| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Middle Sister, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Champney Falls Trail, Middle Sister Cut-Off, Middle Sister Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There was a crew cleaning out waterbars. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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|
 | Bugs: |
Ha! See wind and cold comments below. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Temperature was mid-30s at 8:00 with a stiff NW breeze already blowing. Wind increased during the morning. Bugs didn't stand a chance. Trail was dry to start, but there is a fair amount of mud in some areas. At about 2300 feet, the snowpack abruptly appears. This is roughly 1/4 mile before the first switchback. There are a couple of short patches of mud above here, but it's 99% snow, and this morning it was a good hard track (not a monorail). It was typical microspike conditions. Along the ridge the rocky areas are clear and dry, but in the wooded sections there is snow, although not enough to demand the microspikes. Going up, I took the Middle Sister Cut-Off, which has apparently seen little use this winter. There were a couple of spots where there was down-sloping ice, which made the footing a little tricky, so on my return I opted to walk the ridge over to the top of the Champney Falls Trail and descend that way. By early afternoon the sun was softening some areas of snow. I brought snowshoes, but they had a free ride all day. I wore the microspikes from the beginning of the snowpack until I hit the ridge, where I took them off for the short walk to the summit of MS. On my return, I put them back on when I arrived at the junction of the MS Trail and CF Trail on the ridge. You could get by without microspikes, but they were very helpful. It's going to be a few weeks before all that snow is gone. |
|
 | Name: |
John Parsons |
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 | E-Mail: |
jparsons62752@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-13 |
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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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