| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Straightback Mountain, Mt. Anna, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Stage Road, Blueberry Pasture Trail, Straightback Mountain Trail, Anna-Straightback Link, Anna-Goat Pasture Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 28, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the parking area at the end of Alton Mountain Road. This is a dirt road, but it's plowed, sanded, and in good condition. There were fewer cars than I expected - my vehicle was one of only three there today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of the beaver pond outlet on Old Stage Road between Anna-Goat Pasture Trail and the trailhead was open and flowing, maybe 6-8 inches deep. Having no snowbridges or other alternatives, the only option was to leap across. People with long legs would probably find it pretty easy, but people with shorter legs may want to get a running start for their leap across. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blowdowns weren't an issue, and all signs are in place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw plenty of dog tracks on the trails - they shouldn't have any major issues. I met a man right near the beginning of the hike who had a large dog. This dog was very well-behaved - as the man and I talked, the dog just sat down, didn't try to lick me, didn't bark, just sat quietly. If all dogs were this well-behaved, I'd never have any issues with them! |
|
 | Bugs: |
Snow fleas in a couple of places on and near the ridge. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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|
 | Comments: |
Set out on Old Stage Road from the trailhead. The trail had maybe 1-2 inches of snow on it, and there were other boot tracks. This section was easily barebooted. Those boot tracks continued up Blueberry Pasture Trail - there were none on Old Stage Road past that point (though snow depths were still very low). Blueberry Pasture Trail was mostly the same, except there were several sections where that thin layer of snow was atop a thick layer of ice. The snow usually provided enough traction even without spikes, but spikes would be useful there, particularly for less experienced hikers. Once on the upper Straightback Mountain Trail, snow depths increased slightly, but it still wasn't more than three inches deep. I could still bareboot without issue. At the summit of Straightback, there were plenty of bootprints going in both directions - toward Major and toward Anna.
I headed toward Anna. Just below the summit of Straightback, there's a steep pitch that is all iced over, however fortunately there's a beaten herd path that goes around this obstacle to the right and avoids the ice. Dave Roberts Quarry Trail had seen plenty of foot traffic, however Precipice Path just beyond was completely untouched. About halfway along Anna-Straightback Link, I put on spikes - this was just before a steep descending pitch, and the spikes definitely made that easier. Marsh Crossing had some bootprints in the snow. At the ledge right at the western junction with Precipice Path, everyone had gone around it to the left - those tracks are still for Anna-Straightback Link, not for Precipice Path, which again no one had used. The steep climb out of the ravine was all packed snow, and with spikes, it was pretty straightforward. At the summit of Anna, there were bootprints in the snow on every trail leading from there - both Mack-Anna Link and Anna-Old Stage Road Link had seen foot traffic.
I descended Anna-Goat Pasture Trail. The upper section of this trail had a little bit of ice, but the steep section just above the crossing of the small brook actually had a few bare patches. They weren't long enough to warrant removing spikes though. By the time I reached the place where Alltrails shows a short side path to the left, it must have been slightly warmer, since the small amount of snow on the ground (now just 1-2 inches again) started to ball up in my spikes. I dealt with this until I reached the bottom of Anna-Goat Pasture Trail, at its junction with Old Stage Road, where I took my spikes off. At that junction, I also met a group of hikers, some of whom had hiked with me in the past and recognized me! They were headed over to Goat Pasture Hill, but were glad to hear that there was only three inches of snow even on the ridge. The final section on Old Stage Road back to the trailhead, with the exception of the water crossing mentioned above, was smooth - the snow was packed and grippy with just bare boots.
This was a fun hike, and the conditions made it quick - 5.1 miles in less than three hours. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-28 |
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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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