| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Chocorua, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Piper Trail, Hammond Trail, Weetamoo Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 14, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot and bathrooms are open; only about 6 vehicles when I arrived at 7:30 AM, a few more than that when I returned to the car around 4:15 PM. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
It rained very hard for most of the descent, so the one water crossing from Weetamoo to the junction with Piper was deep and running fast, but passable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns, easily gone over. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
There were many happy (if hot) 4-legged friends out enjoying the day; one friendly boy named Max had to call it a day just before the false summit due to the heat. I gave his owner some water for him and offered to help bring him down if necessary. Bravo to Max's owner for making the best call for his hiking buddy and saving the summit for a cooler day. I got some kisses from a beautiful boy named Dante on the summit. |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies are out! They weren't too terrible while moving, and a nice breeze at the top before the rain started helped keep them away for the most part, but I also used bug spray and highly recommend bringing some. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I picked up a cigarette butt off the trail- quick reminder, there have been two fires in the WMNF in the past week, so littering aside, maybe reconsider before you do that. |
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 | Comments: |
A very hot hike up Piper with some surprise ice about 1/10th of a mile before the base of the false summit. The bugs weren't too terrible and the trail was in great shape. The "30% chance of thunderstorms beginning at 5:00 PM" from the morning forecast became "oh hell, I'm on the summit and it's pouring" at around 12:15. There was a trio getting ready to descent via Hammond and Weetamoo, which I've never done, but they said were easier on descent than Piper so I asked if I could link up with them as the thought of descending the slabs on Piper solo in the driving rain made me nervous, as did taking trails I hadn't seen before. They welcomed me along and I was very glad to have both their help and their company through the trickier spots and the hike back through driving rain and marble-sized hail. What could have been a dangerous and miserable descent was actually quite fun and it's always great to see members of the hiking community helping each other out. Eric, Pete, Kayla, if you read this- THANK YOU! |
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 | Name: |
Branch |
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 | E-Mail: |
koukla12905@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-15 |
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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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