| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hight, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 15, 2024 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking was just about full at 9am. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, 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, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There was one substantial water crossing on Carter Dome trail after the juncture with 19 Mile brook. We found two ways across, one to go uphill/upstream 40 feet to some ice that supported all the members of our group in turn. On the way back, the ice on top of the partially submerged tree worked well. If you're not a fan of water crossings, this one will probably make you unhappy. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trees! They're everywhere on both trail segments stemming from the summit of Mt Hight. They made the steeps of the Carter Moriah Trail to the summit of Mt Hight very slow going. They also made the flats of Carter Moriah Trail heading away from Hight to Carter Dome very slow going. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
None! |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Coming up the trail wasn't too bad at first. All the snow pack from the last month was gone. There was lots of bare ground with some thin snow mixed in. Also a fair amount of ice on the trail as well as wet trail or trail with running water. Microspikes were the preferred traction. One sketchy water crossing. Was glad I had poles to keep balance and maneuver.
Further up toward Hight, there were trees everywhere on both trails stemming from the summit of Mt Hight. They made the steeps of the Carter Moriah Trail to the summit of Mt Hight very slow going because you were post-holing as you were navigating around downed trees (couldn't wear snowshoes and get around the trees). They also made the flats of Carter Moriah Trail heading away from Hight to Carter Dome very slow going (you needed to wear snowshoes to not punch through, but it did make the downed trees hard to manage). By themselves they might not be so bad, but there was deep powdery snow going up the steeps, with lots of post holing. Heading toward Carter Dome, the snow was icier, but you'd still punch through if you weren't wearing snow shoes, which in turn made navigating the constant blowdowns hard.
There was no winning today ... except that the views from Hight were great. The path toward Carter Dome looked a little bit more broken in, but don't bother with Hight until trail maintenance crews have a chance to clean it up from at least one direction. |
|
 | Name: |
Human Biped |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-15 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
