| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Dead Water Ridge - South Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Snowmobile trail, tower access road, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 28, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Nowhere to really pull off but the road is plowed wide so I just pulled over on the side of Diamond Pond Road just beyond the snowmobile trail. No one seemed to mind. Diamond Pond Rd is well plowed but was a bit trickier today than it was last weekend due to some overnight snow showers. Also, the road felt icier. One uphill/downhill turn where I fishtailed on my way in and out. That said, if you’re careful, this road really should be accessible to any car (well, other than maybe tomorrow;). |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns on the roads. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure, just watch out for snowmobiles. And, if it’s a small dog, they might get buried in the snow ;P |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Day 89, Peak 78. 1st hike of the day. Started in the mid-high teens. The 20-25% chance of snow materialized as it seems to always do in the north country and I hiked in snow most of the day. Also, snow was much deeper in Coleman State Park around the Diamond Ponds than my other hike nearby later in the day. Not that I know much about it, but there definitely seems to be that “lake effect†thing going on where land around bodies of water get more snow. Although snow depth still isn’t deep at all for this far north for this time of year (still not getting close to 2ft here) there was often 1ft+ of powder that, while not really crusty, was often layered such that you wouldn’t immediately sink to the bottom of it but have to wait to sink all the way. Also, while occasionally a base would support you, the vast majority of the time, there was no base and you were sinking quite deep. Thank goodness this was a short hike. Really slow going in this sort of trail breaking condition.
Anyway, from my car, just beyond the snowmobile trail/access road, I walked back (south) along Diamond Pond Rd to the snowmobile trail, and walked up. The snowmobile trail was well packed. Maybe microspikes would’ve sub fixed here but why wait to change into snowshoes? The access road soon bore right off the snowmobile trail. It wasn’t well packed like the snowmobile trail but had seen some previous tracks so if you minded where you stepped, you only sank in minimal new powder. I followed the access road to the tower, then took a left (southwest) into the woods and began bushwhacking to the peak in deep powder. Slow going, walking on top of hobblebush. Short bushwhack, less than 0.1mi at what I think were easy-moderate grades to the highpoint. Not hard to find summit register. Open woods.
Much quicker return trip without the trail breaking. 1.5-2mi hike with about 400ft of gain taking me 1hr. Quick going on access road, and a very short but very slow bushwhack through deep powder. 276 more days and 287 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-01-28 |
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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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