| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison (attempt), NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Valley Way, Sylvan Way, Fallsway, Gulfside |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, March 14, 2022 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
|
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
|
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Snowshoes are absolutely required and I wore them all day. I'd imagine crampons would be a better option for the final ascent, but I didn't make it that far. I was behind two sets of snowshoe tracks until Watson Path intersection, where I briefly chatted with the two gentlemen who had broken to that point. They had planned on doing a presidential traverse, but were having a lot more difficult time than they imagined and seemed very exhausted. I continued on ahead of them breaking the last and most difficult 1.5 miles up to the hut, not without incident. When I got to the giant boulders just passed Upper Bruin intersection, the drifts got 4 feet high and the trail hard to follow. That section of trail is on a somewhat steep side hill, and with the snowballing under my snowshoes, what looked like a socked in summit and not knowing if anyone else was coming up behind me, I decided to turn around. As I was going down, the summit cleared, taunting me. When I got back to the tentsite spur, I encountered my new friends. We had a brief discussion and decided we'd summit Mads together and then descend. They were exhausted so I'd break the rest of the way. They ended up bailing around 4500', but the trail was much less sketchy at this point, so I decided to continue to the hut and decide what to do then. By the time I arrived at the hut, the wind was howling and the snow blowing around. The summit of both mads and adams was completely socked in, so I bailed. Of course, by the time I got back to Appalachia, the summit was complete clear. I should have started 1.5 hours later. I took the opportunity to trace some trails I hadn't been on before and check out all the frozen falls. Overall a very fine day in the woods and the best leg workout I've gotten in a very long time. |
|
 | Name: |
robaro |
|
 | E-Mail: |
rcorsaro@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-15 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/6824288328 |
|
|
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. |
|
