| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Truman, Mt. Lincoln, Little Haystack Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 22, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
About 8 cars upon arrival at 6:45; lot was full when we got back at 1:15. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Everything solidly bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One freshie blowdown about .6 miles in on OBP. Other evidence of recent trail work noted. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Only saw one all day, in the afternoon. I imagine most people left the pups home due to the frigid temps. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
OBP: Four us wore snowshoes up to the Hut to try and add to the track. Snow is soft and not totally consolidated. Between those conditions and being able to use televators, snowshoes are the way to go.
Greenleaf: Two of us kept snowshoes on to Lafayette summit. In the trees, the snow is still very soft. Evidence of drifting as well. Enough coverage on the summit cone to justify keeping shoes on, but most people will opt for spikes.
FRT: Kinda drifty between Lafayette and Lincoln in spots. Otherwise packed snow and ice. Trail feels too narrow and bony to justify snowshoes.
Falling Waters: Top 1.2 miles is VERY soft. Snowshoes would have been the best choice, but since they were all strapped to our bags at that point, they stayed there. You could (and should) snowshoe the entirety of FW. Soft and unconsolidated, and the track is quickly getting torn up in a hurry.
Even in the dead of winter with a -14 starting temp, it blows my mind how many people come utterly unprepared for this hike. Passed at least 6 people in jeans, sneakers, and no form of traction heading up Falling Waters. Hike your own hike, I suppose *shrug* |
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 | Name: |
Chef |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-01-23 |
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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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