Winter Series Hike #3 - Mt. Tom

TRIP DATE:      2-21-2015                               

TRIP LOCATION:          Mt. Tom from Highland Center in Crawford Notch  

MEETING TIME:          8:45 am          

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS): 17       

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       app. 5.5 hours

LENGTH IN MILES:      app. 5.7 miles

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    app. 2,500 ft.

DIFFICULTY:       B                           (A=very strenuous; B=strenuous; C=average; D=easy)

LEADER NAME(S):       Wayne Anderson, Eva Borsody Das, Paul Miller

CO-LEADER NAME(S): Paul Brookes, Barry Young

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Parking area at the Crawford Depot was not plowed out, so those staying at the Highland Center parked there; others may have had to park at Mt. Clinton Rd. parking lot or

CAR SPOTTING REQUIRED?:         No                TIME REQUIRED TO SPOT CARS:

WAS TRIP WITHIN WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST?              Yes

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE SPECIFIC TRAILS HIKED AND TRAIL CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED: 
Hiked Avalon Trail to A to Z Trail to Mt. Tom Spur and back again via same route.  Trail nicely packed out for snowshoeing. 

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:   Mostly sunny with temps in the teens and low 20s.  No noticeable wind until summit of Tom.  Started snowing after we returned to trailhead.

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.)
Beautiful hike through the snow-draped woods.  Nice views from summit of Mt. Tom.  Originally had planned to also follow the ridge from Mt. Tom over to Mt. Field and return via the Avalon Trail, but due to the forecast of yet another snowstorm in the afternoon, we skipped Field, which got us back to the trailhead (just) before it started snowing.  Drive home was still interesting, but not as bad as it would have been if we got a later start…