| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty, Little Haystack Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Osseo Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, December 18, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Arrived to be dropped off at Lincoln Woods at 7:30 as they were finishing plowing. In good shape. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of recent step over blow downs on the Osseo trail. Another on Franconia Ridge between Liberty and Haystack. Old Bridal could use one removed as well. But generally all trails in good shape. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would have been a tough day for dogs in the deep snow. As well the ridge was very cold. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing |
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 | Comments: |
I was hoping there was not too much snow at elevation given the MWO was reporting about two inches of snow. Reality struck when I started on the Osseo trail. There was 3-4 inches of fine light powder at the start increasing to 8-10 inches above the ladders. There was a pre-storm trench but mostly just post holes. The ladders were covered and easy to walk up with snowshoes though I would want crampons to come down. There were also drifts a few feet deep as I approached Flume.
Once on the ridge walk it was more of the same. The trail was completely unbroken and the climb up Haystack was a struggle with deep drifts. My single track will probably cover in quickly. Once up on the alpine there was no great choice of traction. There were pockets of deep snow and patches of ice that warranted something aggressive. Particularly in the strong wind. I chose trail crampons and although they weren’t perfect they were a better choice that rock spikes or snowshoes; in my opinion. Old Bridal Path is developing a nice trench though a little narrow as it appears that most people are choosing barebooting over snowshoes.
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 | Name: |
RJW |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-19 |
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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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