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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Adams, NH
Trails
Trails: Sylvan Way, Beechwood Way, Brookside, Lower Bruin, Valley Way, Upper Bruin, Airline, Lowes Path, Spur Path, Randolph Path
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, April 20, 2014
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Only a few cars at Appalachia when we arrived around 9:30. On return that was doubled, but overall I was surprised by how few there were for such a grand day. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All crossings easy using actual bridges, snow bridges or rock hops. Upper sections of streams still pretty frozen. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: We were on so many trails and I space out, so I can't be precise. I took out a couple blowdows on Brookside. The sign for the Airline cutoff is down but can be read. A post near Thunderstorm Jct has lost its sign. Randolph had several blowdowns, one particularly problematic a short ways from the Spur as it fell into and roughly with the trail. The others are small and if I had time I would have removed them. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pretty easy trails for Pepper. He didn't pawhole and pretty much had the trails to himself. We did meet 3 nice dogs (Blaze, Farley & Bonnie) where Lower Bruin intersected Valley and talked dog boots and more with their human buddies. 
Bugs
Bugs: None. Gotta love it. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: I carried snowshoes but never used them. I would have been able to descend Spur faster in them, however, but it had been chewed up by booters, I wasn't doing any extra damage and I was too lazy to put them on. Looking back I should have put them on the snowfields above treeline. Spikes helped some on Brookside, the Bruins and Spur but the snow did ball up under them at times, and on Spur I had to take care to keep from sliding on steps. There was a lot of soft ice in the afternoon on Spur. It would be better going up. Valley Way's sections were fast on a solid monorail. Airline was mostly open below Gulfside and rocks were available above it, so barebooting made the most sense on it and the Lowe's Path section and upper Spur. Sylvan and Beechwood were mostly open or slight snow patches. Randolph varied a lot, and after Short Line it hadn't seen anyone recently, but still snowshoes aren't needed.

This may have been a redlining hike for Pepper, but as so often happens with them, we found such a more interesting way to ascend and descend Adams. I had forgotten what many of these trails were like and thoroughly enjoyed seeing them anew. Pepper too. There was almost no wind above treeline; but lots of sun and great vistas. Airline we know, but Spur was splendid above treeline. We saw very few people; we had Adams all to ourselves for the half hour we stayed to lunch and say goodbye to my last uncle. It was a great day. Thanks Pepper for sharing it; you are one helluva buddy.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2014-04-20 
Link
Link: https:// 
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