Looking for a moderate hike without snow!

Looking for a moderate hike without snow or little amounts of snow.

I'm looking for suggestions to do a hike that doesn't have snow on the trails but it also long in distance (say max of 12 miles round trip if there is a lot of elevation gain, longer if more flat terrain). I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to get out this weekend, who has an idea? Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Can't seem to find long hikes without snow so i'd like to expand this to include hikes with some snow but not too much to cause a major hassle. Just can't resist the urge to tackle a 4k when the conditions are predicted to be that good!

Hey

I think your best bet is to stay away from the heart of the Whites this weekend. The hikes with the least amount of snow aare either the ones on the southern edge of the Whites or outside them altogether.

Morgan Percivals loop

Welch and Dickey

Chocoura...there is prob some ice and snow left here but they tend to lose it pretty fast, but bring crampons just in case

Mt Pemigewasset...should be fairly snow free up there

Cardigan

Kearsarge

Sunapee

Monadnock

Also, if you want a hike that doesnt ascend a mountain, walking up the Wilderness trail and coming back on the East Side trail where it crosses the river would be a nice 13 mile loop over very flat terrain...and its quite scenic. Most flat trails are prob extremely wet this time of year with all the melt so its prob best to avoid them anyways.

And if you hike Sunday, let me know, I'd love to join!!!

you could try the area around sandwich notch and flat mountain pond.

hikerfast said:

you could try the area around sandwich notch and flat mountain pond.

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Didn't think of that. But have fun with Sandwich Notch Road!!!

grouseking

If you do Old Bridle trail up and back, Franconia Ridge (Lafayette-Little Haystack) can be barebooted with minimal postholing.

I'd avoid Chocorua if you're trying to avoid snow...though the above treeline portion is almost bare, I've heard and read there's still a lot of snow in the woods.

Another possibility might be the Ossipee Mountains via the Castle in the Clouds trails...there still is snow up high (above Bald Knob), but the trails, at least what I've seen/heard thus far, seem to be decently maintained.

From the Snow-free hikes? thread:

New Hampshire said:

The entire Wapack trail is clear also.

Brian

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That will give you as much distance as you want

grouseking suggested, among others, Mt. Pemi. Today I did a double traverse: up from the Flume to the summit and down to Rt 3, then back over the summit. Almost totally snow-free, but only 7.4 miles and 2,700 feet for the double traverse.

Holyokes, Western MA, CT on the AT. Not the Catskills although it's melting quickly. Still some above 3000 - 3500 feet depending on which side of the peak your on.

Peaked and Middle Mountain Loop?

I have not recently done the Peaked and Middle Mountain loop in North Conway, but I would think that the trails there would be pretty much snow and ice free. This loop provides about 1750 elevation gain, but the distance is not quite what you are looking for since it's just over 5 miles for the entire loop. D Maybe you could do the loop twice, once clockwise, then counterclockwise! )

P.S. Just noticed that LWA11 posted a Trail Conditions report for today (03-May-2007) for Peaked and Middle Mountain . . . looks like the trails are indeed snow & ice free!