| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Baldface (attempt), Spruce Knoll, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Baldface Circle Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, December 29, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No problems |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I counted 7 blowdowns, but all are minor obstacles. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
My pup had a great time hanging out with strangers and ignoring me... Anyways, plenty of water. The ledges will be super tough for dogs until there is actual snowpack for their claws to grip. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The plan was to attempt South Baldface and see how far I got, hopefully see some views from the bottom of the ledges. Between the cold, wind, tricky ice/snow conditions, and a lingering hip injury I had no expectation of summitting. Trail conditions were not bad at all below the ledges, a dusting of fresh powder over top of leaves, dirt, rocks, and some mud spots. Don't even think about bringing snowshoes, they are dead weight right now. Barebooted for a while, then finally put on spikes just below the shelter. This was they point were there was a bit more snow and some drifts. I passed several groups who turned around at the ledges, and for good reason. There are thin, powder-covered ice flows on the ledges. It was hard to know if your spikes were barely penetrating the thin ice, or just sitting on smooth rock waiting to betray you. Every step was an act of faith, although some hikers did report managing the ledges in just spikes. Full crampons and an ice axe would not be overkill. Unfortunately there was a snow flurry when I made it to the ledges, but I did notice an open ledge near the summit of Spruce Knoll. I decided that it was a bad idea to climb higher, and instead I'd do the short bushwhack to the ledge on Spruce Knoll to try and get some sort of view. I carefully climbed down to the shelter, then followed a short trail to a tent site and whacked a bit further towards the saddle. Made a right turn and very quickly came to the bottom of a steep ledgy/cliffy section running N/S. I picked a line up the middle of this and ended up at a small cairn at the summit of Spruce knoll. There are some nice, if limited, views from the summit. I made my way South for a short ways and found the open ledge. The views were more open than at the summit, and it was a nice consolation prize. On hind sight, to get to the viewpoint, climb the right/south end of the cliff band. The will save you some semi-tough whacking around the summit and lead you straight to the ledge. Wore spikes down until about Chandler gorge, then barebooted to the car. |
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 | Name: |
The Grim Creeper |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-29 |
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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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