| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Carter Dome, South Carter, Middle Carter, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, North Carter Trail, Imp Trail, NH 16 |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 4, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I was only the second car at the Nineteen Mile Brook trailhead this morning and it was maybe half full when I finished. People seem to be wisely staying away. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No significant water crossings on this route but even the small ones were running much higher and faster than I'm used to. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A couple of blowdowns in the mile of Imp closest to the road. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Starting to see some bugs. I don't think I was bitten. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Nineteen Mile Brook: Basically snow/ice-free until the Carter Dome junction. Slightly muddy but easy to get around. Fast going.
Carter Dome: There's a patch of unpleasant rapidly-decaying monorail starting around 2700 feet that slowed me down a lot. However, once I got to the switchbacks which climb up to the ridge, those were about 80% snow-free. It was easy to bareboot all the way to Carter-Moriah.
Carter-Moriah/Ridge: Conditions up here are pretty terrible. Going out to Carter Dome it was 2-3 feet of very soft snow. This specific stretch would probably be helped by snowshoes. I thought the exposed bits at the top might be bare but they still have significant very soft snow. Heading from Zeta Pass north over South and Middle Carter is more soft snow but now broken up by stretches of bare rock. I don't think snowshoes would make sense here.
North Carter/Imp Trails: More of the soft snow which was annoying but ok until about 3400 feet. From ~3400 feet to ~2800 feet is a mix of unstable monorail and running water (streams?) on the trail. This bit is very unpleasant because you're constantly breaking through and unsure of what you'll land on. Below ~2800 feet you get bare trail which is a great relief.
Road walk: The first .8 miles Highway 16 has a nice wide edge and it was easy to stay comfortably clear of passing cars. The ~.4 miles closest to the Nineteen Mile Brook trailhead the road curves and the sides narrow - I wound up walking on the outside of the barrier to get further from traffic. Total distance ~1.25 miles.
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 | Name: |
Joanna |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-05-05 |
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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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