| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Webster Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop, Edmands Path, Mt. Clinton Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 20, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the plowed large lot for the Webster-Jackson trailhead off US 302. Of note, the Clinton Lot was also plowed. Many, many cars parked roadside on the shoulder of US 302 upon our return. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Thankfully the water crossings were mostly frozen over. The larger crossing on the Webster-Jackson was easy peasy with the large log. The only other one of significance was over Abenaki Brook. We were able to use a thin, and somewhat unstable ice bridge. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
3 awesome German Sheppards met on the Eisenhower Loop. They were negotiating the ice fine. According to the sign, in Alpine areas dogs are to be leashed. But these pups were staying right with their human friends. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Route:
Webster-Jackson Trail > Jackson Branch > Webster Cliff trail > Crawford Path > Mt. Eisenhower Loop > Edmands Path > road walk on Mt. Clinton rd > road walk on US 302.
Webster-Jackson Trail: well blazed in blue. Nice footbed established. Lots of ice. I started in snowshoes and quickly switched to spikes due to the ice. I stayed in spikes until over the summit of Jackson. All signs up, legible.
Jackson Branch of the Webster-Jackson trail: blazing far less frequent, if at all (but I really wasn’t paying attention), trench well established. I stayed in spikes as there was much ice under the shallow layer of snow. Then there was straight up ice starting just below tree line, up and over the summit. I really wanted my crampons…
Webster-Cliff Trail: this is the AT and is blazed in standard white blazes. It has been consistently broken out so today only presented “The Battle of the Drifts.” I switched to snowshoes after coming off the summit cone of Mt. Jackson. My new hiking friend, Mark, did the same. The new snow was of minor depth but was still a pleasant walk in snowshoes. I was able to climb the super steep 0.9 miles from Mizpah Spring hut (closed) to Mt. Pierce summit in snowshoes. I DO recommend those descending from the summit to the hut wear spikes or crampons. There is only a thin layer of snow over the ice and it is quite steep.
Crawford Path: technically the AT, technically I saw a few white blazes. There are large supplemental carins to help guide. But I saw a lot of people! Well broken out path. Choppy. But, it’s kinda the way it goes right now. Everyone had on some form of traction. I had to switch from snowshoes to spikes somewhere along the route as the ice got THICK. Man did I want my crampons…
Eisenhower Loop: not blazed, carins aid with route guidance. Traction required. The ice was thin, it was thick, it covered small surfaces, it covered large surfaces., it ran in rivers, it ran in rivulets. Ice was everywhere. I managed in spikes but was grateful I had chosen a route that would not go back over some of those ice sections… Once descending off the summit cone we encountered more ice, but it was negotiable in spikes.
Edmands Path: not broken out, somewhat of a foot bed under the snow in parts. There are faded blue blazes but these don’t start until after the hairpin turn at about 3900 feet (then they continue to the trailhead). So, from the junction with Eisenhower Loop, there is a lot of ice on the trail. There are carins to start then just the thin trail corridor that is slanted. We stayed in spikes until it was apparent the steep icy slopes were behind us. After switching to snowshoes we were able to traverse the upper sections fairly quickly. Once down out of the scrub we could make out a faint trench line. This continued for the duration of the trail. It was a weird footbed, uneven, not really consolidated but still a bit firm for the most part. Snowshoes an absolute must.
Road Walks: this is supposedly a snowmobile route on Mt. Clinton road after the gate though we saw very little evidence of this. Very little snow, but enough for snowshoes or cross country skis.
Nice to meet you Mark! Thanks for accompanying me on my inaugural adventure down Edmands Path!! |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-02-20 |
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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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