Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Old Blue Mountain (attempt), ME |
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| Trails: |
Appalachian Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 27, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
South Arm Road is plowed |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
No significant water crossings, but lots of water in the upper sections of trail |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few medium sized blowdowns, nothing crazy |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
The ice flows got the better of us today on Old Blue Mountain. The first few sections of the trail weren't much of an issue, just about an inch of snow on mostly bare ground with a few slippery sections, but in the last mile things got tough. The combination of large ice flows, running water, areas of deep snow, and expanded rocks made going extremely slow. A few very large sections of ice on steep sections of trail finally turned us back about a quarter mile from the summit. Spikes weren't going to cut it on these flows, only true crampons would have made me feel comfortable ascending the last section of trail in these conditions. However, we at least got good views from the viewpoint over Black Brook Notch. |
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| Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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| E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-27 |
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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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