| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Air Line, Osgood Trail, Star Lake Trail, Gulfside Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
No cars in the Appalachia parking lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blow downs. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Conditions: Surprisingly mid-winter like. Clouds in the morning then sunshine all day. Trace snow at the Airline trail head. Water and mud on some parts of the trail but otherwise in good condition. Rocks became iced covered above an elevation of 3000’. Snow depth increased as elevation was gained with about 4 ~5 inches deep at tree line. Winter conditions along the ridge; 4~6 inches of snow, rime ice, and a strong wind. Very little wind at hut with some snow drifts over 2 feet along the trail. Star Lake Trail was sheltered from the wind but had significant snow drifts along the trail (over 4 feet deep). Everything above tree line was covered in rime ice. Both Madison and Adams summits were extremely cold and windy (-11 degrees including wind chill according to NOAA), with large amounts of ice and snow throughout the ascent.
Equipment: A pretty extensive winter pack including microspikes. I didn’t bring snowshoes or crampons but once out of the tree line I had wished I had; they would have saved me a lot of extra work.
Comments: no tracks on the trail, and no one on the peaks. The only people I saw all day were a group working on the hut. Air Line was a great trail and easily manageable with microspikes. The trails up Madison and Adams were impossible to follow due to ice and snow drifts and made for difficult climbing. Madison was tough but Adams via Star Lake Trail was truly intense. The snow was much deeper on this side of the mountain and coupled with the fact that this trail is extremely steep it was an exhausting part of the hike. The wind at the both peaks was probably around 30 mph. The views were amazing! It was a great day.
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 | Name: |
Fox |
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 | E-Mail: |
aaronfox07@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2010-11-03 |
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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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