| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Snow's Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking in the lot at the base of the Snow's Mtn Ski Area. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None on this trail, but there were a few muddy areas that were easily negotiated. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are several fallen trees across the trail. Two trail signs, one to the lookout at the end of the loop and one on the south leg marking the turn off the logging road, are very old and faded. They do not stand out from the surrounding trees and brush, and could be easily missed. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
After descending Tecumseh (see report below) I decided to do a little Red-Lining on the other side of the valley. I hiked the Snow's Mtn Trail loop in the clockwise direction starting from the base of the ski area. The trail was mostly free of snow up to the junction with the Greeley Ledge Trail. The first real snow started just above this junction. There was a faint outline of an old packed trail, but it was hard to stay on it and I relented and donned snowshoes after 200 yards of postholing. This was only a slight improvement because the packed section was narrow and sliding off to the sides was a constant concern. Travel was slow. There were also some stretches of bare ground to contend with. There was much less snow descending on the south leg of the loop, and I bare-booted back to the road. The remains of the monorail were either soft enough to provide traction, or could be avoided altogether.
A cautionary note on route finding. The north leg comes within 10-15 yards of the ski area service road, and there is a short connector trail to the left. There is a bright yellow sign indicating that Snow's Mtn Trail proceeds straight ahead. However, there is a herd path (old logging road?) to the right, which appeared to have had more traffic than the actual trail. This herd path/logging road intersects with the south leg of the trail. If ascending the south leg there is another bright yellow trail sign at this junction. But this sign is not obvious when descending, and the sign indicating the turn off the logging road is one of those old, faded signs mentioned above. It is also oriented at an angle that makes it less visible. It would be easy to miss the turn and to follow the footprints of the herd path. |
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 | Name: |
Tom Harris |
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 | E-Mail: |
tdharris911@comcast.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-04-01 |
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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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