1HappyHiker
Well-known member
TRAIL CONDITIONS:
The Cherry Mountain Trail from NH 115 to Mt. Martha is broken out. On the lower section of this trail up to about 2500 ft, the snow tended to be sticky. From about 2500 ft to the summit, the snow was more granular.
Martha's Mile appeared not to have been travelled at all this winter. At the very beginning of this there is a wall of snow & ice encased conifers. Once you whack & hack your way for about 25 ft of this, then the trail becomes more obvious.
I broke trail from Mt. Martha to within about a hundred feet of the Owl's Head summit. However, there were sections of the trail where all my efforts were being spoiled by large chunks of snow falling from tree branches onto the trail and covering my tracks! But hopefully, there will be enough of my track left for anyone wishing to give Owl's Head a try within the next few days. Maybe there will be at least some dots to connect, whereas before, there was nothing!
There were no blowdowns on the Cherry Mountain Trail. There was one blowdown at the very beginning of the Martha's Mile Trail, which I removed. There is one other large blowdown about midway along this trail which will need to be removed in the Spring. For now, there's an easy workaround.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Snowshoes were definitely appropriate for the day of this hike.
PARKING: Sometimes this lot is plowed and sometimes it isn't. On the day of this hike, it was unplowed, plus there was a bank of plowed snow/slush at the entrance to the lot. There is a small wide spot at the intersection of Lennon Rd and NH 115 where you can squeeze in. Also, on occasion I've had luck at asking nearby residents for permission to park in their driveway.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
More details about the Martha's Mile trail-breaking adventure are located in the Trip Reports forum (Click HERE).
The Cherry Mountain Trail from NH 115 to Mt. Martha is broken out. On the lower section of this trail up to about 2500 ft, the snow tended to be sticky. From about 2500 ft to the summit, the snow was more granular.
Martha's Mile appeared not to have been travelled at all this winter. At the very beginning of this there is a wall of snow & ice encased conifers. Once you whack & hack your way for about 25 ft of this, then the trail becomes more obvious.
I broke trail from Mt. Martha to within about a hundred feet of the Owl's Head summit. However, there were sections of the trail where all my efforts were being spoiled by large chunks of snow falling from tree branches onto the trail and covering my tracks! But hopefully, there will be enough of my track left for anyone wishing to give Owl's Head a try within the next few days. Maybe there will be at least some dots to connect, whereas before, there was nothing!
There were no blowdowns on the Cherry Mountain Trail. There was one blowdown at the very beginning of the Martha's Mile Trail, which I removed. There is one other large blowdown about midway along this trail which will need to be removed in the Spring. For now, there's an easy workaround.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Snowshoes were definitely appropriate for the day of this hike.
PARKING: Sometimes this lot is plowed and sometimes it isn't. On the day of this hike, it was unplowed, plus there was a bank of plowed snow/slush at the entrance to the lot. There is a small wide spot at the intersection of Lennon Rd and NH 115 where you can squeeze in. Also, on occasion I've had luck at asking nearby residents for permission to park in their driveway.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
More details about the Martha's Mile trail-breaking adventure are located in the Trip Reports forum (Click HERE).
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