| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, Adams 5, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Mt. Monroe, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Airline, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Trinity Heights Connector, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop, Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Ammonoosuc Connector, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 23, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Forest service ammo lot open. No issues parking on holiday weekend, started at six though |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings are running well above normal. There was not a crossing yesterday in which your feet will not get wet. Gem pool was very swollen and I was up to my knee. The waterfall crossing on ammo was quite tricky. Just walked through it. Crawford path has also turned into Crawford River |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blow downs noted down low, nothing major |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw Piper |
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 | Bugs: |
Found some ladybugs on the summit cone of Jefferson. Tons on Adams due to no wind |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
What a wild day. Blue skies and no wind was an inviting combination to go into the presidential‘s. Valley way was dry down low, sparse monorail enters at 3100 feet, firm monorail at 3300 feet. Rode it the entire way to the hut. No real issues. Patchy snow to Treeline on Madison, then bare rock. Same can be said to the junction of airline.
Bare rock to summit of Adams but that’s where the fun ends. Patchy snow to thunderstorm junction, then there is 5’ of snow on gulfside from Adams to Jefferson. Base is firm so no real post holing, but you’re walking on 3 inches of slush for about a mile. Edmunds Col is snowless. At this time, the Jefferson snow fields are some of the worst and dangerous conditions I’ve seen. The snow is very slushy and not exactly supportive. I opted to bushwhack this section along the tree line and then come up around the lip. Several people did turn back in the spot. Obviously if you’re heading out here, you’re there for a reason but just know it’s really sketchy. I would not want to come down this. Light snow pack on Jefferson made for quick ascent. Bare rock through summit cone and Monticello lawn. Patchy snow through Sphinx. Mostly bear rock up to Washington from here. Patchy slushy snow but nothing that bad. As you approach the summit, golf side turns into a river.
Going towards Lake of the clouds, lots of icy slush. The trails are basically rivers right now. Nothing of note on the ascent of Monroe that hasn’t been touched upon before. Was able to boot ski down to treeline on ammo. Due to it being the afternoon in warm temperatures, the dissent down was one of the sketchiest I’ve done me a long time. Lots and lots of ice. Spikes were virtually useless. I’m not sure how the several people without spikes got down, but that is not my idea of a cheap thrill. See crossing note above for waterfall. All in all, a very good day even with wet feet. Trail conditions might be terrible, but the views up there are worth the price of admission
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 | Name: |
The Teal Goat |
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 | E-Mail: |
sea2thebiscuit@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-05-24 |
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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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