| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Carter Dome (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, December 10, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
one car at 11:15. none at 3:30 |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Stepovers 5 minutes from trailhead and about 10 minutes after that. 2nd has small herd path around it. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Poor conditions for canines today but Fin enjoyed herself, nonetheless. Unbroken trail from about .5 miles beyond the Carter Dome Trail intersection with 12-24" soft powder. We encountered a 4' drift at the very beginning of the steeps on CMT, which turned us around. Water everywhere on 19-Mile. Everytime I slowed down she tried to jump ahead and break trail, so I repeatedly had to tell her to get in line for her own good. She figured it out eventually |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Real doozy of a hike today. Plan was a redlining lollipop over the Dome with option to simply out and back Carter Dome Trail if 19 Mile was unbroken past the intersection.
Followed single bare-booter to CDT intersection with ease on well-broken track with 1-2" of fresh powder. There was a decent snowshoe track headed up 19 Mile, "lucky me" I thought. Half mile later the track disappeared. I then discovered that the upper half of 19 Mile is a creek bed. The trail was essentially 80% deep unbroken powder and 20% completely bare, rocky creek. I don't know what got more mangled: my snowshoes, or my feet,ankles, and knees. Lots of character was built the last 1.5 miles to the Notch. The last few hundred feet was windblown and rocky with small icy patches. Once we neared the notch the sheltered, windless trail became a frigid, gusty, snowy endeavor. Turning around seemed very appropriate, but so did charging up Carter Moriah trail until it tried to kill us. We quickly gained about 200' with no issues, and then ran into the first steep section which was drifted ~ four feet. I tried to swim up it to no avail. As I stood there defeated, Fin looked at me and and said "watch this, weakling" and somehow pawed her way up through it. As she stood above me with a smug grin on her old bitch face I told her we were done and turned around.
Vanquished by the mountain, we tucked our tails between our legs and slogged our way back down the 19 million mile brook from hell trail. A fine day with my strongest hiking partner/most loyal friend:) |
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 | Name: |
Spence, Fin |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-10 |
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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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