| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Moosilauke Carriage Road, Hurricane Trail, Gorge Brook Trail, Snapper Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 20, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Breezy Point Road was in good condition - a couple of minor ruts but nothing bad, and it didn't seem very muddy (there was never any water flowing across or down it). Room for at least a half-dozen cars at the parking area. I was the only car in the morning, and there was one other vehicle there when I got back in the afternoon. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All major crossings were bridged. However, there were a LOT of smaller streams and open drainages - some of them had snow/ice bridges of questionable stability, while others had nothing. Caution is needed since some of the drainages are only open in the center, but if you step on the snowbridge on the sides it will collapse and you could slip into the stream. In addition, there were a lot of areas with water running down the trail, or ice sheets that were clearly undermined and had water flowing underneath, and could collapse from under you at any time. If you are adamant that your feet stay dry, this is not the time of year to hike in the Whites. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No major blowdowns - a few minor stepovers that were not a big deal. As the WMG mentioned, the lower part of Moosilauke Carriage Road, as well as parts of Hurricane Trail, were very wet, and at times there was meltwater running down the carriage road. All signs on the trails were in place, however there was no sign at the new (lower) trailhead for Moosilauke Carriage Road. The location of this trailhead was obvious, though, since no one in their right mind would want to continue driving up the road past it. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few. They'd probably do better than us humans in conditions like these, since they're less likely to break through snow/ice bridges and can just run straight though wet/muddy areas. I appreciated the woman who kept her dog under close control as we passed - that was very considerate. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
An insulated black beanie was lying on the lower Snapper Trail. If you think it's yours, please e-mail me and I'll return it. |
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 | Comments: |
This hike was a test of my mantra that I'm a four-season hiker and have no off-season from hiking. I figured that the conditions would not be particularly great, but I really wanted to check them out anyway, and if I could get in a little bit of redlining too, even better.
The portion of Breezy Point Road just above the parking area was covered in soft, melting ice, so I put on spikes. However, after just one or two tenths, the road became more open as it approached the clearing of the old Moosilauke Inn, and the snow and ice disappeared. The dirt portions were very wet, and I sunk in an inch with every step. Just past the trail sign, the carriage road became snow-covered, and stayed that way except for several small wet and muddy areas. I put on snowshoes soon after that, and kept them on for the rest of the hike. The first couple miles of the Carriage Road had extensive sections of snow and ice that was clearly undermined and had water flowing beneath it. It was interesting to walk on these snow/ice sections knowing that they could collapse underneath you at any time. There were a few icier sections, but in these warmer temperatures, the ice was soft and the traction on my snowshoes was able to grip it well. If the trail gets a hard freeze, spikes might be better in those sections. The numerous open drainages sometimes took a little thought to get past, but nothing was too difficult.
At the upper junction with Hurricane Trail, I followed it in the direction of the Ravine Lodge. The trail had seen some use - not recently, but enough to follow it without difficulty. Snowshoes are definitely needed - the monorail (which was in the early stages of formation) was unstable in many places, and anyone without snowshoes would've postholed with every step (and don't forget that many of those postholes would've been into running water). Off the monorail, the snow was so soft that you'd posthole even in snowshoes.
The half-mile of Gorge Brook Trail that I was on was icy in many places - spikes would've worked there as well. As I expected, Gorge Brook and Snapper were both much better packed out than Hurricane Trail was. Snow depths on Snapper were honestly less than I expected - less than a foot in many places - the trail being on a south-facing slope probably helped with that. The descent down the middle section of Moosilauke Carriage Road was straightforward and fast.
I briefly tried to follow Hurricane Trail west toward Glencliff. It was pretty easy to follow (and had some nice new blue blazes), however it was only slightly packed out, making it easy to posthole into the 1-2 feet deep snow. It also had running water underneath the trail in places. I only made it a couple tenths before deciding it wasn't worth it, and that I could come back and redline that section when the conditions were better.
I think the hike was about 8 miles, and it took me 5 hours. Despite the conditions, I had a lot of fun. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-20 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.meetup.com/young-redliners-hiking-group/ |
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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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