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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, NH
Trails
Trails: Airline, Airline Cutoff, Osgood Trail, Gulfside, Star Lake Trail, Jefferson Loop, Jewell Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, May 25, 2019
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Surprisingly few cars at 7 a.m. at the Ammonoosuc Trail head, I guess folks don't mind paying to park in the Cog lot. Appalachia Way lot at 7:45 a.m. was 3/4 full. When we got back cars were parked on the side of Route 2 so clearly it overflowed during the day. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: nothing difficult on this route which is why we chose it. Every creek is either bridged or easy rock hops 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: A couple of small blow downs on Airline. A section close to tree line where a micro burst leveled a lot of timber has already been cleaned up. About 2 miles up the Jewell Trail there a 4 good sized pines down. All can be straddled and one walk around, but they need some attention 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: We saw very few dogs, one with the opening crew at Madison Hut  
Bugs
Bugs: from 0.5 miles to 2 mile mark on Airline the black flies were out, enough that I put on my head net. But above 2500 feet they disappeared for the rest of the day. Even coming down Jewell in the evening we got not bites.  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: My son left his favorite navy blue long sleeve REI hooded base layer at Madison Hut, we think. We saw an old Bauer sleeping bag on Air Line near the King Ravine juncture, but someone brought it down to the Kiosk by days end. 
 
Comments
Comments: It was a long day out, but perfect weather for being above tree line this early in the season. Airline was almost entirely free of snow, a few short stretches of thin monorail just below tree line. The view into King Ravine showed snow still filling the gullies. A deeper section of monorail on the Airline Cutoff over to the hut, but not so slick that we needed traction. At the hut the opening crew was hard at work putting up a seasons worth of dry goods. The climb to Madison was dry and snow free.

After climbing back down to the hut we decided to take the Star Lake trail to Adams. We only saw 3 other hikers on this trail so we got our wish for some solitude. Star Lake Trail had a 3 sections of sustained snow, traction was useful here but not needed if you stay in the chopped in steps. At the Adams peak a dozen folks were enjoying the views, we dropped down to get out of the breeze.

After lunch we continued on Gulfside Trail over to Jefferson. We almost had the trail to ourselves, we were passed by one trail runner and crossed paths with 2 other hikers. We stepped carefully through two more snowfields just before Edmands Col. The rest of the route was bare rock.

By the time we got to the Jefferson summit and down to the Clay bypass we decided to abort our original plan of going up Washington. Not enough time or energy for Big George today. Going down Jewell Trail we passed 4-5 groups, but not so many that the trail felt crowded. Jewell Trail was almost entirely free of snow. At the 2-2.5 mile mark several pine blow downs, but all could be straddled. Also a couple of standing water sections that needed careful rocking hopping to avoid trail widening.

Long day in the mountains, but a treat to be out in such good conditions.

 
Name
Name: Pappa C 
E-Mail
E-Mail: ringcycles AT yahoo.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2019-05-26 
Link
Link: https:// 
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