| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
East Sleeper, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Downes Brook Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 14, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for 8-10 at the Downes Brook/Hedgehog/Potash trail head. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Plenty of water crossings. Most have solid snow bridges, a few require a short leap of faith. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I saw a whopping total of zero blazes on the Downes Brook trail. A couple river crossings had a directional arrow nailed to a tree. Several blowdowns and Downes Brook trail will need some maintenance in the spring. A few blue blazes on the Kate Sleeper Trail |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Downes Brook is well packed for the first 1.5 to 2 miles. I wore snowshoes start to finish and would recommend them as this section doubles as an XC ski trail. New fresh powder starting at 2000 Ft with 4-6 inches on the ridge. The fresh snow made any previous hikers tracks very difficult to follow and I lost the tracks at the 137th crossing of Downes Brook (approximately 4 miles in at the base of the slide). Spent about 30 minutes zig zagging hoping to pick up any trace of human existence. Cold, wet, tired and a bit demoralized I called it a day and descended.
After 5-10 minutes of descent I encountered A foursome headed up to attempt Whiteface. I mentioned my dilemma and they offered to let me tag along in hopes that 5 sets of eyes would result in better trail finding than one. Thank You! Thank you! Thank you! to the Fab Four for lifting my spirits and finding the lost trail. (Stay to the right and don't cross the stream at the base of the slide).. Easy navigating to the Junction, it was a little tougher trail finding through the open sections over to East Sleeper but do able. Short and easy whack in winter. East Sleeper summit sign is at knee level.
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 | Name: |
HockeyPuck |
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 | E-Mail: |
Trevorp66@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-14 |
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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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