| 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: |
Sunday, December 15, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Cog Railway charges a tenner per hiker. They have a separate hiker parking area, with an iron ranger. Parking was spic and span; I had no issues getting my grocery getter in or out. As I drove past the USFS parking, it seemed that one was also nicely cleaned up. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Standing/Running Water on Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Gem Pool had maybe 2 inches of ice, so crossing wasn't a big deal. That said, footfalls didn't have that reassuring "thunk" of really thick ice, more of a hollow sound. Be mindful. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Two blowdowns thus far, neither of which will slow you down even one iota. Besides that, the trail is nicely packed down, and the snow is well consolidated in the steeps. I think the snow and rain and snow weirdness that we had recently did indeed lay down a very nice foundation. You'll make great time. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None this outing. Poor pups, because this day was epic. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
As I write this, it's the 17th (took me a bit to write the blog post) and winds up there are howling along at around 100 MPH with freezing fog and nothing for visibility. As I hiked it two days ago, the winds were *barely* a felt breeze, and there was abundant sunshine with seasonably warm (low 20s) temps. Talk about picking it right! Views all around were as amazing as you could ever dream of. Once on the summit, I didn't want to go back down.
Snowshoes came along for the ride; at no point did I ever feel they'd be useful [carry for safety when there's snowpack at elevation]. Someone mentioned televators might be nice in the steep bit below Lakes of the Clouds, and maybe that's your thing. I went with micro spikes the whole way (as did pretty much everyone else before me) and never once thought something else would have been a better choice. You decide. The 2-3 people I met who'd hiked up Washington said the conditions there were mostly the same. Looking toward Eisenhower, similar.
This was a really sublime outing, especially from Lakes upward. Photos took themselves. More details are on my blog. Share and enjoy! |
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 | Name: |
Protean Wanderer |
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 | E-Mail: |
hiker@proteanwanderer.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-17 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.proteanwanderer.com/2024/12/17/trip-report-dont-ask-about-the-magic-on-monroe/ |
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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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