| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Eagle Crag, North Baldface, South Baldface (attempt), Eastman Mountain (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Baldface Circle Trail, Bicknell Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 17, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking was great; it's right across the street |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The water crossing before the split (around 1 mile in) was high and fast. We had to take off our shoes and socks to ford across. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lots of blowdowns, lots of mud in the first mileish |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I'm not sure that a dog would be able to cross the river |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
I am uploading this because the last trail report was on 11 March. We planned on completing all four 52WAV summits counterclockwise: Eagle Crag, N/S Balface, and Eastman. However, we only made it to North Baldface before turning around due to winter conditions and poor, unexpected weather. (The forecast said the weather would be sunny! LIES!)
The river crossing required fording, which was very cold but never too deep (it went up to the knees/slightly above for my 5'4" self). It was fine without shoes, and the rocks were very rounded at the bottom. From the trail, we went a little bit down to the right to find a calmer spot to cross. There were a few precarious places that we had to walk around due to fear of a fast current/undertow, but it was never dangerous. Any other crossings were fine-- I don't totally remember if there were many others.
The difficult scramble up to Eagle Crag was super fun and not too icy, and the rock was grippy and full of hand/foot holds. It is very steep. 10/10 would suggest. Led to INCREDIBLE views!!!
The wind became stronger, and it began to snow on our way to North Baldface. On the ridge, the trail changed from sometimes wet or icy to full-on winter conditions with ice and deep snow. It felt like night and day, to be honest. It went back and forth from exposed ridge to being back in trees.
There was one set of footprints to follow, clearly from a few days prior, with occasional blazes. There was some post holing with the assumption that "This is just one small section; I'm sure it'll clear up soon." We were SUPER careful, especially since we didn't want to contribute to making the trail more dangerous for others, to try to find the monorail. However, the monorail isn't completely clear yet, so it was frustrating breaking in the trail. The snow kept clearing up enough to trick us before covering the trail again .1 miles later. (Again, LIES!)
The cairns are small and not very obvious once you get past the alpine zone with fewer (often no) blazes to be found. Above everything else, this is what made my group most uncomfortable as the cairns began to be covered in snow. In the Presidential Range, for example, the cairns are big enough to see, even in winter conditions. However, here, they could be three to five inconspicuous rocks in a pile.
We were mostly able to walk with spikes on the top of the snow at first, albeit by fitting into the holes left by the person before, but as we began the ascent to the summit, we started breaking through the ice more and more, by the end up to our knees and thighs. It became extremely steep during the final ascent, so we started to question turning around and decided it would be best to hit the summit and then return to our original trailhead. As a side note, people break their legs post holing, and while we weren't in any danger, I would still urge anyone going up the trail to bring snowshoes or to wait until the conditions improve in a few weeks. It was a major reason that we chose to turn around.
We couldn't help but check out of curiosity, and the trail to South Baldface had been totally covered by snow and the cairns were too small to see (also covered), so there was essentially no trail to follow. It looked like a blanket of snow. We felt affirmed in turning around instead of continuing onward.
At this point, it was sleeting, and because it's so exposed, the visibility was-- while not terrible-- disconcerting. The wind had already covered our footprints behind us, but by using our navigational skills and staying calm, we were able to find our way back and turn around. We were extraordinarily careful to watch for deep snow, cliff faces, and spruce traps, and we found our original tracks not too far below the summit where the wind wasn't able to hide them with blown snow. There's a good chance that if there is wind on the night before you hike, it will be difficult to find your way up to the summit with no guides like footprints, cairns, or blazes. I wouldn't suggest bushwhacking in as much snow as there is in a place with so many cliff faces and spruce trees.
Took the Bicknell trail down which was way easier than the trail we took up.
This trip was a great reminder to ALWAYS bring the 10 essentials, winter gear, experience, and knowledge. I hope this review helps some people who need trail conditions as much as we did! As a sidenote, we used Ken McGray's book and studied the map extensively, which ended up being game changers.
Happy trails! |
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 | Name: |
Lexie |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-04-18 |
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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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