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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Monadnock, Gap Mountain - North Peak, Gap Mountain - South Peak, NH
Trails
Trails: Birchtoft Trail, Cascade Link, Red Spot Trail, Pumpelly Trail, White Arrow Trail, Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, Gap Mountain Trail, Donovan Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, March 26, 2023
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: We spotted a car on the spur rd off Gap Mtn Rd at 6:30am. The lot is gated and unplowed in winter. You’re asked not to block the gate for emergency access so there’s only room for a couple of cars on the side. No snow on the roads other than a little bit on Gap Mtn Rd from the weather the night before. Despite my missing several turns, we eventually made it over to Mt Monadnock State Park Camground. There’s a winter parking area with plenty of parking but a very narrow strip of pavement plowed to it. No cars when we arrived around 7:15am and only one or two when we returned around 5pm.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Trivial 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Birchtoft Trail is blazed in red. I don’t recall how well but it was tracked so no issues following it. Red Spot Trail was marked with red “spots” inside of white circles on rocks. No blazes on the trees so in winter with snow on the ground this could certainly be difficult to follow. Pumpelly Trail is blazed in white and white P’s on the rock. Some cairns but I don’t recall too many; mostly blaze which you can see as above tree line doesn’t have much snow but with more snow it could be difficult to follow. White Arrow Trail is marked marked with white arrows. A bit hard following off the summit but not too difficult once you’ve found it. The Metacomet-Monadnock was blazed in white and pretty well so. The spur to the parking lot off of Gap Mtn Rd was blazed in yellow and easy to follow. Only blowdowns I recall was a handful of them, one ground clustered together, and another not far south, along the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail a bit north of Mountain Rd.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Dogs are not allowed on Monadnock. All other trails we were on would be good for them.  
Bugs
Bugs: None  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Mone 
 
Comments
Comments: A fantastic hike with a dear friend. I believe all trails were broken other than the Metacomet-Monadnock between White Arrow Trail and Bullard Rd. We wore snowshoes nearly all day because we were too lazy to take them off but spikes or crampons and an ice axe would be significantly more appropriate (and safer) for above tree line on Monadnock. Snow cover was thin enough in spots that they weren’t very practical either. In particular, coming off the south side of Gap Mtn there was a lot of bare rock. That said, they’ll be needed for south peak but once back on trail, you could take them off for the rest of the day.

The summit was very windy but other than standing right on top, the wind wasn’t as bad as anticipated. As I mentioned, I’d change into spikes or crampons above treeline. If ascending or especially descending White Arrow, there’s a pretty sketchy pitch you’ve got to climb. Falling could be deadly as there’s rocks below. Plenty of people will get by with spikes or snowshoes but this is certainly a place where crampons or at least an ice axe would be warranted. The snow surface isn’t the big issue, the ability to self arrest is in this spot. Other spots above tree line on White Arrow are a bit unnerving as well but once below tree line it was a mellow descent. M-M Trail was nice enough. Some blowdowns near the road.

The most obnoxious part of the day was the 3/4mi between the Gap Mtn north parking area and Mountain Rd. My friend aptly compared it to Westside Trail in Franconia Notch. A bunch of random blazes placed in obnoxious places in the woods. Rather than go where it’s flat (is it too wet?) the trail is cut into a hill and weaves through boulders where there’s a number of blowdowns and brush. We mostly tried to stick to the trail but we didn’t think it was needed for SNH redlining so gave ourselves a little leeway. It would be easier to just bushwhack in the flat area. Happy when we finally reached the kiosk. We did an OAB on the Donovan Trail but note that the 1/2mi along the road north of that goes toward Perkins Pond is needed for redlining. The hike up Gap Mtn wasn’t too bad but the trail to south peak is almost impossible to follow with snow cover. Between our ascent and descent we think we at least got darn close to staying on it most of the time. There’s a large cairn on top of south peak.

Snow was of course wet but not too sticky. Sun was very flirtatious but Monadnock was under dark clouds and mostly and was sometimes even in the cloud. I don’t think it got as warm as predicted either. A long exhausting day had us at 10.5mi, 2900ft of gain.  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2023-03-27 
Link
Link: https:// 
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