| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Flume, Mt. Liberty, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Bike path, herd path, Liberty Spring Trail, Flume Slide Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 8, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
There was 4 other vehicles at the Northbound I93 Basin lot @9:30 am, only car @4:45pm |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All of them are rock hops but ones where poles help substantially with maintaining balance |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are well blazed and well there are a few blowdowns in places, all of them are below shin height so are easy step overs |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
N/A |
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 | Bugs: |
N/A |
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 | Lost and Found: |
There is a black glove hanging on a branch about 1.5mi up Liberty Springs Tr |
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|
 | Comments: |
Everything besides Flume Slide Tr is fully broken out, and is a smooth well packed trail on which you can cruise. If you are doing the out and back from Liberty Springs Tr spikes are more than sufficient and crampons and snowshoes are overkill until the next snowstorm.
I carried snowshoes as deadweight for the entire day as I wasn't sure wether I would have to break out the bottom portion of Flume Slide Tr. There was enough foot traffic on Flume Slide Tr recently so its pretty well packed but still could get a bit more consolidated by more hikers. All of the many stupid little streams below the slide are rock hops.
I strongly recommend bringing an ice axe for the slide. Not necessarily for self arrest as most of the slide and the surroundings is some form of unconsolidated powder; more for the leverage on some of the low angle snowy/icy slabs. I put on crampons partially to practice some moves and also for the additional traction as there were at least a few really icy spots that are hard to avoid. Could prob make it up with spikes as the snow is still decently soft and sticky and not super hard and crusty but don't recommend this!
I wore spikes to the start of the slide and then put on crampons; I swapped back to spikes on the summit of Flume. In the same spots I swapped my poles for my ice axe and vice versa. Could swap back at or slightly below the Osseo Tr jct but I was feeling lazy and wanted to hit the summit before putting away the gear. I carried snowshoes as deadweight for the entire day as I wasn't sure wether I would have to break out the bottom portion of Flume Slide Tr. |
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 | Name: |
Heat Lightning |
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 | E-Mail: |
ecs@mountainlogworks.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-08 |
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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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