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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Lethe, Middle Carter, South Carter, Carter Dome, NH
Trails
Trails: NH 16, Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, April 15, 2022
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at 19 Mile Brook trailhead lot off NH 16. Large dirt lot that had no snow or ice. No privies. Kiosk at end of lot. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All water crossings were manageable with exposed rocks. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Dog did fine with all the ice. The water points on the ridge and Zeta Pass were still under snow. All other water points open and flowing freely. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Route:
Road walk on NH 16 > Camp Dodge Rd > logging road > Imp Trail (South) > North Carter Trail > Carter-Moriah > Carter Dome out to Carter Dome summit then > Carter Dome Trail > 19 Mile Brook Trail > end.

One nice fella met in the parking lot doing a loop opposite of me. I met up with him again just before Zeta Pass and he said the 0.8 mile climb out of Carter Notch “took a lot out of me.” So I interpreted his body language and decided to NOT descend that ludicrously steep and icy section.

Camp Dodge rd: gated, dry. White truck present doing some prep work. Used this to access the old logging road that junctions with the Imp trail. Logging road is also snow free, but wet. Herd Path discernible.

Imp Trail: there is a small wooden arrow affixed to a tree at the junction. Not blazed. No snow until about 2500 feet. Slivers of monorail and ice begin here. I put on spikes at 2800 feet as ice flows were become too thick and consistent. At 3000 feet there was firm snowpack present. But, even with the firm pack, there were all spring conditions on trail: monorail, open trail, running water on trail, ice, lots of ice. Did I mention ice?

North Carter Trail: not blazed. All spring conditions on trail. Though mostly packed trench, there were large open sections of trail and running water on trail. There were significant ice flows along the upper portions in the colder morning temps. Spikes held fine but these are not super steep slopes. The dog figured out a way or around the slick surfaces. Not much snow in the woods until 3500 feet. But even then the snow alternates between deep pockets and bare ground.

Carter-Moriah Trail: this is the AT and is blazed in standard white blazes. Firm, packed trench in the morning. Mashed potatoes, but still firm in the afternoon. The ledges ascending Mt Lethe were largely snow and ice free. Many ledges and bog bridges on the way to Middle Carter were also exposed. Snow began softening around 10 am but did not ball up on my spikes. After South Carter the ice resumes with a vengeance. The steep ledge just after the summit was snow and ice free. Spikes worked best as I was negotiating the ice and walking along the spine of the monorail in many segments.

Carter Dome Trail:
- From junction with Carter-Moriah to summit of Carter Dome: prepare. I stayed in spikes as there was no way for snowshoes to handle the VERY narrow monorail spine along with the plethora of ice. The surface was super slick from the rain on top of the snow. There was a lot of sidehilling that was a bit frustrating at times. There were also two, yes two, deposits of human excrement directly next to the trail in two separate locations. These were replete with a neatly folded baby wipe at each site. Lying on top of the snow. Yes. It is true. Idiots are everywhere. This act opens a truckload of questions, but it is a waste of time (ha! Waste! That’s “punny!”) The next time my dog eats your eh, crap, I will have him come vomit on YOUR floor. I ain’t even going into all the environmental impact factors…

- From junction with Carter-Moriah to 19 Mile Brook: nicely blazed in blue. I had to keep my spikes on for the duration. In the upper elevations there is a substantial amount of ice that requires traction. There are also all spring conditions. Ice, monorail, open trail, running water on trail, you name it. Spikes stayed on as ice was ever present.

19 Mile Brook Trail: popular, well maintained route that is nicely blazed in blue. Bare boots worked best as much open trail was present. There are still bits of icy monorail here and there, but they were negotiable with exposed rocks. Several muddy areas where they always are. All bridges exposed, dry.

Several people out enjoying the nice, mid-spring day.  
Name
Name: Remington34 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2022-04-15 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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