| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Major, Straightback Mountain, Mt. Anna, North Straightback, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Blue Trail, Belknap Range Trail, Quarry Trail, North Straightback Link Trail, Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 11, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No issue parking at main Major lot.
Side note: Our original plan was to spot a car at Wood Rd and traverse from Major to Round Pond and out. Got to the Wood Rd parking area, and it is NOT plowed. It has an about 18" snowbank of crusty snow blocking the entrance. Plan accordingly. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easy rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns that will need attention come Spring. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Had to call an audible on today's adventure (see parking notes above), so we settled on an out-and-back from the Major parking area.
Blue Trail: Spikes went on right at the trailhead. Trail is firm the entire way up to the summit. Off the back side of the summit to the junction of Brook trail is decent. It looks like some old snowmobile tracks helped from up the trail in this section.
BRT to Straightback: Choppier, but manageable.
BRT from Straightback to Anna (starting at junction with Quarry Trail): A firm snowshoe track had been established, and froze nicely in place. This section of trail had no issue supporting us in spikes without sinking.
BRT from Straighback to Quarry junction/Quarry Trail/North Straightback Link: Wow. I'll say it again for the people in the back...WOW. You, sir(s) or madam(s), are truly a piece of work. Maybe it's because I do most of my winter hiking on the main trails of the 48s and 52s, but I have never seen a trail (or worse, multiple trails) decimated by postholes like these. I picture you heading out on Thursday or Friday thinking to yourself "Hmmmm...maybe I'll make a nice loop of Major." You start to second-guess your decision as you sink shin-deep with every step. All while feeling the weight of your snowshoes strapped to your pack, but convincing yourself "Nah, I don't need my snowshoes, this will firm up any minute now." These trails are completely destroyed until A) we get 12-18" of new snow to fill in the postholes or 2) an army of snowshoers heads out once it's warm enough, and the snow is soft enough, to try to smooth out this mess. The snow was too firm for snowshoes today, so we did the most responsible thing we could think of, and that was to try to step in the already established postholes so as not to make the trail worse. Side note: the loop over the Quarries was not broken out (that was our original intention).
Brook Trail: A mixture of smooth(ish), choppy, and mashed potatoes. Didn't even care at this point, as we just wanted to be done. |
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 | Name: |
Chef |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-02-11 |
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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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