| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Mountain, Sunday River Whitecap, Old Speck Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Grafton Loop Trail, Old Speck Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, October 29, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
More than ample |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing significant |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns lower down; a bit of a hot mess within about 2 miles of Old Speck summit on Grafton Loop Trail. Same stretch, lot of undergrowth is beginning to obscure Trail when snow-covered, could use more blazes. Replaced a coupe of signs; all signs in good shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
We may have lost one nano-spike, one micro-spike, and one grey merino glove. |
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 | Comments: |
9†of recent wet snow on top of few inches earlier. I mis-read expected conditions as virtually no snow at trailhead at either end, so left the snowshoes behind. Probably a big mistake, though the unpacked nature of the snow and rough conditions underneath might have been tough on snowshoes, too. A couple miles in, about 4-6inches of wet snow start to make walking a little harder. Soon increases to 6-9 inches, a bit crusty, frequently to knee height or deeper, especially on steeper sections, around blowdowns, and around larger boulders. Often don’t know if you’ll sink in 6 inches to a stone surface, or 2 feet between boulders. 10+ miles of this was EXHAUSTING. Not sure snowshoes would have helped given the unevenness of the ground/boulders under the unconsolidated snow. Going down Old Speck Trail was a bit easier—less snow, one set of footprints, but still a lot of hidden low spots under snow and slippery conditions even with micro-spikes. Some rock slabs still exposed are covered with leaves and very wet from snow melt run-off. |
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 | Name: |
Roger Turgeon |
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 | E-Mail: |
Rturgeon54@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-10-30 |
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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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