| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Middle Carter, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 15, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ours was the only car today in the small lot at the Imp Trail (South) trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
n/a |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are two crawl-under blowdowns on the North Carter Trail, one about a quarter-mile up from the Imp Trail junction, the other maybe a half-mile above that, at approximately the 3,750-foot elevation. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
With the cold snap, there's no running water to speak of on this route right now, so be sure to carry extra. Polly had ice-balling problems down low and up high, but not in the middle section -- I have no idea why. But she had a great hike and showed off her skill at finding coyote scat six inches below the snow. This was one of Polly's toughest hikes for conditions -- the cold and wind -- but she did great. Other hikers we met today spoke enviously of her double-thick fur coat. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
It's not often that I wear my full-on, heavy duty Hot Chillys long underwear, but today was one of those days and boy, I was glad I did. The temperature at the Middle Carter summit was six below, with a stiff wind blowing in the exposed spots along the Carter-Moriah Trail.
With the wind forecast to be out of the northwest today, I had guessed that the Presidential Range would nicely block the wind for the Carters, and that proved to be true except on the ridge, where the cold temperatures and windy conditions made for challenging walking in the exposed areas.
Even though snow cover was thin down low and the trail was nicely packed out, the call today was for snowshoes end to end. Up high, in deeper, softer snow, they were a necessity in my estimation, but we met one hiker up there who was barebooting. I suspect some kittens died as a result.
We saw no one going up to the ridge and coming down, but met seven hikers on the short section of the Carter-Moriah Trail from the junction with the North Carter Trail to the Middle Carter summit, including a group of three guys who said they had spent the night near South Carter and who were planning to spend tonight at Imp Campsite. I hope they packed enough brandy.
We opted for the South Imp Trail both going up and down even though that choice didn't allow for any Deep Thoughts on Imp Face, because Polly doesn't get as much ice-balling in her paws on a well-packed trail, and the south route was better packed today than the north side.
A fine if cold day with Polly, who bagged her 36th NH4K. Photos at link below. |
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 | Name: |
The Feathered Hat |
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 | E-Mail: |
stevebjerklie at yahoo dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-01-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/99682097@N00/sets/72157628893339223/ |
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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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