| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jefferson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Caps Ridge Trail, The Cornice, Gulfside, Sphinx Trail, Great Gulf Trail, Six Husbands Trail, Edmands Col Cutoff |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, June 23, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We parked at Caps Ridge trailhead where there is plenty of parking. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Sphinx Trail water crossings were dicey up high. The uppermost major one (waterfall in the narrow ravine) was an ankle deep wade in fast moving water. The next one had some sturdy but very slippery logs up high above the water and at an angle. It was a nail biter. The Six Husbands crossing of the Peabody River was not possible at the trail but, as noted in the WMG, was more possible slightly upstream. It was an ankle deep wade until I stepped on a rock that moved, and then it was knee deep! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Sphinx and Six Husbands have a lot of blowdowns and are very grown in. The Sphinx blowdowns are mostly incredibly helpful - those rocky parts with the running water are very slippery and it’s great to have something to hold onto.
Edmands Col Cutoff is also very overgrown, and some of the cairns are missing. Or maybe they are just incognito? It’s hard to see the cairns in talus fields!! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Oh my starry stars. They were insane. Swarming, mostly not biting above treeline. We have video, from various points of the day, and the swarms of bugs are somewhat comical. They were bothersome but fortunately I have less than 10 new bites. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I lost my sanity hiking Edmands Col Cutoff as an out-and-back, and have personally renamed this trail. |
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 | Comments: |
The goal was to hike Sphinx, Six Husbands and Edmands Col Cutoff. Mission accomplished. We went up Caps Ridge -> Cornice -> Gulfside and over to Sphinx Col. Because I am hiking the WMG solo, PackFlag headed off to Clay and Adams while I headed down Sphinx.
Sphinx is a fabulous trail. The views into Great Gulf are spectacular, and then you start hiking down a brook. I felt like I was hiking down Madison Gulf Trail (you’re not supposed to do that, right?). The rocks were incredibly slippery and I was happy for every single blowdown and tree, to have something to hold onto. The water crossings were nail biters. The mile took me 90 minutes but I made it safely.
The Great Gulf one mile segment between Sphinx and Six Husbands is beyond fabulous - the waterfall views on the Peabody are gorgeous.
I also greatly enjoyed Six Husbands and honestly didn’t see what all of the fuss was about, regarding the ladders. There were two vertical ledge scrambles that were a bit of a challenge because I am 5’3” and solo but I found handholds that worked for my fingertips and the toes of my trailrunners, amd made it work. The climb up and over Jefferson knee was one of the most spectacular and memorable things that I have done in the WMNF. Really amazing.
Edmands Col Cutoff made me question my life choices. Seriously. Those endless sketchy sidehill talus fields are zero percent fun. Zero percent. Nearly every foot placement was on rocks that moved and I was concerned about starting a slide. Eek!! Sigh. It was slow going, but I made it!
Once complete with Six Husbands I joined back up with PackFlag and we summited Jefferson and then headed down Caps Ridge. It was a bluebird day and though I saw not a single person on the solo parts of my adventure, PackFlag saw about 3 dozen. There were about 10 at the Jefferson summit when we were there. Great day to be above treeline! |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl and PackFlag |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-06-23 |
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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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