| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Twin Mountain, South Twin Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Little River Road, herd path, Haystack Road, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, February 9, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I was the only one in Seven Dwarfs lot (left $10 on windshield) and the only one on the trails today. I got plowed in but managed to barely break through. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
all bridged |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The North Twin Spur is VERY hard to follow in the sag, especially from South to North. The (sparse) blue blazes are hard to see against the trees and most are covered in snow. I did my best to clear the snow from as many blazes as I could. About a dozen people did the Spur 3 days ago but their tracks were obliterated by new & windblown snow. Allow extra time for careful route finding in the sag! Blowdowns on North Twin Trail were easily managed. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Temps were in the high teens to start & I knew snow conditions would be good today even though the forecast was for 2-4" of snow during the day (at least 3" fell during my hike). The next 3 days will be much colder & windier so that's why I chose today. The road walks were quite pleasant and the trail had a well-defined snowshoe trough that lasted until about the 3-mile mark. I chose the well-trodden route that avoided the first 2 Little River crossings. It was mostly open but was a bit tight in spots with some ups & downs but very easy to follow. The small trees close to the trail had a lot of snow on them so I got covered early.
The river crossing was wide but totally solid and the grade steepened a bit after that. After another mile the track became less defined from accumulating snow and around mile 3.5 I was basically breaking trail on the steepest part but was surprised that it really wasn't all that steep. Once on the ridge, it was all soft powder as the trail wound in & out of the scrub and if you deviated just a bit off trail, you went in up to your hips (only once!). Wind was not a factor and I took the true summit path before getting on the North Twin Spur. Some short, steep pitches but mostly just breaking foot-deep snow and looking for blazes and ANY faint tracks of prior snowshoers. In the sag I was extra-careful to stay on the trail because I know I had enough time. The pitch up to South Twin was unbroken but enjoyable and the final pitch was really neat in waist-high scrub. I turned around at the Twinway junction and was surprised it took me a full 4 hours to get there with a whole hour spent laboring between the peaks. The return trip in the sag was much quicker but my tracks had already disappeared in quite a few spots. They may not even be visible tomorrow!
The trip back down was pleasant with some powdery spots that had poor traction but once below treeline, the snowshoes were gripping the snow quite well. I took a few intentional 20' butt slides because I earned them and they'll be covered again within a few hours. As I got lower it was obvious that 2-3" of new snow had covered my tracks and actually softened each step nicely. When I reached the former Fire Warden's Trail there were a lot of fresh ski tracks coming down from Mt Hale. The firm footing was enjoyable and that part of the trail was quite pleasant. Reached Haystack Road and 3-4" of new snow made the going easy. I was back to my car 6:45 after I started so it was a good all-around effort today. This gives me 4000' peaks #38 & 39 towards my goal of the single-season Winter 48. Only 9 left and it's NOT getting any easier! |
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 | Name: |
Bob H |
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 | E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-02-09 |
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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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