Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Wonalancet, Hibbard Mountain, Mt. Nanamocomuck, Square Ledge, NH |
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| Trails: |
Wonalancet Range Trail, Walden Trail, Square Ledge Trail, Old Mast Road |
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| Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 23, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ferncroft road dry, just the usual potholes. 3 other cars at ~9:30, despite closures & sunshine. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
A few small streams on Square Ledge Trail, easy to cross even with snow melting |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail was hard to follow in a few spots with the unpacked snow (one spot on Hibbard, the col between the Wonalancet hedgehog & Nanamocomuck, much of the Square Ledge trail between Square Ledge & Paugus Pass) due to snow cover and no blazes visible; at times did see others' tracks and clearly I wasn't the only one wandering around. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Dog prints on Wonalancet range (yikes!) and Square ledge trails |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
A challenging hike this time of year...maybe now is not the time for it. Painstaking icy climbs up and down the steeps. Snow from the last few precipitation events covered the trail in lower open forest areas and led to substantial wasted time trying to refind the trail (had great assistance here from my trusty Wonalancet Outdoor Club map!). Same snow was unpacked up to 3-4" at higher elevations. There were also lots of tracks on the Square Ledge trail (above and below the ledge) that looked an awful lot like bear tracks. That being said, the route was wonderful and these are phenomenal hikes and trails in general. But to enjoy it now would take a lot of preparation and time (including snowshoes & spikes, some familiarity and experience with these trails and peaks in other seasons, lots of extra time). Trails were generally dry and in good condition where free of snow. Monorail varied considerably from minimal to softening to firm, not surprising given the variety of terrain in this route. Unconsolidated new snow above ~2700 feet, up to 3-4" on Nanamocomuck. |
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| Name: |
Nature Cats |
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| E-Mail: |
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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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