| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jefferson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Jewell Trail, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, February 12, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Cog Railway Base Rd. has a little packed snow/ice in places but enough sand/salt to make it reasonably safe at 30 mph; this may change with upcoming snow. Ammonoosuc Ravine Trailhead parking lot is plowed, with a thin layer of packed snow. Vault toilets are available at the parking lot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Other than the footbridges across Ammonoosuc River and Clay Brook, all the streams could be crossed in one hop (or two hops with a place to step in the middle). |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The wooden sign at the Gulfside-Sphinx Trail junction is horizontal, on the ground, maybe knocked over by the wind a week ago?
There were two places on Jewell Trail where branches of small trees are encroaching on the trail: one was about halfway up, and the other was just before the trees become scrub. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Jewell Trail is well-packed snow up to the point it emerges from the trees; microspikes or snowshoes are fine for this part - the trail is solid enough that microspikes create no new postholes [will change with weather!], though there are some old ones to look out for - these make the path a little uneven in places. Above that point, where the trees become scrub and then disappear completely, and also on Gulfside and Mt. Jefferson Loop, the trail is a mix of thin packed snow, ice and rocks - crampons work well here, though sharp microspikes are also sufficient; snowshoes would be awkward here because there are lot of rocks and not much snow.
The west winds today were strongest on Monticello Lawn. They were less at the summit, and almost nonexistent at the Gulfside-Caps Ridge Trail junction immediately below the summit. |
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 | Name: |
mathbp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-02-12 |
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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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