| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Mountain (Tamworth), Mt. Whittier, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Gilman Valley Road, snowmobile trails, bushwhack |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 30, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked not far from the gate just before a small pullout with, unfortunately, no parking signs. We parked roadside and shoveled the snow back a bit to make a bit more room. Not a wide road but there was enough room for cars to get by and there were no angry notes on our cars when we got back. The road to this point was suitable for any car. Just beyond the no parking signs and pullout the road wasn’t plowed as well but had seen some traffic. If you’ve got AWD you could have parked just beyond at the jct of the roads and snowmobile trails perhaps. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns on the snowmobile trails |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sure but I’d be very careful with all the snowmobile trails… and don’t lose them in the deep snow ;) |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Day 91, Peaks 83&84. A cold and sunny day. Temps were still in the single digits when we started but it was sunny and the wind was calm where we were (other than in the col and between the peaks where we could feel the wind) which actually made most of the hike fairly pleasant.
We walked south on Gilman Valley Road from our car very briefly to the jct with another road and where a snowmobile trail diverged right uphill. It probably would’ve made more sense to stay on Gilman Valley Road but the snowmobile trail was groomed unlike Gilman Valley Rd so we took the snowmobile trail. Some minor ups and downs but seemed roughly the same distance. We followed the snowmobile trail south, then west, as the trail that’s shown on Gaia to get you closest to the col. At 1050ft, the snowmobile trail turns left and, on Gaia, changes from a trail to a road. Here, we continued straight on what Gaia showed as a road but was overgrown and certainly hadn’t seen any traffic; it was like an old skidder road. At about 1450-1500ft, the road stops on Gaia. Here, we saw three rough roads/paths to take. We considered heading left (S/SE) toward Bald Mtn rather than hitting it from the col due to some concerningly close contours (that no one else seems to mention). Instead, we bore right (NE) following the ridge up to the col. Grades were generally more moderate and less steep than I would’ve thought. Trail breaking was arduous though with lots of powder from the second we hopped off the snowmobile trails. Something of a base underneath though. Woods were open the entire time and usually hardwoods although we hit some open softwoods on the way up the ridge as well.
After 1/3mi or so we hit a flat area and picked up a minor ridge further to our right (north) which had us following more closely to the drainage. We took this up to the col where the woods become more sprucey and tighter though not yet thick. We decided to hit Bald Mtn first, tackling the steep contours right around the summit head on. If no one else had else had mentioned them in trail reports, it must be doable. We made our way up slowly, having to weave our way through the spruce, and getting a decent amount of snow on ourselves in the process. A flat area just before the steep pitch up to the summit which is the left (south) bump; not the right one. We enjoyed the cairn/char around the summit area :) We signed in and headed over to try and snag some views from nearby cliffs or talus fields but got turned around due to a cliff band (without much of a view) less than 0.1mi from the summit. We followed our tracks to this very minor view back a short ways, then cut the corner and headed east to connect back with our track in the flattish area.
We followed our tracks back to the col, then headed briefly left (NW) to pick up the SW ridge of Whittier. Steep at first to hop up on the ridge, then more moderate to the summit with the T grade transitioning roughly the same time you transition from hardwoods to softwoods. Whittier was more open and less sprucey than Bald Mtn. The summit area has a few bumps and when it wasn’t on the one that we thought was the obvious highpoint we spent some time in confusion wondering around until retracing our steps and finding a not particularly hidden jar right where we thought it should have been earlier 😜 Can’t believe we missed that! We made our way back down to the col, cutting the corner just bit and crossing the drainage, then briefly ascending back up to the minor ridge which we’d ascended to the col on. I enjoyed a fast trip back to the snowmobile and car on our track while my friend enjoyed watching me fall several times on the way down ;)
7.5-8mi trip with somewhere in the vicinity of 2100ft of gain. The hike took us 5hr45min. Longest I’ve been out in the woods in awhile and a good workout with the deep powder! We may finally be getting what one calls a “snowpack†now ;P 274 more peaks and 281 more days to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-02-03 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
