| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Starr King Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 14, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Saturday? Parking? Yikes!
The lot was almost 100% full. I got lucky and a hiker got back to his car when I arrived. Otherwise, on the weekend, park in the overflow lot on Route 2, near the gas station. It's an easy five minute walk, max. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail was in excellent shape, bottom to top |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Oh wow, the dogs today! So many well behaved pups, very few of whom could "hold their licker." No worries, there are far worse things in life than slobbery doggy kisses. Really, they warmed the cockles of my heart quite nicely, and I can only hope I did the same to them. Awesome. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I like being able to say "there are 4,000 footers in the White Mountains that are easier than hiking the White Dot trail on Mt Monadnock." Today's outing put paid, yet again, to that statement. This is not just one of the easier hikes in the Whites, but one of the easier in New Hampshire, and New England, for that matter. I'd venture to guess there are harder hikes in Kansas. That said, this one has all the requisites to make it a fulfilling hike. Including "I'm sooooooo not in the office right now." Priceless.
There's a substantial dusting of snow on the trail, in a real sense starting at about the halfway mark. Bring Micro Spikes if you're not sure of footing on the trail -- even if you don't use them, have them at hand. I bare-booted from bottom to top to bottom, but not everyone has that same comfort level. I saw many hikers with and without 'spikes, and neither cohort seemed any more or less correct than the other. You do you. That said, for all the ease with which I hiked, there were a few times I slipped around a fair bit, and some of the sections are almost outright icy, where the moisture froze into the footpath, leaving crummy footing. In other words, parts of the trail are a bit greasy. Beware. Any amount of warmer weather will fix this problem, but don't count on it. We're undeniably heading into winter.
So many hikers were working on their 48 list. A big shout out to the guy who said "this is my first one!" Huzzah!
Photos and a more detailed write-up are on my blog. |
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 | Name: |
Protean Wanderer |
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 | E-Mail: |
hiker@proteanwanderer.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-11-14 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.proteanwanderer.com/2020/11/15/trip-report-walking-waumbek-on-the-weekend/ |
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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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