| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, Willey Range Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 23, 2020 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked on roadside by the train depot. Just me at 7, Only a handful of vehicles when I left at noon. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
First bit crossing on Avalon was tricky, second was easy rock hop |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Few duck unders, step overs, go arounds. Nothing major |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn’t see any. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
I knocked out Tom and Field yesterday morning. Avalon to A-Z, out and back on Tom Spur, Willey Range trail to Field and then down Avalon. The wind gusts were brutal up high but the blue skies and visibility were unreal.
Hard packed monorail with maybe an inch of fresh powder down low. The first crossing on Avalon trail was a bit tricky but doable. Second one was an easier rock hop.
Snowshoes were an absolute must today: the fresh powder started getting deeper right before the junction of Avalon and A-Z trail. After that, the existing trail was all but invisible from the fresh snow & drifts. A misstep off the invisible mono without shoes and one could posthole right into the leading role of a Jules Verne story.
Tom Spur wasn’t as bad, just a few inches of powder.
Willey range trail was one big drift. I chased my tail a bit at the start trying to find the actual trail, so apologies to anyone following my figure 8 tracks in that spot. I was up to my shins in fresh snow even with snowshoes most of the way to Field. Very tiring, so I made the call to save Willey for another day: My legs were reminding me that it’s been two months since my last outing.
Social distancing was a success: I only saw one hiker making her way up Avalon Trail when I was on my way down from Field. We exchanged a quick hello from 6 feet, both made a labored breathing comment about not expecting so much powder then headed our own ways. I definitely appreciated having some tracks to follow down. |
|
 | Name: |
Woodman Worldwide |
|
 | E-Mail: |
Woodmanworldwide5@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-04-24 |
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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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