| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
General Stark Mountain, Mt. Ellen (attempt), VT |
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 | Trails: |
Long Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, April 2, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
App gap was plowed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water crossings were weak, but doable. Easier in the morning, but the sunshine warmed the crossings by mid day. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Many blowdowns, all navigable and seemingly having been there for a while. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Trail from appalachian Gap was rough. The night prior, about 4-6" of fresh powder had fallen above 2500 feet. Open areas had slight drifting that was upwards of a foot. White snow+white markers were very challenging to follow. Kept losing the trail causing our pace to drop to 45-60min miles (usually 25-30min).
Warning: there is a section of steep ice with great handholds. Green ribbon/tape has been strung as a detour. I would highly recommend NOT following the tape. We found the steep 100 foot section (that the detour was trying to avoid) to be far easier, more stable, and better to navigate than the green tape. There are plenty of handholds, trees, and rocks to help you climb the section (I would only do it with traction). My opinion---I am sure others will come up with different opinions, so your call!
Made it to Stark, but given the pace, we chose to turn around and call it a day.
Beautiful views on Mad River Glen and the hut (Stark's Nest) was nice place out of the wind for a brief break. Views toward mount Ellen were beautiful.
Great day, sadly, not getting the summit---another day!
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|
 | Name: |
BenZ |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-04-05 |
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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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