| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Gunstock Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Gunstock Mountain Trail, Winter Short Cut, Ridge Trail, Brook Trail, Saddle Trail, Blue Trail, Carriage Road, White Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, December 24, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No issues with the parking area at the base of the Carriage Road. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing worth mentioning on this route - just a few small open drainages that can be walked across. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Signs were all in place. Most trails were well blazed, but the Blue Trail (in its lower section) could use more blazes, as diverging ski tracks and little winter usage made it difficult to follow at times. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any, but saw some tracks. I guess they'd probably be fine. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
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|
 | Comments: |
This was a loop intended to grab three short sections of trail that I needed for redlining. Gunstock Mountain Trail was mostly well broken out, but the warmer temperatures meant that barebooters would still sink in 3-6 inches with every step (I saw the divots to prove it). I wore snowshoes the entire way. That trail does get somewhat steep at times, but nothing was technically challenging or dangerous, and there wasn't much ice. Winter Short Cut was the same way. The summit was busy with skiers - I didn't stay long because there wasn't much of a view. Brook Trail and Saddle Trail down to the col between Gunstock and Belknap were broken out and in good condition, though be careful to follow the blazes because there are a lot of diverging ski tracks that go off the trail.
As soon as I turned onto Blue Trail to head down to the top of the Carriage Road, it was quickly clear that some idiot barebooter had postholed the living hell out of the trail. Snowshoes are absolutely mandatory on Blue Trail - postholing two feet with every step (as this person before me did) is quite unpleasant. The trail had only been used by a few skiers as well, so apart from the postholes it was virtually unpacked. I sank in about 6 inches with most steps in my snowshoes. Due to the need to avoid the postholes, this section was unnecessarily tiring and took longer than I expected. Also, be careful following the trail in this section - the postholes and ski tracks sometimes diverge a little bit from the blazes.
I walked down the Carriage Road to the junction with White Trail, in order to grab the short section between the Carriage Road and the junction with Old Piper Trail. This section was fairly well packed out, but I'd still recommend snowshoes. White Trail going up Belknap and Old Piper Trail going toward Piper were both well broken out, however Round Pond-Piper Link was completely untouched. I then returned to the Carriage Road and walked down it back to the trailhead - there didn't seem much point in going to North Piper since there wouldn't have been much of a view and I had already done those trails.
Good to get this hike in before the rain comes. |
|
 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-24 |
|
 | 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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