| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, Mt. Tom, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, Willey Range Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 14, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No snow bridges for the two wider water crossings on the lower A-Z trail. Water was high and fast and rocks all covered with ice. The second crossing required some creative upstream exploration to find safe passage. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were blowdowns everywhere! Before Avalon view point, they were mostly mild and passable. at higher elevation on the Avalon Path, the ridgeline, the Mt Tom Spur and the descending portion of the A-Z trail the number of trees and branches blocking the path were too numerous to count. We moved what we could, without a saw, including a tree snapped clean in half. At least one was multiple trees in a row that could only be crawled under and quite a few would have been impassable with snowshoes. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Trail was a real mix of conditions with bare rock and running water in some spots and packed snow and thigh high drifts at elevation [um, snowshoes?] and thick patched of ice in the middle. We were able to do the entire hike in spikes needed the agility they afforded getting around all the blowdowns. With the skies a crystal blue and the wind really not so bad, we were surprised we only saw a total of 4 other hikers. And even with temps mush colder than when I had hiked this in the winter, it was a glorious day to be out! |
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 | Name: |
Dr Gadget |
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 | E-Mail: |
klazzarini@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-15 |
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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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