| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Pierce, Mt. Jackson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster-Jackson Trail, Saco Lake Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 21, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All were snowbridged or easily rock hopped. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a few leaners along the Webster Cliff Tr including a couple big ones between Mizpah Hut and Mizpah Cutoff. Between the boggy areas north of Mt Jackson the trail is thick with bent over spruce. I removed about 45 limbs from a large spruce that fell in line with the trail about a half mile above the Webster-Jackson split and just below that I was greeted by a snowman.:) Some bog bridges along the Saco Lake Tr have floated out of place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Marlie had a good time leading most of this hike. The snow supports four paws well and there were no sketchy icy spots to cause concern. Though about but never put her jacket on while on Eisenhower. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I did some spring cleaning by picking up several wrapper corners, some red rubber pieces, 1 AA battery, and an odd piece of plastic. |
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 | Comments: |
I was thrilled today to meet only three people near the Mizpah Cutoff along Crawford Path then no one on the way to Eisenhower and all the way back to just below the summit of Mt Jackson. It was a rare treat to have the ridge to myself and Marlie. I put microspikes on at the Crawford Connector and kept them on until the end of the Saco Lake Tr. Not sure how the trail would be between Mizpah Hut and Mt Jackson I decided to bring the snowshoes. They would get a free ride and I was the only person that I saw that had them. When I was on Eisenhower the cloud deck was at about 5000' and the winds were pretty steady but by the time I reached Jackson the clouds were gone, the sun was out, and I could get almost completely out of the wind on the south side of the summit. Crawford Path was well packed below Pierce but along the ridge it was very choppy and icy along the rocky sections. Responsible hikers will wear light traction to stay on the trail and off of the vegetation. Mt Eisenhower Loop was a mix of rock and ice. Heading south from Mt Pierce, the trail is well packed but signs of the monorail are present. Briefly lost the trail south of the hut near the Mizpah Cutoff, Marlie got us back on track. Someone had bare booted through here in the last couple of days sinking in 8 inches or more with each step. Some post holes I saw today were crotch deep. Ouch! It was very firm today and I rarely sunk an inch. The Jackson Branch was softening in the afternoon but still supportive and the lower portion was a mix of snow ice and bare ground. Saco Lake Tr was icy and wet along the southern end.
11.6 miles 3975' elev+ 6 hr 10 min |
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 | Name: |
IQuest |
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 | E-Mail: |
iandanner@hotmail com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-04-21 |
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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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