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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, NH
Trails
Trails: Crawford Connector, Crawford Path, Webster Cliff Trail, Eisenhower Loop, Mt. Eisenhower Trail, Dry River Cutoff, Mt. Clinton Trail, Mizpah Cutoff, Crawford Cliff Spur
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, June 22, 2014
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: The parking area had obviously been more than full yesterday; with cars parked out along the road. But I had no problem finding an open spot this morning, and there were open spots on my return. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rock hops at most, including the Dry River. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: One missing sign, Mt. Clinton's where it meets the Dry River Cutoff. Mt. Eisenhower overall in pretty good condition, with a mostly very nice footbed. But its upper section badly needs brushing, and the section across Dry River is eroding and wet. It has a few blowdowns but the only nasty one is a good sized broken stem that is standing in the trail held up by a large abutting tree. Dry River Cutoff is a bit tricky to follow going up at the stream crossings especially; someone has put pink ribbons up that can guide one properly. The lower section of it is full of muddy/wet spots with rotting bog bridges, but they still work enough to stay dry. It too has some blowdowns, one or two walk arounds. The upper section is quite nice. Mt. Clinton up from the Dry River Cutoff is pretty good; someone did a lot of great blowdown work in one section. All three trails are, despite their faults, way better than the badly eroding and wet Mizpah Cutoff & Crawford Path down from it for quite a ways. I expected lots of blowdown on the Dry River trails and there is a fair number scattered along them, but it isn't bad for the hiker, most are stepovers or duckunders. I've been on more commonly used trails this Spring that were worse. Crawford Cliff was in good shape.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Good day for Pepper. The coolish temps, a nice breeze above treeline and some cloud shade, and the small drainage between Pierce & Eisenhower kept him cool enough until we dropped into the Dry River basin. There he found plenty of water from streams of all sizes, but the Dry River was a great sip n dip. We managed to get to and down from Eisenhower before the hordes appeared, saw no one in the Dry River, and few on the hike down, so he was free to go ahead of me at his own pace, which he loves. 
Bugs
Bugs: There were just a few black flies just down from Eisenhower and out of the wind when we stopped to snack. Nothing bothered us in the Dry River even during a lunch break at the river. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: We had great weather for this hike at this time of year, with comfy temps and low humidity all day, and sun for the above tree line portion. This was a great hike in the busy season, we only came across a few other hikers and the Dry River was just us. By the time we got back to the main trails most everyone was gone, even though it was mid pm. Pepper's redlining hikes are so wonderful in the summer: the solitude, the sip n dips and the "new" countryside (it helps that I've forgotten so much) make these hikes extra special. Thanks Pepper!  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2014-06-22 
Link
Link: https:// 
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