Parking lots

[Mike P.]

Looked at the Ammo lot off Base Station road yesterday and at 10:30 AM on Thursday it had not been plowed from Tuesday and Wednesday's snow and they were getting blowing and new snow on Thursday. Mt. Clinton Road was not plowed to the Clinton Road parking lot for Crawford Notch either. State had plowed lot at top of the notch for Willard and Webster Jackson Trail. Lot at bottom of Sawyer River for Winter Carrigain access had been plowed but had a couple of inches in it, was passable though.

 

[jfb]

Please don't park in their parking lots. It's for snowmachine parking only.

I've never seen any "Snowmachine Parking Only" signs.

Edit: I guess an appropriate sign would be: "Parking for VAST Members Only."

 

[peakbagger]

Anybody here familiar with whether or not any plowing is done at the beginning of FR 95 for the Shelbourne Trail?

In case you still are wondering,FR 95 has no trace of plowing. The lot at the state line on the south side of the highway is plowed.

 

[egilbe]

VAST=Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. I'm under the impression that it's not limited to snowmobiles.

 

[JustJoe]

In case you still are wondering,FR 95 has no trace of plowing. The lot at the state line on the south side of the highway is plowed.

Thanks you.

 

[jfb]

VAST=Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. I'm under the impression that it's not limited to snowmobiles.

It depends. https://vtvast.org/about-us/

Some VAST trails are on GMNF land and hiking/skiing/snowshoeing is allowed. https://vtvast.org/flipbook/2018/TravelGuide1819/index.html?page=10

Also, the Catamount Trail uses sections of VAST trails. https://catamounttrail.org/ski-the-ct/trail-etiquette/

 

[griffin]

Any word on the Lower Falls parking area near Zealand?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Any word on the Lower Falls parking area near Zealand?

https://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?60195-WMNF-Parking-Lot-Status-Winter-2019

1/10/19 reported as plowed

Tim

 

[DayTrip]

I noticed a few trip reports mentioned the lot "for the AMC Highland center was plowed" and apparently people are parking there for area trail heads. I thought that was a no-no and the lot was only for AMC guests. Did they make some sort of concession because of the shut down or is this just misinformed people just parking their cars where the pavement is clear. I assume the AMC would not allow but was curious if anyone has heard otherwise.

 

[Mike P.]

I'm going to guess they got there before people noticed or they stayed. Will have to see what happens this weekend, looks like a large storm may dump more snow on Friday and Saturday. If AMC guest have to park on the road because their lot if full of hikers not staying there, that will change in a hurry.

 

[griffin]

d'oh! (thanks)

 

[jrbren]

Corollary questions : In summer the lots are often full and overflow up and down the road for quite a ways in each direction. I have been part of the overflow several times in recent years even with an early start, but have never been ticketed, nor have I seen others ticketed in New Hampshire. I read in Adirondack Explorer that NY is now ticketing cars parked along side the road when the lots are full, as many feel that is a safety issue. So, Q1: does anyone know if New Hampshire is ticketing cars parked along side the road when the lots are full (of cars and/or snow). Q2: Does anyone know of the lot to Sandwich dome trail is plowed (in my experienced that is not plowed in a normal year but I though I would ask anyway while I am here). I have not been up to NH this year, enjoying the snow free Massachusetts trails as along as I can, which won't be much longer if I read the forecasts correctly.

 

[DayTrip]

Corollary questions : In summer the lots are often full and overflow up and down the road for quite a ways in each direction. I have been part of the overflow several times in recent years even with an early start, but have never been ticketed, nor have I seen others ticketed in New Hampshire. I read in Adirondack Explorer that NY is now ticketing cars parked along side the road when the lots are full, as many feel that is a safety issue. So, Q1: does anyone know if New Hampshire is ticketing cars parked along side the road when the lots are full (of cars and/or snow). Q2: Does anyone know of the lot to Sandwich dome trail is plowed (in my experienced that is not plowed in a normal year but I though I would ask anyway while I am here). I have not been up to NH this year, enjoying the snow free Massachusetts trails as along as I can, which won't be much longer if I read the forecasts correctly.

I believe in NH you will get ticketed if your car is not completely off the pavement. Otherwise I think you are OK. I have personally witnessed people being ticketed on Rte 302 near Zealand Rd and on the Kanc near start of Pine Bend Brook trail (both in Winter). They supposedly have also begun parking enforcement in Franconia Notch near Lafayette Place. Haven't been through there in awhile so not sure how strict that is yet.

In the Adrirondacks a lot of those road side cars cannot get completely off the road so I can see the safety issue. If you've ever been down Rte 73 heading to the major trail heads that road can be an absolute free for all with people cutting between cars, doors opening into path of traffic, etc. Many of those roads are very narrow and winding without much line of sight. I'll defer to the regular NY people here on the details of the enforcement but would say I find the roadside parking situation more dangerous in NY than most of what I see in NH.

 

[jniehof]

To underline DayTrip's comment, NH is ticketing for parking along I-93, although it is sporadic.

Sandwich Dome lot is usually plowed and looked it (barring stuff at the entrance) when I drove past a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't want to try and get my Fit with all-seasons up into it, but plowed. See also this trail condition report.

 

[JustJoe]

I parked like this at the Mt Tremont trail-head on 302 Saturday. I was fine as far as I know. No ticket anyway.

 

[HockeyPuck]

Did you continue to Owl'S cliff? How were conditions?

 

[peakbagger]

There is no doubt that a state trooper, sheriff or designated local law enforcement officer can write a ticket or have a vehicle towed if it is parked on the pavement of a public highway. Less clear is if you are parked entirely off the pavement but still within the right of way of the road can you be ticketed or towed? I have been told that yes you can and its done so on occasion on the interstate. That said there is major amount of discretion on law enforcement and I expect a routine parking infraction is at the bottom of priority for enforcement. Generally ticketing and towing events in the whites are sporadic and are tied to specific usually safety issues. On a nice sunny day with great visibility a car parked on the pavement is far less of a hazard than the same car parked at night, in the rain or winter conditions where visibility is low. In the winter the state also does plowing operations and dependent on the extent of the storm these operations may last 1 to 2 days after the snow has stopped. Initially the goal is to get bare pavement in the travel lanes, and then as time permits and the storm tapers off the road is widened. Usually the drivers have been working darn close to around the clock and they are given some rest time before they then go out and clean out the break down lanes and wing back the bankings to improve visibility and make room for the next storm. If parked cars are in the way it slows down this operation and also potentially exposes the car to damage If they plow around the car, that leaves a potentially unplowed/icy patch in spot where some folks may not realize.

Unfortunately the state's snow removal operations can clash with folks out for recreation who have been cooped up in the house for a few days and want to hit the woods. If the final clean up has not been done and cars try to cram in on the sides of the road this is potential ticketing and towing condition. This happened several years ago at the base of Crawford Notch where folks were parking before the state had done the final clean up. It has happened in the past at Pinkham during Tuckerman's season. I believe Pinkham already has had at least one fatality over the years related to cars parked in the road where a pedestrian was hit by a passing car. I don't think it has happened at Lafayette place but expect it will.

There is also a political aspect to ticketing and towing. NH prides itself in being a tourism state and folks who get ticketed and/or towed are definitely going to attempt to make it public. I expect that although an individual trooper or Lincoln cop could elect to spend a shift ticketing cars on the parkway, he would most likely be having a discussion with higher ups about the value of his time. At some point that will change either as a result of an accident or a decision by the higher ups that its time to enforce the law to drive folks to the alternative if one exists. Sadly sometimes the alternative is to go hike somewhere else.

 

[jrbren]

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like in general avoid parking on the side of the road, have a plan B & C hike if you get to your planned lot and it is not accessible (easier typed then done). I recall when hike 2 summers ago when my choice A & B lots were full as was my 3rd choice, so I just parked along side the road with several others next the 3rd choice lot. Especially avoid parking along the side of the road when the plows may want to come through, which would be during any snow event or within 24 hours after it stopped. I hope to make it up there in the coming weeks and get back into an at least once month hiking routine. In my case I would not likely ever park such that when my driver door is open all the way that it crosses the white line into the travel lane, that is my unofficial guideline. On or off pavement criteria, I can picture different roads where this would be different, like where the pavement ends within an inch or so of the white line, if there even is a white line, vs major roads which may have a few feet outside the white lines (paved shoulder). I guess during winter there is a good bet the shoulder will be under a snow bank. Thanks again.

 

[jfb]

I guess during winter there is a good bet the shoulder will be under a snow bank.

I've seen a few cases where plows use their wings to push snow away from the breakdown lane and it looks like the breakdown lane is really wide, but underneath the flat snow is a deep ditch with a car in it.

 

[JustJoe]

Did you continue to Owl'S cliff? How were conditions?

No way. I broke trail the entire way to Tremont. Took me 5 hours to summit.

I should be clear that I'm going by hear-say on the all 4 wheels off the payment and, would never park like I did if it were snowing or even a slight % of snow in the forecast for the time I'd be there.