| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside, Airline, Lowes Path, Jefferson Loop, Gray Knob Trail, Hincks Trail, Amphibrach |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, April 18, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Appalachia |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing notable |
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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: |
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 | Comments: |
As noted in other Northern Presi reports - mixed bag of conditions out there. Overall, slower going but not terrible trail conditions. With warmer temps in the coming days, hopefully things will settle a little more and melt out above treeline. For the most part, it's a "choose your comfort traction" kind of situation.
Valley way has a pretty strong monorail emerging, some weird sections on the side hills up higher that some may prefer the traction of snowshoes for ascent/descent. For us, Hillsound spikes went on within the first mile and were the primary traction of the day.
Above treeline, unfortunately we're back into that tricky "early season" predicament where new snow has filled in between the rocks but isn't solid enough to support weight. You can pretty much "rock hop" your way around you need to be mindful about stepping into snow spots because the danger of postholing into ankle-breaking rocks is real. Hopefully this all melts out in the next few days and we're back to bare up there.
Jefferson snowfield is substantial, had new snow on it which was balling up in our spikes, but was an easy cross today. Fortunately conditions were such that we could kick steps in and get really good purchase. I was solo on the way back through and chose to put snowshoes on for extra traction, I saw others put crampons on, and yet another bypassed the whole thing by going above it. It changes by the day/temperature, so conditions another day might be different. I carried crampons but didn't use them, if it had been colder or more melty, I probably would have.
I went down Lowes Path, Hinks, and Amphibrach and once below treeline all were a pleasant and easy descent on slushy monorail down to the Valley. Spikes came off around 1500 ft. |
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 | Name: |
woodsyjess |
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 | E-Mail: |
woodsyjess@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-04-19 |
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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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