| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Cog Rail Trail, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Lowe's Path, Valley Way |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 18, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Paid $10 at the cog to avoid any nonsense; Appalachia was plowed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I was going to travel up Jewel trail to the intersection with Gulfside next to Clay, but the creek next to the Cog railway station was completely impassable - running very high and no snowbridges or solid ice to speak of. So I ended up following the Cog instead. Otherwise, all water was either frozen or avoidable. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a few blowdowns on Valley Way but they were easy to deal with. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs seen |
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 | Bugs: |
nope |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I hiked up the Cog, took Gulfside around Mt Clay, then took the Mt Jefferson loop and rejoined the Gulfside trail until it became Lowe's Path to summit Adams and then head down to Madison hut. From there, I summited Madison and then descended to Appalachia via Valley Way.
The trail between the Cog and Madison hut had some significant drifts; I ended up in powder snow up to my waist a few times and snow up to my thighs more than I could count, while wearing snowshoes. Some of the ascents had deep drifts that were hard to navigate, even in snowshoes - the south side of Adams was the most difficult. The powdery snow would break through to the rocks underneath, and I twisted my ankles a number of times. I struggled to stay on trail through some sections, particularly coming down Jefferson, where the cairns just looked like every other ice-covered rock pile. The trail up Madison was very well packed down and easy to follow. Valley Way was very firmly packed down and I descended in spikes. |
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 | Name: |
Timex |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-01-18 |
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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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