| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Madison Gulf Trail, Parapet, Star Lake Trail, Osgood Trail, Buttress Trail, Six Husbands Trail, Great Gulf Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, September 27, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Usual wide open spaces at Great Gulf. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Rock hops, maybe with slightly wet boots on some or long jumps to avoid that. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Buttress had stretches that could really use a brushing. I took a couple of blowdowns out on Madison Gulf. A new or recent sign for Star Lake trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Pepper would give this 2/3 paws up. There is lots of water except perhaps upper Madison Gulf and of course Osgood going up Madison. There was quite a bit of cloud shade to go with the shade on much of Madison Gulf, Buttress and below. The boulders have sharp crystals of course, and there are a number of scrambles, at least for a small dog, on Madison Gulf, Star Lake and Buttress, but he did fine. He did get stung on a leg on Buttress by the boulders; we think it was a yellow jacket nest. We saw one other dog, a golden, that looked a bit tuckered out after Madison. |
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 | Bugs: |
A black fly or two on Adams, and the wasps or similar on Buttress by the boulders. The latter didn't bother the humans. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found long handled pruning sheers set on a tree trunk. We figured they were the trail maintainers, so we left them in place. |
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 | Comments: |
Another great hike into the Great Gulf. Some of the views were spectacular and quite unique; even the Jefferson Knee looked like a rugged peak from Buttress in its lower section. There were lots of clouds at times, some of them very interesting, but also lots of sun. Very little wind; we had several extended stops on the peaks and ridge without putting on extra clothes. We ran into one hiker on Madison who looked exhausted and had to hike back to Jefferson Notch, but all offers of assistance were turned down. I last did this hike in 2004 and can't figure out why I waited so long to repeat it. It should be an annual, and if I lived closer more than that. The Great Gulf is great. Of course it helped that I was with great companions, Pepper & Erica. Thanks! |
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 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
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 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-09-27 |
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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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