Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce - Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path - 5-5-2013

Hiking Trail Conditions Report
	Peaks	Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce, NH

	Trails:	Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path

	Date of Hike:	Sunday, May 5, 2013

	Parking/Access Road Notes:	I parked right across the street from trailhead, near Elephant's head. Lot was almost full when I got there around 9:30 am Sat. Lots of hikers out. Saw a guy scaling E Head Sun afternoon when I got back to my car. Startling at first, then just cool.

	Surface Conditions:	Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Standing/Running Water on Trail

	Recommended Equipment:	Snowshoes, Light Traction

	Water Crossing Notes:	None of the crossings was so strong as to be impassable. The zone where snow bridges were breaking down was around 3000'.

	Trail Maintenance Notes:	Major spruce blowdown in middle of trail on Webster-Jackson - Jackson leg, at 3100' or so, not far before the first, biggest, Silver Cascade brook crossing. Maintainers have sawed off its many limbs that get in the hiker's way. It can be mounted like a horse to meander over it.

	Dog-Related Notes:	Lots of happy hounds out on trail all weekend.

	Bugs:	A few bugs pestered me along the way, nothing too terrible. Blue ribbon goes to the mosquito who alit on my left hand at 3725' on my ascent up Jackson. Almost let it feed off me out of respect for its ambition.

	Lost and Found:


	Comments:	It was a gorgeous weekend. There was occasional ice and monorail, but mostly dry trail and mud to the W-J split. Monorail took over just after, I donned the spikes at about 3K. As the day progressed, the rail grew weaker and the going got sloppier. Spikes helped for the scrambly, tricky first 100' vertical of the cone ascent. The last ledgy 50' vertical was bare rock by Sat afternoon. Likewise for the northward descent via W-C. Put spikes back on to reckon with ice and snow in places going down the cone after the initial open ledges. Butt sliding after that. Then snowshoes to Mitpah Hut. The rail was giving way a lot. Conditions were firmer but getting slushy up Pierce in the morning, still pretty firm between its two summits, snow free once at the summit cairn and in the alpine, tree-less zone eastward, down to Crawford Path junction and the mostly bare ledges just north. Massive snow field just westward for maybe 0.2 with 5+ foot drop-offs from the rail in places. It mellowed out and was mostly much gentler to the Mitzpah Cutoff, the steeper stretch below that was mitigated by the fast-diminishing level of the snow - I wore snowshoes to about 3100', spikes for the next few hundred, took them off amid the spruce and firs as the rail finally died. My favorite tidbit about Jackson was its extraordinary angle on Clay, especially in the warm later afternoon light. The views were superb in all directions, with Mansfield, for instance, easily discerned. Enjoyed seeing Camel's Hump from the northeast shoulder ledges of Pierce, of course enjoyed the breathtaking, Sound-of-Music-like iconic Presi view from Pierce's summit and east face and really loved looking back on the Presi's northward as I trekked over the massive snowfield just westward. Gibbs Falls, which was running strong, was a pretty capstone to a beautiful weekend. My hike to Pierce was solo, but for passing two hikers en route, and lunch at the summit was solo for a few minutes, then I was joined by an assertive Grey Jay - fed him two almonds and left one behind for him. A nice couple came up from Crawford Path as I descended, and, from there, I encountered at least 25 hikers coming and going.

	Name:	Chris Stratton

	E-Mail:	christrattonlaw@gmail.com

	Date Submitted:	2013-05-06

	Link:	https://facebook.com/arkie_in_ct
		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.