| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison (attempt), NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Great Gulf Trail, Osgood Trail, Osgood Cutoff |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 19, 2010 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of available parking at Great Gulf trailhead. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Ice - Blue, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
no issues |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blowdowns, including one very large one requiring a bushwhack to get around, on the Osgood Cutoff. Three blowdowns on Osgood Trail, one of them requiring either a bushwhack or a difficult stoop to get under. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Good hike for dogs up to the ridge. From there, footing is difficult on the icy, not-quite-snow-covered rocks, as there lots of holes. The heavy snow right now on the upper portions of the Osgood Trail also caused some snowballing in paws, despite use of Musher's Wax. |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
One pair of sunglasses found -- and destroyed -- by Tuckerman and Polly. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Beautiful hike to Osgood Tentsite. The steep section afterward isn't yet filled in with enough snow to make pleasant snowshoeing. There is a *lot* of ice, too. Up on the ridge out of the trees, footing is still very poor; more snow needed. After about a minute of sunlight, we got enveloped in a cloud, dropping visibility down to 10 yards, if that. Seeing even cairns was difficult, and route-finding was nearly impossible. After getting to within about three-tenths of a mile from Osgood Junction, we turned back for safety reasons. Photos to come. |
|
 | Name: |
The Feathered Hat |
|
 | E-Mail: |
stevebjerklie at yahoo dot com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2010-12-20 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
