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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Lethe, Middle Carter, South Carter, NH
Trails
Trails: Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, December 10, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at 19 Mile Brook trailhead lot of NH 16. This large lot is plowed after storms in winter. Normally dirt surfaced, today the lot was covered in several inches of packed snow. Any vehicle would be fine. Roadside parking still available for overflow. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Slush 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The only one of note was on the Carter Dome Trail. This crossing had elevated water levels without the benefit of an ice bridge. I was able to make a convoluted route on rocks. The water is not deep or very fast moving. Just a wide crossing of some c-c-c-cold water. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Mad Bomber brand hat found, left at trailhead kiosk. 
 
Comments
Comments: Route:
Roadwalk on NH 16 > Camp Dodge Rd > old logging road > Imp trail (south) > North Carter trail > Carter-Moriah (AT) > Carter Dome Trail > 19 Mile Brook (19MB) > end.

Camp Dodge: road is gated and locked. No signs present prohibiting walking up this road to catch the logging road. After a relatively short walk on the logging road, look for a small wooden arrow affixed to a tree. Turn right here to join the Imp trail.

Imp Trail (South): not blazed after the junction with the logging road. Trail is still simple to follow. Frozen mud and shallow snow cover in lower elevations. Ice, ice and more ice as elevation increases. Snow levels not impressive, maybe a maximum of 3 inches in the deepest parts. Microspikes were most certainly the safest footwear today, though one of mine broke on the rocks (a bit of MacGyver ingenuity got a working patch). I recommend descending this trail as my feet got soaked after falling through breakable ice in the water sections. Wet feet at the start of the hike is not something I particularly enjoy…

North Carter trail: junction signed, legible. Not blazed. Simple to follow trail. Much nicer grade and footbed than the Imp. Still much ice under the snow. Snow levels remain low and did not perceptively increase with elevation until close to the junction. Spikes remained the logical gear. Met the only person that I saw all day. Hope you got a view on Imp Face!

Carter-Moriah: this is the AT and is blazed in white. Corridor easy to see. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got to put on my snowshoes! And such a nice track I laid! Though this will likely be meaningless with warming temps expected. Warning: I advise the removal of snowshoes on the summit of South Carter. After the summit there is much, much less snow and much, much more ice. I looked like I was auditioning for the Rockettes trying to weave my snowshoes around bony sections to only find myself doing the “and knee and kick” after sliding over ice covered rocks. There were so many icy sections I threw in jazz hands for extra pizazz. I switched to spikes after one showtime worthy dozy sent me onto my butt.

Carter Dome: wait. What are THOSE !?! Blue blazes?! When did these get put up? This trail had previously been marked with a few blue blazes after the junction with the Carter-Moriah then no others. But today I found more new blazes on the trail! These are more frequent in higher elevations, very few markings in lower elevations. Most helpful new blazes over that durn water crossing. Thanks! After my dance audition antics on the Carter-Moriah, I firmly kept my spikes on. There was a significant amount of ice with little snow. Towards the junction with 19MB snow was only 0.5 inches deep. Lots of open, muddy trail near the 19MB junction. Snow kept balling up on my spikes. Felt like walking in heels… But I love the switchbacks on this trail!

19MB: popular, gently graded trail that is well blazed in blue and well maintained. Some ice, some snow. Not enough of either of these to warrant extra gear. Bare boots did just fine. The standard mud pits are still there and are not frozen.  
Name
Name: Remington34 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-12-10 
Link
Link: https:// 
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