D
Dave W
Guest
01/08/2008
Hiked up the Lake Rd to trail to Elk Pass, Nippletop and Dial. Extremely warm weather softened up all the packed trails - even needed to use showshoes on Lake Rd. Snowshoes regularly punched through packed trail on entire route. Small stream on Gill Brook trail that would normally not even be noticed was a bit of a challenge, then again at Elk Pass. After Dial we took what we thought was a shortcut around Bearpen - turned out to be a bushwack all the way down to Lake Rd - NOT recommended in warm weather due to many difficult small stream crossings (which were really flowing), then needed to hike a ~mile along river to find a crossing! We hiked almost the entire day without wearing gloves, hat or coats - way too warm; got wet due to water on trees.
Special Equipment needed: Snowshoes, poles. Might be better to wait for colder weather to firm things up!
Hiked up the Lake Rd to trail to Elk Pass, Nippletop and Dial. Extremely warm weather softened up all the packed trails - even needed to use showshoes on Lake Rd. Snowshoes regularly punched through packed trail on entire route. Small stream on Gill Brook trail that would normally not even be noticed was a bit of a challenge, then again at Elk Pass. After Dial we took what we thought was a shortcut around Bearpen - turned out to be a bushwack all the way down to Lake Rd - NOT recommended in warm weather due to many difficult small stream crossings (which were really flowing), then needed to hike a ~mile along river to find a crossing! We hiked almost the entire day without wearing gloves, hat or coats - way too warm; got wet due to water on trees.
Special Equipment needed: Snowshoes, poles. Might be better to wait for colder weather to firm things up!
