Sandwich Dome

Trail: Crawford-Ridgepole Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail

“Crawford-Ridgepole Trail is very steep at the beginning, including a tricky scramble up a rock face less than 1/2 mile in. After that the grade moderates and there are some PUDs before you reach the intersection with Doublehead Trail. It's definitely worth the short detour down Doublehead Trail to the south facing ledges. Great views of Red Hill, Squam Lakes, and more. After taking in the view, I went back down Crawford-Ridgepole Trail to my car. If you haven't done it before, I recommend continuing west on Crawford-Ridgepole to Mt. Squam and beyond. It's a very rough, less-used section with a gorgeous view north toward Sandwich Dome. The whole trail is a gem and tougher than you might expect.”

Trail: Bennett Street Trail

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

“The trail was dry down low. I first encountered snow/ice on the upper portion of the logging road section at about 2900 feet. From there, patches and short stretches appeared intermittently - some just a few feet long, others as much as 20-30 yards. Some were avoidable by walking the dry edge, but some were not circumnavigable, so I carefully walked the hard-packed middle, which is still discernible for the most part. My micro-spikes stayed in the backpack. In the early going, the crossing of Pond Brook is poorly marked. You have to look for two small cairns on the FAR side of the stream. If you miss it, you'll wander up a herd path for a hundred yards before it peters out, and it dawns on you that you must have missed the crossing. Of course, you might be more perceptive than I was. In general, the trail could use a few more blue paint markers. There are a couple of ash trees in the first part of the trail that are sad examples of the infestation of the emerald ash borer. Look for the extreme 'blonding' of the bark. It was a quiet day. I saw no one all day.”

Trail: Flat Mountain Pond Trail, Bennett Street Trail, Gleason Trail

Conditions: Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Spring Snow, Slush

“There is still a lot of snow. Almost enough to wear snow shoes, but not quite. So we sank...a lot. There are many crossings, and all were doable, but in the next two weeks I suspect the flooding from the snow melt might change that. Until mid-April, do yourself a favor and hike elsewhere until the trails melt off and the water levels go down.”