| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Washington, Mt. Clay, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Great Gulf Trail, Gulfside, Trinity Heights Connector, Clay Loop, Sphinx Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, July 1, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked one car at Great Gulf lot for the end, and one car at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center for the start. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Most crossings were manageable, the ledge crossing above the gorge on Sphinx Trail was low enough we could make it across with only wet feet. This crossing can be dangerous in high water. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Two large spruce trees, about 10” in diameter, are across the Sphinx Trail at 4200’ |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw (and pet) plenty of sweet pups at the Sherman Adams summit building, most who rode up in cars. They’re not allowed inside the summit building. |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies were brutal on Great Gulf, even in the scree, worse by the water. Noseeums still loving our tents, but also had a lot more black flies at camp today. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a large (full pack size) bright blue Deuter pack cover on Trinity Heights (AT) heading up to Washington summit building, turned it over to info desk staff. |
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 | Comments: |
This is day two of a three day report.
We started off this morning at 7:45, making quick work of the Great Gulf Trail up to Spaulding Lake. A few greasy spots along this stretch, especially by the waterfalls. Weetamoo Cascade was grand after the night’s rain. We found route finding to be a bit tricky once we climbed the river called trail. The scree fields are marked scantly with small cairns and very old yellow blazes when available. We were grateful to modern technology for helping us to ensure we were at least close to the right route. Once we met the Gulfside junction things were status quo. We made our way up to the summit building using the Trinity Heights Connector, and talked with some familiar faces at the information desk before having chili dogs and coffee. Returning to the trails we made our way up and over Mt. Clay via the loop trail, and ran into far more people than we thought we would! Finally, we came to the Sphinx Trail. We told ourselves to remember how happy we were a short while ago, in about 45 minutes. The trail is a river in most places, often greasy and requiring care. We saw no evidence of the “Sphinx”, and admired the numerous falls along the way. We managed to cross the final big ledge above the gorge pretty easily, though our feet got wet. This section can be fast flowing, and very slippery, making for a dangerous combination with higher waters considering the gorge below. We were lucky today! Once again, we were happy to be back at camp, and with plenty of an appetite. |
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 | Name: |
bria, Nordic-gal |
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 | E-Mail: |
breahmaria@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-01 |
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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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