bryan
New member
date: 4/4/14
trails: downes brook trail, mt. potash trail, bushwhack, logging roads
conditions: parking lot was in good shape. downes brook and mt. potash trails were well packed and crusty early, but much softer by early afternoon. great snowshoeing all the way to the summit. from a bit back down the trail from the summit of potash i bushwhacked south along the ridge to south potash. snow was generally firm and i was able to stay on top of it most of the way over. mostly open mature conifers to the col with most of the scrappier looking low growth spruce covered by snow. south of the col the going was more scrappy to the south summit with deep snow covering large patches of spruce that had me treading lightly, but the snow was solid enough to just cruise over most of it. i suspect the going is more difficult in the warmer months.... from the south summit i considered just back tracking, but deciced to slab down into the downes brook drainage instead to try to pick up an extension of the logging road the mt. potash trail crosses early on. the going was generally open and actually quite nice with continued solid snow until right around 2k when solid turned to soft and i started punching through. after crossing a brook in the eastern drainage between the peaks i found a very overgrown old road. this led to another old, but more open road and old landing (with a stunning view up to passaconaway) then the road was more defined before joining a quite new section of road that brought me back to the potash trail crossing. water crossings were all still well snow bridged including the major crossing of downes brook.
equipment: snowshoes.
comments: beautiful day. my first time on potash and the views were phenomenal. great snowshoe up. nice bushwhack over to the south peak as well thanks to the deep snow. interesting to see the old log roads and pretty recent cuts on the way out. some great views from the roads and landings. nice to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
trails: downes brook trail, mt. potash trail, bushwhack, logging roads
conditions: parking lot was in good shape. downes brook and mt. potash trails were well packed and crusty early, but much softer by early afternoon. great snowshoeing all the way to the summit. from a bit back down the trail from the summit of potash i bushwhacked south along the ridge to south potash. snow was generally firm and i was able to stay on top of it most of the way over. mostly open mature conifers to the col with most of the scrappier looking low growth spruce covered by snow. south of the col the going was more scrappy to the south summit with deep snow covering large patches of spruce that had me treading lightly, but the snow was solid enough to just cruise over most of it. i suspect the going is more difficult in the warmer months.... from the south summit i considered just back tracking, but deciced to slab down into the downes brook drainage instead to try to pick up an extension of the logging road the mt. potash trail crosses early on. the going was generally open and actually quite nice with continued solid snow until right around 2k when solid turned to soft and i started punching through. after crossing a brook in the eastern drainage between the peaks i found a very overgrown old road. this led to another old, but more open road and old landing (with a stunning view up to passaconaway) then the road was more defined before joining a quite new section of road that brought me back to the potash trail crossing. water crossings were all still well snow bridged including the major crossing of downes brook.
equipment: snowshoes.
comments: beautiful day. my first time on potash and the views were phenomenal. great snowshoe up. nice bushwhack over to the south peak as well thanks to the deep snow. interesting to see the old log roads and pretty recent cuts on the way out. some great views from the roads and landings. nice to be out.
bryan
[email protected]
