| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Moat Mountain, Middle Moat Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Moat Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, January 2, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot off Passaconaway Road is plowed. There were lots of vehicles at this popular trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossing of Dry Brook is over a bridge. All other water crossings are insignificant. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail generally in good condition.
One 3" diameter evergreen across the trail at 5' above the surface. Easy to walk under.
A small hemlock is tipped over the edge of the trail and poses no problem now. May be a bother if there is significant snow.
Many of the trail blazes on the open ridges are painted on the rock surfaces that disappear under the cover of snow. There are some rock cairns to aid navigation but one must take some care to follow the pathway. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Many dogs on the trail. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The seasonably mild weather has melted most of the snow / frozen slush at the lower elevations although there are short stretches of compacted snow/ice down low. The ledges have soft ice with water running beneath. There was also some bare rock and some snow. At the highest elevations, the snowpack was deeper in some places with some postholes although there was a hardened snow surface that supported foot traffic without flotation. The trail between South Moat and Middle Moat was a bit less consolidated, yet is was still mostly supportive. I carried but did not use snowshoes as I did not posthole. Light traction was effective. On descent the microspikes occasionally slid through the soft mushy surfaces on the steeper slopes but it wasn't difficult to control.
The were no views of the higher peaks due to low clouds. Fortunately, there were nice views of the lower summits; Chocorua, Passaconaway, Black Cap, Kearsarge North, and Pleasant Mtn.
Lots of people out today. I think the Maine hikers constituted the majority. I did meet a 71 year old hiker from Peterborough NH and a young hiker from Quebec. Some hikers hiked all the way to North Moat. |
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 | Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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 | E-Mail: |
waumbek@roadrunner.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-01-02 |
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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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