| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
None, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Great Gulf Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 16, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The purpose of this trip was to explore a remote slide on the eastern side of Mt. Jefferson, essentially in-between Six Husbands Trail and Great Gulf Trail. I am not sure when this slide fell, but based on satellite photos it looks like it might have happened during Tropical Storm Irene.
I started at the Great Gulf trailhead at 6:30AM, finding no other cars in the lot; after a few miles of hiking I encountered continuous snow cover at 2,500 ft. and I switched to snowshoes, continuing a half-mile past Jefferson’s Knee in the direction of the Great Gulf. This was a rather long approach, as none of the trail was broken out. I left the trail and crossed the West Branch of the Peabody River, which was only partially frozen; once on the other side I immediately hit some nasty woods which transitioned to avalanche-flattened trees at the base of the slide. I bushwhacked 700 ft. up the northern side of the slide, mostly staying in the thick forest as a conservative measure. On occasion I would pop out onto a low-angle ledge to find excellent views up and down. After encountering large rolling pinwheels of snow and an increasing slope angle and snow depth, I decided to make my stopping point at 4,000ft., more or less the mid-point of the slide. A careful descent brought me back to the trail and I was back at the car before sundown, topping off an incredible day with no other hikers seen. |
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 | Name: |
timbercamp |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-12-16 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/timbercamp/albums/72177720308272212 |
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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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