| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Nancy (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nancy Pond Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, March 12, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only car at 1 PM and only car after Sunset in the small, plowed lot. Everyone else was smarter to avoid this trail on a day of too soft snow. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The few minor tributary crossings up to mile 1.6 were one-hoppers. The crossing of Nancy Brook at mile 1.7 is a rock-hop, but most of the rocks are hidden under the crumbling snow bridge. Later, minor crossings were also hops since the bridges couldn't be trusted. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Wooden arrow pointing towards a zig right to avoid a relocated portion of the trail along Nancy Brook near mile 1.9 had been propped up on the snow. No longer attached to any post. Yellow tape with "Relo Exit" inscribed was detached from wherever it belonged and sitting on the trail near Norcross pond. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Snow was very soft, even for snowshoes, so it would have been wiser and more considerate to leave this hike for another day. Left at 1 PM. For the 1st 1.7 miles or so before the crossing of Nancy Brook, snowshoes were effective as long as you stayed on trail. Then, until the Cascades, you would occasionally posthole even with snowshoes. Thankfully, the steep switchbacks were packed enough to allow climbing without postholing. The fun began at Norcross pond. The previous tracks all took a shortcut over water. You could see the tracks lead up to a slushy area, then disappear in open water. Since the actual trail hadn't been broken out, it meant constant postholing with snowshoes. After wasting ten minutes getting out of a Spruce trap, I called it a day about 0.2 miles away from the unmaintained trail to the peak.
The real fun was just below the Cascades on the return when a snowshoe broke. After the first two repair attemps only lasted five minutes, I tried continuing with one snowshoe for about 1/3 mile. Sorry for the numerous postholes. After the Nancy Brook crossing a 3rd repair held for the rest of the hike (it helped that the trail is gentle there and put less stress on the equipment). There was occasional postholing on what had been a firm enough segment earlier in the day. |
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 | Name: |
Al-S |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-14 |
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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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