| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Tecumseh, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Mt. Tecumseh Trail, Sosman Trail, ski trails |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 14, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at ski area. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Blue, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All three were hoppable, though the top one required stepping on a partially submerged rock. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Use lots of caution if hiking the ski trails this year (may be best to avoid them). Major chairlift construction up the middle of the mountain - lots of heavy equipment, excavation, etc. Work even taking place on a Saturday. |
|
 | Bugs: |
Black flies were out down low, but fairly minimal up high. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
If you want to hike this trail without carrying Microspikes (or similar traction), wait a few more weeks. There is still significant ice above 3,000 feet.
Full-on summer conditions starting at the trailhead, with virtually no snow or ice before the top water crossing. Trout lily and trillium in bloom. Fairly minor mud.
A few insignificant patches of ice between the top water crossing and 3,000 feet. By about 3,200 feet, the ice is fairly sustained and deep and is covering most of the footbed. There is not a safe way to descend this without traction. Even hanging off trees and walking off to the side of the trail (PLEASE DON'T DO THIS - THIS CREATES PERMANENT DAMAGE) isn't sufficient to get down these icy stretches.
Patchy ice in the woods up high. Very little in way of actual snow remaining (though I did not check out the Tecumseh summit loop, which had its usual deep drifts this winter).
Patchier ice on the ridge. Sosman Trail to the ski area still has a few tricky areas of ice that warrant a few dozen feet of Microspiking.
Ski area still has patchy snow (not really enough to warrant skiing; largest pile is on Lower Utter Abandon). Significant construction going on up right up the middle of the ski area (new chairlift), so the trails and work road may not be a good option this year.
Warm morning with temperatures climbing from the upper 60s to the low 80s by lunchtime under sunny skies. |
|
 | Name: |
rocket21 |
|
 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-14 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos/ |
|
|
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. |
|
