Winter Series Overnight Trip to Zealand Falls Hut

TRIP DATE:      March 13-15, 2015  

                          

TRIP LOCATION:          Zealand Falls Hut in NH

MEETING TIME:          11:00 am on Friday for hike into hut

     

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING LEADERS):    17 

  

TOTAL HIKING TIME (IN HOURS):       hike into hut on Friday – app. 4 hours, hike from hut to Zealand Mountain on Saturday – app. 4 hours, alternate hike from hut to Thoreau Falls on Saturday – app. 3 hours

LENGTH IN MILES:      hike into hut on Friday - app. 6.7 miles with app. 1,100 feet elevation gain, hike from hut to Zealand Mountain on Saturday – app. 5.8 miles r.t. with app. 1,600 foot elevation gain, alternate hike from hut to Thoreau Falls on Saturday – app. 5 miles r.t. with negligible net elevation gain

TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN (IN FEET):    see above

DIFFICULTY:             Strenuous due to length and full winter packs

LEADER NAME(S):       Leslie Carson, Wayne Anderson, Mike Woessner, Paul Miller

TRAILHEAD PARKING LOCATION & DESCRIPTION:    Parked at hiker/snowmobiler parking lot on Rte. 302 at western end of Crawford Notch.  Had to walk across Rte. 302 from roadside parking area and follow snowmobile trailhead for short distance to Zealand Rd. (closed to traffic in winter).  Important to use caution when crossing road!

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:  Zealand Rd. hardpacked snow and barebootable.  Zealand Trail also barebootable as long as you stayed in middle of trail.  Used snowshoes for hikes from hut and for return hike to trailhead at Rte. 302

WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR HIKE:   Sunny with temps in high 20s and light wind on Friday; high 20s to low 30s on Saturday with increasing cloudiness throughout afternoon and snow in evening; same temps on Sunday, but with steady light snowfall

OTHER COMMENTS (problems, views, terrain, etc.) – Excellent views on Friday, ok views early Saturday, very pretty hiking out from hut in snow on Sunday, which also made the first part of the drive home a little dicey.  Snow turned to rain further south…