| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Big Ball Mountain, Black Snoot, Mt. Shaw, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mt. Shaw Trail, Tate Mountain Trail, Banana Trail, Black Snout Trail, High Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 3, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of spots. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing on the Mount Shaw trail at the 1.5 mile mark was not bad at all. My guess is that the water level dropped since yesterday’s report. But see note on trail maintenance. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One big blowdown on Black Snout just below the summit on the way to Shaw that was tricky for those of us who are on the shorter side.
The Mount Shaw trail at the 1.5 mile water crossing is rapidly eroding into the stream. I could see it washing out entirely in a big storm which would make the crossing much trickier. Personally I think it should be rerouted slightly. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw six including our own. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We’d decided on this before seeing yesterday’s report but were glad to see it. Definitely worth doing the loop counter-clockwise. We actually bare-booted the entire thing though we had micros and trail crampons with us. There is a serious ice flow coming off of Big Ball on the way to Black Snout, but if you actually stick to the AllTrails map, you avoid it (it’s a little confusing because it looks like a six foot drop off but it’s not). Heading up to Black Snout, on the last push before the top, there’s a long ice flow, but the woods are thin there, so we just “bushwhacked” (not much whacking since the woods are so thin) a parallel line about ten feet uphill. There were some other spots of ice here and there between Black Snout and Shaw, but all were easily avoidable. Above about 2800 feet or so, there’s still a covering of snow, but it’s only about a foot or less and it was mostly solid today. There is a stable monorail in places. There’s no ice or snow at all on the Mount Shaw trail. It disappeared just as we began the descent. |
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 | Name: |
Ian D |
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 | E-Mail: |
iantdurham at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-04-03 |
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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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