| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Tom, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
NONE were bridged. I think one group ended up turning around at the first crossing, but several groups made it. Fortunately, none of them were icy. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns to maneuver around. The worst was on A-Z, I think which was tricky with snowshoes and a larger pack. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a couple of them and they seemed to be doing fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I lost my blue Nalgene :( There were also a few things left at the Mount Willard-Avalano Trail junction. |
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 | Comments: |
This felt like an interesting hike for December. Given the warm days and rain before, it was more like an early spring hike. There was lots of mud and running water in the lower sections of the trail. On Tom spur, close to the summit, there was a short stretch of monorail. But there is also still a decent amount of icy and tricky spots, so you will want traction. I barebooted to the second water crossing (~0.8 miles) after which I opted for snowshoes. I switched to spikes on my way down on Tom Spur. My son wore spikes almost the entire time (he took them off with around 0.7 miles left to the whole hike) and my daughter only put hers on coming down, so traction was very much what you wanted. Many hikers were in spikes, though we did see a large group of snowshoers. Perhaps we will have helped pack down the trail some, but postholing was definitely happening at times if you strayed slightly off center.
For the second water crossing, it seems several people were opting to go upstream a ways. On our way down we found the spot which felt a bit safer and a higher chance of dry feet than the standard crossing. I don't have great advice for the first crossing (where, just as we finished crossing, we saw a group of maybe 5 people looking at how to cross, but they seemed to turn around maybe? We didn't see them later that day, though we saw many others). There was a consensus between those I spoke with that the crossings were "intense" or "interesting".
Two gray jays were out and about on the summit, but I wouldn't say they were being bothersome, just entertaining. The snow pack being low meant views were hard to come by today, but we caught a few glimpses here and there. It was still a great day to be out. |
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 | Name: |
OftheWoods |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-01-01 |
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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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