| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Monroe, Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop, Nelson Crag Trail, Gulfside, Jewell Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the Ammo lot on the Base Road. Mid-week, after Labor Day. This is a USFS lot, so parking needs a pass or payment of $5 fee. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The one a short way up Ammo was an easy rock hop, as was the one at the Gem Pool. The high one, a half mile or so above the Gem Pool, also was easy; the sheet of water flowing across that ledge was uniform and very shallow. The two low down on Jewell are bridged, so they don't count. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are mostly in good shape, with the steady erosion from foot traffic evident here and there. Half way down the upper part of Jewell that is above tree line, we found ourselves on a swithback to the left, approaching a wide boulder field, and realized that we were perhaps 100' off the trail, as we could see a couple of cairns off to our left. We also realized that we have been off trail at this very place in prior descents, and we didn't know just where we had gone off.
Low down on Jewell, immediately after crossing the second bridge (the one close to the road), there is a lot of herd path going both left and right. If one mistakenly turns right after the bridge, this path quickly peters out. The correct way is to go left from the bridge, perhaps 100' upstream, to where the trail climbs the embankment on the south side of the river. This shouldn't be a problem if ascending Jewell, as the bridge can be seen from where the trail comes down to the river. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We saw one, older, coming down, and with paws wrapped after being cut on the rock surfaces high up. |
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 | Bugs: |
None this time of year. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Someone left a pair of poles and a bottle of Powerade by the restrooms at the lot. |
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 | Comments: |
Nice day for an OTHH outing. Wind picked up approaching the hut, and it was nice to get into the lee of the building and inside to layer up more for the trip up Monroe. Temperature was in the low 40s, but oh, that wind going up Monroe! I was glad I had on mitts and ski hat, and then I had to pull the wind shell hood up and tied closed. I figured we'd be in for more of this going up Washington, but oddly the wind wasn't anywhere near as bad, until after the Crawford Path met Gulfside below the very top.
For the descent, we took the Nelson Crag trail as far as the train track, then followed the track closely. After that short rocky piece of NC, following the track was surprisingly easy and fast down to where Gulfside crosses the track. One of our party followed the track to the bottom, reporting later that it was just as easy the whole way. The rest of us took Jewell. Meeting at cars, we celebrated the completion of an 8th round of the 48 by two of the group. |
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 | Name: |
Pappy |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-09-11 |
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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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