Mount Chocorua

Trail: Champney Falls Trail, Piper Trail, Middle Sister Trail, Champney Falls Cutoff

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Wet trails/stone ledges, especially at switchbacks. Somewhat slippery, be alert. Poles came in handy. No spikes needed. Some snow/ice to see in the woods.”

Trail: Bolles Trail, Bee Line Trail, Brook Trail, Liberty Trail, Piper Trail, Champney Falls Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable)

“This was a long loop: South on Bolles Trail, up Bee Line Trail to Brook Trail, and down Champney Falls Trail. It was 10 miles round trip. There were patches of snow around the height of land on Bolles Trail. There was a bit of ice on Brook Trail, but the sketchy ledges were ice-free. The Chocorua summit area is also mostly free of ice. I didn't put on my spikes until I was descending Champney Falls Trail. There's a decent monorail from around 2500 feet to the top of Champney Falls Trail. Rock spikes are recommended. Chocorua was in and out of the clouds while I was up there. It was awesome watching the clouds race from Chocourua to Middle Sister, and there was no one else on the summit. That's a first for me.”

Trail: Champney Falls Trail, Piper Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches

“Stacy and I ran back our “Meet me in the Woods” move and planned to meet at the Champney/Piper Junction. She came up Piper. I came up Champney, we hit the sign within 5 minutes of each other, military precision. Being that Champney is on the northern aspect I packed my spikes and was happy I did. Spotty snow/ice starting around 1400 feet and then just below the switchbacks around 2400 feet you will be dealing with it until treeline. I barebooted the whole way up, to the horror of my new friends Scott and Will. It was a fun game of hopscotch risk assessment. Jokes aside, there was zero chance I wasn’t putting spikes on for the descent. There’s a couple spots of slanted, hard water ice where you’d actually want a real crampon if you chose to stay right down the middle of the trail. So that being said, be mindful of where you are stepping, especially in Kathoola micros or rockspikes. Zero need for snowshoes, those can stay home. Great day out there sneaking some miles in before the rain. Stacy barebooted Piper both ways, though it sounded like she needed to make some careful steps in a few spots so it can’t hurt to have some traction in the bag.”