| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, Mt. Tom, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, Willey Range Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Found a space at the depot shortly after sunrise, but the notch was full later in the morning. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All currently snow bridged and fairly solid this morning, but bareboot postholes may undermine the integrity soon. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns on the Mt. Tom Spur. Brushy between Field and Willey. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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|
 | Lost and Found: |
Water bottle hanging off a tree on Mt. Tom Spur. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Snowshoes were the best choice today, particularly with the drifted portions above 3,000 feet.
Temperatures were in the single digits first thing this morning, so frozen granular surfaces very firm to start. Temperatures soared 30 degrees in the morning hours (possibly another 10 degrees to go), so things were starting to get soft.
Avalon Trail up to the A-Z junction was generally a firm frozen granular trough. No sign of elevated monorail yet.
Avalon Trail up to the Avalon-Field col was a little unpleasant in places with a concave shape from buttsliders. Arriving in the col, the drifting started, with barebooters floundering off trail to try to get around them. Generally 3-4 feet of snowpack up to Field.
Active drifting overnight between Field and Willey. The scramble off Field is mostly filled in. Some of the drifted areas were nasty from Massachusetts Microspikers trudging through this morning. The final col before Willey is vague with separate tracks; not a great place to figure out where it's packed underneath if you're not wearing snowshoes. Snowpack on the ridge is generally 4 to 5 feet (up to the sapling tree tops in the blowdown patches).
Field to A-Z Trail had a lot of drifting; 3 feet of powder in some places. Pretty nasty going this morning with Massachusetts Microspikers postholing around. Can't imagine what this will look like later today. Snowshoes allowed some bypassing of some of the postholing.
Mt. Tom Spur was generally firm frozen granular later this morning. Some nice views from the north side courtesy of drifts.
Descending A-Z was tricky in places, with drifting between crossings 2 and 3 and just above 3; narrow, churned, postholed footbed. Drifts in the sun were getting sticky, making Microspikes detrimental.
Brisk start, but not windy. Nice blue skies and warming spring temperatures. |
|
 | Name: |
rocket21 |
|
 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-20 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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