| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Orange Mountain, Rimrock, Mt. Cardigan – South Peak, Mt. Cardigan, Firescrew, Welton Falls (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Woodland Trail, Clark Trail, Vistamont Trail, Skyland Trail, South Ridge Trail, Mowglis Trail, Manning Trail, Holt Trail, Nature Trail, Lower Manning Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 10, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The first 50 yards or so of Shem Valley Road was muddy and a bit rutted but my Hyundai Elantra made it through on both passes - with a little "encouragement." No problems on other roads leading to Cardigan Lodge. Parking spots available at 7:30 and mid-afternoon. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
After I completed my loop I wanted to visit Welton Falls but the Fowler River was running high enough and hard enough such that I could not find a safe spot to cross. Even after I had turned back I kept looking over my shoulder thinking if I found a good spot I could whack along the south bank to the trail but no dice. Other crossings along the way were bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One large fallen tree on the Clark Book Campsite spur and another (relying on my bad memory) on Vistamont Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Didn't see any. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing - except a bottle of blue Power Ade on Manning Trail. I ditched the contents and packed out the bottle. |
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 | Comments: |
A complete mixed bag of spring shoulder season conditions here. Dry/wet/muddy trail until I got to the col on Vistamont Trail where the frustration began. Seeing what was waiting for me on the slope I put on a set of rock spikes and pretty much kept them on until I was half-way down Manning Trail. In the trees between these points you will find stretches of dry or wet or muddy trail, black ice, blue ice, minimal snow/ice/slush, or more significant snow pack that may or may not be supportive - and if it's not you may sink to your ankle, your calf or your knee. At times I had wished I had more aggressive traction - but on the other hand the on/off routine would be endless since the more exposed upper sections were more or less bare rock. A couple of descents were pretty dicey so I actually did controlled butt-slides, figuring it was the safest alternative. The slopes of Orange Mountain had the worst conditions of the loop but plenty of other "challenging" areas throughout.
A cairn would help going N on Mowglis Trail from Cardigan's summit if one doesn't know where to go since the summit cone was covered with "rime snow" hiding the blazes. I tossed aside many limbs along the way to help with "Spring cleaning."
In terms of views there were none to be had on Orange Mountain due to clouds, however once on Rimrock and beyond the clouds lifted enough to allow viewing of distant peaks and ridges. At times in the morning there were a few flakes of snow falling - this became a very short and light freezing rain around noon and then spotty sprinkles of rain in the early afternoon. It was a bummer not being able to visit Welton Falls later on - but after the prior few hours it was a final reminder of why this is my least favorite time of year to hike. |
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 | Name: |
HMJ |
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 | E-Mail: |
trailsntrees(at)gmail(dot)com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-04-10 |
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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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