Bruin and then got much deeper above that point with progressively less grip. The monorail was covered with deep snow on the angled slope and there was 8-10" of new snow in the last 200 yards to the tentsite. The last 40 yards were a slog as the deep snow over the ice underneath made sliding downslope a constant. Even in good snowshoes I could NOT reach the tentsite sign due to lack of traction, strong headwind and the depth of the powder.
Tomorrow I'll attempt to go past Upper Bruin and break the last pitch to treeline & then to Madison hut.
Note: there is a large blowdown less than 100 yards above Upper Bruin jct that you have to crawl under. To preserve the trail I recommend putting snowshoes on at Scar jct (1.9 miles) or lower, especially as daytime temps climb above freezing this week. With a little care I think winter conditions will last into May on the upper portions! |
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 | Name: |
Bob H |
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 | E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-04-23 |
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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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