Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty, NH |
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| Trails: |
Whitehouse Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, Flume Slide Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 16, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Empty lot when I arrived at Liberty Spring Trailhead at 7:30am, half a dozen cars when I left at 5pm. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
Water levels are high and fast at the moment, rock hoppable with some skill, waterproof footwear, and patience. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Flume Slide Trail could use some TLC, several large blowdowns within the first mile of the trail, all climb-overs. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Would not recommend taking a dog up Flume Slide in current conditions. |
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| Bugs: |
A few black flies here and there at lower elevation. |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Flume Slide is perilous in current conditions, do not ascend unless you are an experienced hiker. At the moment, the Slide is more of an icy, melting, waterfall than a trail, you should expect to bushwhack your way to the top in many spots if you climb it. Also, stating the obvious, but both micros and crampons are necessary, an ice axe/pick wouldn't hurt either. Liberty Spring Trail is like a highway, snowshoes are unnecessary, as the monorail is quite solid in most places. That being said, from the looks of the post-holes I saw, the snow pack seems to be 4-5ft thick near the top, so I suspect we'll be in for a long thaw in the Whites well into June. Great meeting a few other hikers ascending Flume Slide today, and banding together to tackle such an obstacle, camaraderie and good spirits carried us to the peak. |
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| Name: |
Brettski |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-16 |
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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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