Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
None, NH |
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| Trails: |
Pemi Trail, bike path, Whitehouse Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 26, 2020 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The southbound Basin parking area and the Flume parking area were both plowed, salted, and in very good condition. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
All were either very minor or bridged. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple blowdowns on Pemi Trail. All trails (and the bike path) were well signed. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
Nada. |
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| Lost and Found: |
None. |
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| Comments: |
My original plans fell through, so I decided to do some redlining in Franconia Notch. Pemi Trail going north from the Basin had been used by a couple of barebooters. I tried to pack it down with my snowshoes, but being only one person, there was only so much that I could do. Just under a mile from the Basin, the barebooters turned around. I continued, breaking out the trail from scratch (which wasn't too hard - there was maybe 2 feet of snowpack on the trail and I never sank more than 6 inches). About a half-mile from Lafayette Campground, the trail started to have tracks from a skier, and I followed the trail and the tracks to the campground. Walking along the river was enjoyable, but the water level was lower than I expected considering all the precipitation Saturday night. The only other hikers I met the whole time were just starting up Lonesome Lake Trail as I passed. Lonesome Lake Trail looked well packed out, and spikes would probably be sufficient for it.
I took the bike path back to the Basin. It could have been bare-booted, but I kept my snowshoes on as a courtesy to the snowmobilers (though I only saw two of them the whole day). I then continued past the Basin on the bike path to the Liberty Spring Trail junction, to redline that part.
After that was done, I drove down to the Flume parking area to redline the southernmost section of the bike path. It, like the other parts I did, was nicely packed and easy to either bareboot or snowshoe. I took Whitehouse Trail back to my car, to mix things up a bit. Whitehouse Trail is very well packed out - snowshoes are not needed, though spikes would certainly be useful in places.
Temperatures were slightly above freezing the whole time, leading to some slush buildup in places. There were a couple of minor snow and freezing rain precipitations, but they had no appreciable accumulation and had no impact on the roads. |
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| Name: |
GN |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-01-26 |
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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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