| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Randolph Path, Brookside, Spur Trail, Hincks Trail, Gray Knob Trail, Lowe's Path, Star Lake Trail, Gulfside, Valley Way |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking at Pinkham B could accommodate 2-3 vehicles right now. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easily crossed. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blowdowns on Randolph East, upper Randolph, and Hincks. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Would not recommend a dog do these trails at the moment. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
None. |
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Randolph Path, The Brookside, Spur Trail (Attempt,) Hincks Trail, Gray Knob Trail, Lowe's Path, Star Lake Trail, Gulfside Trail, Valley Way
Holy cow, what a day. I took the road(s) less traveled and they made a tremendously irritating difference! Thought about not taking my snowshoes, but boy am I glad I did. Randolph to Brookside was in good shape and mostly packed, but the previous snowshoer stopped at the Short Line/Randolph intersection. As such I mostly broke trail, though minimal snow depth, to Spur Trail.
Tried going up Spur but found the drifts as tall as me about halfway up, so I turned back to try Hincks which was much more well-traveled. The spring at Gray Knob is flowing well, so I topped off my bottles.
I'd thought Lowe's Path would have had some foot traffic, but I was mistaken. Broke trail to the summit of Abigail. Constantly switching between snowshoes and crampons from Gray Knob to Adams was time consuming and very annoying, take heed. Took Star Lake Trail down from Adams and found it had had some recent use, that being said I would not attempt Star Lake Trail without bladed-snowshoes or quality crampons as the gradient is very steep. There is also a significant slant to the trail, due to the snow, when traversing to Madison Hut so be cautious. I nearly slid into the valley below at one point. Summiting Madison was a cinch comparatively.
Took Valley Way down, which was packed to the point of being a highway, so either crampons or snowshoes would suffice here. The other trails I took today were not so packed, and had minor to significant postholing.
Aside from some irritations today, the weather was beautiful and the trails themselves were very well-maintained, with great use of signage and blazes. |
|
 | Name: |
Brettski |
|
 | E-Mail: |
|
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-17 |
|
 | 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. |
|
