| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Howe Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
FR95, Shelburne Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
room for 3-4 cars off Route 2. Was partially bare and partially ice but no issues for any type of vehicle. rapidly melting |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Skis |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
all very solidly bridged |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
a few small blowdowns in the last two miles could all be remedied with a handsaw |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Fin had a grand old time. easy dog trails. The bushwhack was no problem either except for the moose lair we encountered that was severely moose-postholed |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Spiced up a potentially boring 4-mile REDLINE of the Shelburne Trail (north section) with some skiing and bushwhacking. Started at 7:30AM at ~20 degrees. FR95 was a thin layer of ice and hard pack icy snow. Skiing up the three miles to the proper trail was a real chore (except for Dan who used skins because he is a weakling). Stashed our skis/boots in the woods and switched to boots and spikes. Snowshoes came on 20 minutes later as the snow was kind of punchy and warming rapidly. They stayed on until we got back down to this point and will be essential moving forward with warming temps. Once we hit Kenduskeag intersection we went another few hundred feet and started our whack at the wilderness sign through tight woods that got really tight for quite some time until we hit the ledge section/old trail corridor. Had we listened to an old trail report from Rocket21 and stayed on the south side of the ridge we would have suffered much less. Once we hit the ledges it was easy to follow cairns to summit canister and the views were amazing the entire way. Appeared we were the third and final group to sign in this winter. We smartened up and hugged the south end of ridge on way down and it was indeed WAY easier/open. Of note, there was a MASSIVE area of heavy moose activity halfway up the whack. I could smell the moose and Fin was going nuts. Luckily we avoided a run-in. To our delight, our gamble paid off and the snow/ice on FR95 softened considerably over the morning hours, making 80-90% of the ski down extremely enjoyable, with only a few brief sketchy spots. A fantastic REDLINING adventure. |
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 | Name: |
Spence, Dan, Fin the Dog |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-20 |
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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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