| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Air Line, Lowe's Path, Gulfside, Osgood Trail, Valley Way |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 20, 2014 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Appalachia plowed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Minor brook crossings at low elevations on both the Air Line and Valley Way were partially open but easy to cross on rocks |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Three trees across the Air Line two of which are walk arounds and the other a step over. One small downed tree on Valley Way. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None on trails. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
There was a snowshoe track from Appalachia to the tree line on both the Air Line and Valley Way although in spots it was narrow. Bare booters have roughed up the trail although the generally solid base supported them for the most part below tree line. At higher elevations the bare booters postholed often in drifted sections but got by on wind packed snow stretches. Saw some bare boot holes in to the spruce. The Osgood Trail up Mt Madison was chewed up by bare boot traffic. Found it easier to walk off trail at times. The cairns on the Air Line ascending Mt Adams were hard to differentiate from rime covered rocks. Nevertheless it was easy navigating to the summit in such clear conditions. The Lowe's Path was an easy descent route down Mt Adams to the Gulfside Trail. The Gulfside Trail from Thunderstorm Junction to Madison Hut involved some side hill effort around the cone of Mt Adams and had a lot of postholes creating uneven footing. Use of snowshoes with traction is the recommended footwear to preserve the condition of the trails. |
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 | Name: |
WAUMBEK |
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 | E-Mail: |
WAUMBEK at Roadrunner dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2014-12-21 |
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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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