| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Bowman, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Clay, Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Castle Trail, bushwhack, Jefferson Loop, Gulfside, Clay Loop, Trinity Heights Connector, Crawford Path, Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, future Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, September 14, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Ammo lot parking lot almost full at 6:55 upon return dozens and dozens of cars were parked along base road. Parking at Castle trail just a few cars upon arrival and departure. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easily rock hop-able |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Blazes need to be painted. Congrats to Mt.Wash State Park for painting blazes on the AT, thank you. Ammo Trail is the regular mess, why they don't put up some ladders for their huts guests??? What a mess the lower Ammo Trail is, geez nothing has been done to improve that crappy trail, bog bridges are rotted out and the Franklin Brook Crossing is a total shit show even at low water trail. Trails were free of blowdowns |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
I wouldn't take a dog above tree line |
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 | Bugs: |
none , yippee |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Castle Trail is always nice we only saw one person. Bushwhack to recognized wooded summit of Mt. Bowman took about 45 minutes around trip, some nice obstructed views. Flags on 48, twenty-five people took part in bringing the big flag to Jefferson's summit and there must have been 25 more people hanging around up there with a line coming up Caps. Lots of people out, no surprise. We went over the quiet Mt. Clay where we didn't meet anyone. Back on Gulfside tons of people going up and down. We avoided long long summit photo line and just walked over the summit, no one said anything. We went down to the pack room to use bathrooms and have a snack, too bad there isn't a place to fill water bottles down there. Long line to fill water bottles upstairs that was made worse by a pair of completely clueless people that stood and blocked the spigot while trying to close their water bags and organize them in their pack. I thought their might be a riot butfinally someone kind of forced them to step aside. Beautiful day to look down the spine of the ridges! Ammo was pretty dry descending to Gem Pool. At Gem Pool I easily found the entrance to the reroute that they are constructing. Reroute from Hell, What the heck are they thinking? At the rate they're building it maybe what they done will be grown-in or washed out. The climb out of the Gem Pool is nothing but the climb out of Monroe Brook, yikes and the switchbacks down once they bring you all over the place and the big surprise is that this connects less than a tenth from the Ammo Link, it longer, more climbing and nearly doesn't save anything. What are they thinking? This is a horror show of a reroute. The rest of the Ammo trail to the parking lot is a muddy, rooty, rotten bog bridges mess and it appears most people don't where to cross Franklin Brook, what a muddy mess. We will never hike this way again and gladly pay the Cog anything they want to charge to park in the future. Has anyone else tried out the not yet opened reroute? Skiers won't be able to use this path with its sharp turns and ups and downs. |
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 | Name: |
Nordic_Gal, bryan |
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 | E-Mail: |
amybike@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-09-15 |
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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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