| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Crawford Path, Webster Cliff Trail, Eisenhower Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, April 23, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Highland Center because Clinton Road lot was not plowed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems: all man-made bridges or snow bridges. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few duck-unders and walk overs on Crawford Path. Trail needs brushing at higher elevations, width height and with full allowance for winter snow depths. Between Pierce and Eisenhower also needs brushing. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dog poop right ON the trail. Bringing a dog up Eisenhower may not be a good idea due to traction problems. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Wore snowshoes from trailhead to the base of the cone of Eisenhower, then switched to full crampons for up to the summit. People did get up the summit with MICROspikes but I like the safety of crampons. Switched back to snow shoes for the return and Pierce. Temp at Crawford Notch was 23F early in the morning and then rose considerably with a clear sky. Initially Crawford Path was firm and crunchy and MICROspikes would have been suitable until the snow softened later. The theme of the day was slippery "mashed potatoes". The rising temperatures and strong sun melted snow from trees and turned the trail into mashed potatoes where it was exposed to the sun- slippery snow. Unfortunately, the bareboot/spike legions were out in force today, post-holing and tearing up the trail, making it worse for snowshoers. Noticed some deep postholes that went down several feet, some with water at the bottom. Snow started out very clean, but by late in the day it was dirty from tree droppings.
Crawford Path is NOT broken out beyond the initial split of the Eisenhower Loop Trail- so I would guess it might not be broken out to Monroe. Snow bridges are holding up well. Slush in a few spots between Pierce and Eisenhower. A snowcapped mountain in Vermont (Mansfield ?) was visible from Eisenhower. The tracked path up the Esienhower cone disappeared part way up so I just bushwhacked it in that section until finding the tracked path higher up. Snow all the way from the trailhead. Water dripping off rocks on Eisenhower. |
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 | Name: |
SOTA |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-04-23 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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