| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Airline, Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Usual spaces; unusually low number of cars in them. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Step on rocks or step overs |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Valley Way had been brushed recently it would seem based on the large numbers of branches in the trail and wide opening. No signicant problems. Airline did have lots of branches and leaners in the trail (I took out only a few of the worst)and running water in places. Sign for King Ravine Trail is down. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
The mighty tough little dog had a fun time; easy footpath, roaring brook and great views; no icing or sliding. We saw two dogs, one being Ron's Chip carrying his own pack (unlike some dogs I know) both as nice as can be. |
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 | Bugs: |
I pulled one tick off Pepper but that was before we got out of the car. Otherwise nothing. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Drove up in showers with the peaks in the clouds, but lower Valley Way clear of snow and even had a bit of sun. After awhile the monorail appeared and by Scar it was continuous, but it was barebootable if one stayed on it. Hiked up into drizzle in the clouds and above treeline put on the winter clothes with the added wind, but didn't need traction with so much exposed rock. Had first lunch by Hut which looks more like a suburban home than a hut with the new shingles. Peaks started to clear as we were on Adams, and the warm sun make for a wonderful lazy stop on Airline just below King Ravine's intersection. Airline clear on ridge but as soon as we got into the trees a soft and often narrow monorail, narrow due to melting on the downside and postholing on the up, led me to put on the snowshoes. They worked pretty well on the soft monorail and on the long steep ice stretches below the Scar trail since the snowshoe crampons bit nicely, although I twice took them off for short snowless stretches. I eventually put on microspikes for a short time as the monorail was broken and icy, until the monorail was gone. I would not have wanted to go down Airline without both. I saw one person and two other person's boot prints that came up Airline barebooting, but that's going up and they did posthole a fair amount. We didn't see many people on the trails, just Ron & Chip and two others above treeline, and one person coming up Airline. To me the hike to Adams was more of an adventurous wintery hike with typical April 2011 weather, and the hike down from it was mostly a pleasant spring stroll. Tomorrow should be fabulous on these trails, but I'd get started early before the trail is too soft and too postholed. I know most won't bring snowshoes, but I would if I was hiking it tomorrow. |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2011-04-30 |
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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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