| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Welch Mountain, Dickey Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Welch-Dickey Loop Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 22, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area was in excellent condition. Maybe a dozen vehicles when we started. We returned to a full lot and cars parked in the overflow area as well. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow - Spring Snow, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The one crossing right at the beginning wasn't too difficult. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns on the way down from Dickey. Some of the blazes on the steep section going up Welch could be made clearer. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a bunch. They all seemed to be doing fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nada. |
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 | Comments: |
What a great day to be out hiking! The first 1.3 miles, up to the first open ledge, alternated between dry and wet, and some parts had an icy monorail that could still be bare-booted on. Going up the steep section to Welch, there were some wet rock slabs (that still provided adequate traction) and a few icy spots where caution was needed. The summit of Welch still had some soft snow on top, but that probably won't last for much longer. We didn't need spikes until the descent off Welch, which was mostly covered in snow. People without spikes were slipping and sliding a lot there. We kept our spikes on for part of the approach to Dickey (which was still covered in ice and snow), and took them off at a large, exposed ledge just below the summit of Dickey. Going down from Dickey, the open ledges were mostly free of ice and snow (though some were still wet), however the sections in the trees still had slippery ice and snow. The ice and snow stopped for good just after the last major open ledge going down (which is the one that is visible from the trail going up) - at that point, the forest switched to deciduous, and the trail was pretty much dry the rest of the way down.
Conditions were perfect - blue skies, temperatures in the 50s, a nice breeze that wasn't too strong. What an amazing spring hike! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-04-22 |
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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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