| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Monroe, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 19, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at the large, plowed Ammo lot.off the Cog Road. This is a fee lot ($5 per day). |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing of significance. |
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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: |
Mitten lost to the Dry River Wilderness. Wind ripped it right out of my numb hand. |
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 | Comments: |
Route:
Out and back on Ammonoosuc and Mt Monroe Loop trails.
Ammonoosuc: Snowsohes used for the entirety of this trail. Well blazed in blue. The first 0.9 miles are a bit chewed up from bare booters/spikers. But it is broken out. For the remainder to tree line, it seems some snowshoes have been out but the trench remains soft. Almost spikeable... Almost. The trench goes all the way to tree line. At treeline the winds blew snow into the trail, and on trees that had blazes. So since I was in snowshoes, I created my own route. I tried to follow the trail where I could find markers. At the hut I donned all above tree line gear. I ran into the only person I saw all day. He had come from Jewell over Washington to the Ammo. When I asked him about Jewell, he said "Snowshoes would have been nice." That's when I realized he was only wearing spikes and had NO SNOWSHOES on his pack. I can't even... On my return, the hiker had done his best to step in my snowshoe prints to avoid creating postholes. This did not work all that well above tree line where I had to make my own path. It did mostly work below treeline. So that hiker did not posthole the trail to hell.
Mt Monroe loop: I quickly realized that spikes/ crampons were needed as there was way more ice than snow. My glasses were too iced up to wear, but I followed carins where I could make them out (my own vision deficits, not clouds or snow), and made my own trail in other places. The wind was fierce, knocking me around like a drunk boxer. It was harrowing up there in that wind, esp after I lost my mitten. That was the longest coldest minute ever to get into my pack to retrieve my back up pair of winter mittens.
Be safe up there!! Even carrying snowshoes on your pack helps keep your legs trained up for summertime backpacking. As we said in the Army; "That's some good training. Good training right there." |
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-01-20 |
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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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