| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Tripyramid, Middle Tripyramid, South Tripyramid, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Livermore Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 23, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room in the Livermore lot early this morning, but the lot was basically full around 1. There are signs stating there is no parking on any road in Waterville, and that if a lot is full, go elsewhere. They are ticketing. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
North crossing was doable on a submerged rock or two. Heading back to Livermore from South, the first crossing was tricky and required submerging one's foot a few inches. The crossing at the junction could be done on a tree up stream. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blowdowns on both trails beyond the nordic system. I removed a few, but various sizes remain. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Surprisingly almost zero, but did notice a cloud of them at the parking lot around 1. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Don't be fooled by the summer weather; winter gear is still needed at elevation.
Livermore Road/Trail is snow free and dry.
The lower part of the north slide was the trickiest, with some wet slabs and an area still filled in with snow (undermined). Once out in the open, the snow was virtually snow/ice free (some drifts on the side).
Things changed above the slide. The minute I stepped onto the trail, I postholed up to my knee. Snowshoes went on and were needed to get up to the Pine Bend Brook junction. I kept them on over to Middle, though the monorail was still stable this morning. Full snowpack, generally 2 to 3 feet deep. The actual summit of Middle was snow free.
Descending Middle was tricky, as the scrambles had some wet ledge and ice. Once off the ledges, the snowshoes went back on and were needed, as there was little sign of the trail and plenty of deep snow. No postholing with the snowshoes, but it would have been brutal without them.
Summit of South was also bare, as was the initial descent. Some monorail briefly reappeared, but virtually all snow disappeared before reaching the entrance to the slide (the gully was snow/ice free, but greasy). South slide itself was snow/ice free and dry with just one bit of residual ice between sections (was able to bareboot the short stretch).
The traverse back was initially muddy with running water, but mainly dry thereafter back to Livermore.
All but one Tripyramid-bound hiker I encountered were woefully unprepared for the conditions, wearing shorts and sneakers with no Microspikes or snowshoes, and having no idea there was snow up high. At least one turned around.
Beautiful summer-like day with nice temperatures and sunshine. Lots of wildflowers out, including trillium, bellwort, violet, and trout lily. |
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 | Name: |
rocket21 |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-23 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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