Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah, NH |
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| Trails: |
Carter-Moriah Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 20, 2022 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked in small lot by utility right of way on Bangor Street. Did not park at the end of road so as not to interfere with access to the hydrant. Signs for no parking in this area. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail has some blowdowns that will require ax or large saw. It was not difficult to get by/around these tree falls. There are also some trees across the trail at a height that are easy to walk under with no snowpack. Some erosion but the prevalence of rock surfaces limits the damage. However, there are unofficial side paths being used as bypasses to the steepest ledge areas. Wood steps in the steepest ledges (like on Wildcat) would probably encourage hikers to stay on the pathway. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Fine for dogs although there is little water during the dry season. |
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| Bugs: |
Not as bad as I had expected. Perhaps the lack of a water source combined with a breeze kept the black flies at a tolerable level (especially if you kept moving). |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
The steep ledges on the trail from Bangor Street to Mt Moriah are the greatest challenge on this trip. The surfaces can be slippery when wet or icy. No ice on the ledges today. There was some water although there were plenty of dry surfaces to gain more secure footing most of the time. There were patches of leftover ice and a short stretch of trail filled with the compressed snow/ice where light traction is helpful (on approach to the summit). I would expect this weekend's warmth would melt the remaining ice.
Painted Trillium, Red Trillium, and Hobblebush in bloom.
No views at the summit at 1:00PM due to clouds. Nice views from the open ledges with the northern peaks visible in the AM and the Presidentials visible in the PM. The harvested forest on both sides of the lower parts of the trail opened up some vistas that had not been visible in the past. No active logging at this time.
Lots of hikers out today. Had a nice chat with GingerHiker and a couple from Litchfield NH that live on the same short side street I used to live on 30+ years ago and they work at the same place I used to work. Met many other hikers enjoying the mountain. |
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| Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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| E-Mail: |
waumbek@roadrunner.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-05-20 |
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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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