| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Misery, Towns Mountain, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Snowmobile trail, bushwhacks |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 13, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked maybe about a mile up Mt Misery Rd not too long after the road went from pavement to packed snow/ice in a plowed out spot on the left side of the road surrounded by no trespassing signs but with an absence of no parking signs. The snowmobile trail was roughly opposite where I parked. The road is a bit hilly after it turns to snow/ice but not too bad and my FWD car with 2 snow tires did fine. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No obstructions on the snowmobile trail |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
If you took one, I’d be very careful with them on the snowmobile trails |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Snowmobile trail (5S), bushwhacks
Day 105, Peaks 91&92. I crossed the road and followed the flat snowmobile trail, which I believe is 5S, southeast, roughly paralleling Mt Misery Rd until I reached a jct and turned right, now traveling S/SW. After about 0.1mi, I turned left and entered the woods to head up Mt Misery, heading SE in an open area. I ascended up to the peak at a moderate grade (1/4-1/3mi gaining 250ft) in open woods. The snow had an icy crust which you’d punch through, (though sometimes you had to apply quite a bit of force to push off), then, if you were lucky, onky sink an inch or two, but, the vast majority of the time, sunk much deeper into the powder. It was incredibly slow going. Not sure which was worse, breaking trail up in deep, wet snow on Little Wildcat two days earlier, or breaking trail in slightly less deep but crusty snow this day. I came to what looked like could be the peak but was just a flat area shortly before it. The jar was on a tree next to the highpoint. The way I came up I wasn’t facing it, so make sure to check the backside of the trees!
I signed in and returned in my tracks back to the snowmobile trail. I then continued following the snowmobile trail S/SW for maybe a little more than a 1/2mi to where I hopped off the snowmobile trail and began my whack toward Towns Mtn. I jumped off at a turn in the snowmobile trail and continued S/SW in the same direction that I had been traveling. This was around the area of where the snowmobile crossed the drainage. I broke trail in the same awful crusty snow at steep grades until I reached the summit ridge, and followed it due south toward the high point. I hit the northern bump that some say could be the true summit along the way. Easy enough to find the jar. I signed in and returned in my tracks to my car.
While bushwhacking, I averaged about the same painstakingly slow pace I did on Little Wildcat two days earlier. The entire hike was about 4mi with 1100-1200ft of gain, taking me a staggering 5.5hrs to complete. 260 more days and 273 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-02-15 |
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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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