| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Gulfside, Jewell Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, May 10, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked my car at Ammo Ravine trailhead parking lot since I have a pass. Carpooled to the Cog Station with my friend Bill and split the $10 fee. We parked right up near the station where you leave your fee. No passenger trains were running today. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossings were manageable. Snowbridges on all streams were gone. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Ammo trail is a real mess in sections. May require a re-route in some places due to severe erosion. The Jewell trail has two areas of multiple blowdowns (5 or more trees together) plus a few single trees. Was able to get around all of these without much trouble. The upper section of the Jewell needs some major work to better define where the trail is. Cairn placement is confusing in places. Shortcutting is becoming more apparent. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The hike up the Ammo trail was quite challenging. Monorail of frozen snow appeared soon after entering the woods so we put on our spikes. Significant snow banks still exist. We had to carefully step down a few feet to reach the small bridge before the Gem pool. About this time I discovered that one of my Hillsound spike chains had broken - probably stressed by the trail conditions plus being on a flexible 3-season boot (too warm to wear single wall winter boots). Had to tinker with it all the way to the Lakes hut to keep it on. Stream crossings weren't too bad but several had steep snowdrifts on one or both sides. The steep sections after the Gem Pool were quite challenging with monorail, ice, mud, collapsing snow-bridges over running water in the trail, and postholing a few times up to my thighs. Made good time barebooting from Lakes to the summit avoiding icy areas. There were two snow fields along the way in this stretch but they posed no problem and were pretty stable. Decided to descend via the Jewell trail given the broken spikes and Ammo trail conditions. This trail was pretty dry overall. There were two sections of decaying monorail which did not require spikes. We encountered two area of multiple blowdowns as mentioned above. After that the trail down was uneventful. Crossed cog tracks again and descended the service road crossing its bridge near the station. Came all the way down from the summit without using spikes. Carried snowshoes but never used them. The only other hikers we met today (from Ohio) were descending the Ammo trail WITHOUT any traction devices! |
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 | Name: |
Dexhiker |
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 | E-Mail: |
dexpcdoc@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-05-10 |
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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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