| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Hale, Zeale (South Hale), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail, Lend-A-Hand, bushwhack Twinway, Zealand Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 1, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at Zealand Winter |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Hale Brook solidly bridged. Where there typically are actual bridges on Zealand Trail are completely snow covered |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Nothing of note |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
A FINE day in the forest was had. We set out to grab Zeale, which we knew that Home Depot Carl had gone to a few days before. Hale being in the way, we did that too. Zealand Road was spikes, Hale Brook snowshoes... which we took off back at Zealand Road. We could have switched to spikes at the hut. Fresh tracks on Hale Brook from the morning snow. Summit cairn almost entirely covered. Fresh tracks, again, on Lend-A-Hand, however this has seen significantly less traffic, but still very obvious. Large sections of wind drifted snow has filled in the trail. We launched as one typically does, at the large boulder in the meadow at ~3400 due west to the base of the ridge to the NE of the summit plateau. Roulette of supportive snow through meadow, and then the fun began. It took the pair of us about an hour to go the half mile breaking through at time waist deep snow and then taller spruce traps until we got high enough large conifers greeted us. We found no trace of Carl being there until the last fifty yards, which is arguably the most important as he found all the spruce traps through the last confiner band before the summit. The comic still lives and the register dates back to 1991. We then opted for miles instead of reclimbing Hale, and frankly I was hoping to score a free brownie. I was distraught there was none left. We took turns screaming at each other over our tubbs which are the most quiet and cat burglar type footwear one can wear in winter. With the exception of a pair on their way out that we caught at Sugarloaf CG, we saw no other hikers all day. We both thought we had died and where in some type of hiker purgatory along with all the people who don't wear snowshoes. Yaya's made up for it with a crab rangoon pizza though. Also there is a resident pine marten at zealand hut - which does not have its distinct aroma of sewage that it does all summer! |
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 | Name: |
RalphWiggum & CookiesOnTop |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-03-02 |
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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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