| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Carrigain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sawyer River Road, Signal Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 17, 2011 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
4 cars in the winter lot including mine. Just a dusting of snow on the lot surface. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
We wacked around the first, but the other two groups on the trails did it. The main crossing was a wet boots & paws affair, so on the hike in we went upstream maybe a 100' or so and used a drier crossing. On the hike out we used the main. The crossing just beyond it was also a bit tricky since the beaver dam is gone but again I could find rocks/logs without ice above or below water. Poles helpful. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The gaping washouts in Sawyer River Road have been filled in, although there is a dip in the road. With a little snow it will seem invisible. The washout on the trail is there but Eric's short cut path above it is being used. There are some broken birch logs in the trail in places, and some small branches too. I took out the only significant blowdown across the trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pretty easy day for the mighty tough little dog. There's so little snow it's easy going all the way. There are running drainages on the trail down low which I kept him out of but then he mostly waded the stream crossings anyway. His paws didn't ice up due to the minimal snow and perhaps liberal application of Vaseline at the trailhead. There was a nice golden on the trails and two more on the road at the end. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A couple that were walking their goldens on the road at the summer TH found a car key. It looked like it had been busted up but they were going to bring it down to the winter TH. |
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 | Comments: |
We drove up in flurries, even a squall, with low clouds. Given that and some trail reports of lots of ice high, we skipped going Carrigain Notch and Desolation. Now I wished we had done it.
The trails are fast and easy, maybe easier than in summer. There's just a dusting of snow down low, which slowly increases to maybe a couple of inches up high. Microspikes were helpful at around 3000' in terms of improved pushoff but ice patches were few and could be avoided.
The strongest winds were on the ridge on the way up. The tower was gusty but the little open spot just off from the ridge was sheltered. I got a 25 mph gust on the hike back on the ridge. We had no views from the ridge or peak on the hike up; on the hike back some partial clearing as we were leaving the ridge allowed some views. Flurries and sun continued for quiet awhile on the hike down. We passed two other groups of hikers who may have been able to enjoy some views, most were in microspikes. A fast and fun hike with a great little buddy. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2011-12-17 |
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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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