| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pierce, Mt. Jackson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Crawford Path, Mizpah Cutoff, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster Jackson Trail, Saco Lake Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, May 5, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only car when I showed up Tuesday. Three cars when I left Wednesday. Mt Clinton Road gate is open |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Lowest one on the Webster Jackson trail is the only one that wasn't bridged and it wasn't an issue. Flow was low enough for a simple hop over |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Two blow downs coming down from Jackson. They are only partly in the trail, so you can get around them easy. The lower one is large and would need and ax or saw to cut. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw one that seemed happy. They will probably stay on top of the snow better than you, but might still sink in in some places |
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 | Bugs: |
Saw 1 fly buzzing around |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a few little bits of trash and one new Powerade bottle that appeared to have rolled off trail at an intersection |
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 | Comments: |
Ice started in the trail lower than I expected. Up to Mizpah Cuttoff we bare booted, but spikes could help in places. Started with bare boots on Cutoff and I eventually put on my snowshoes after post-holing enough. I should have put them on at the start of the trail. Left them on for the climb to Pierce and back to the hut. Measured snow at about 3.5 ft on Pierce near summit. Spent night at the hut where our group of 3 were the only ones there. Over to Jackson I wore snowshoes while the other 2 in my group didn't (they don't have any). I sank in some, they sank in a lot. Coming down Jackson, the monorail was much firmer and they didn't sink in as much. A little above the Webster-Jackson split I took off my snowshoes for good. Along the ridge, many small trees are bent over in the trail making it narrow or hard to follow in places. I pulled what I could out of the snow, but more melting is needed to let them all stand upright again.
The monorail was firm in places, soft in places, hard to find in places, and just plain not there in places. It really was a mixed bag. You could walk right on top for a while, then you would start sinking in to your knees every step for a while. Snowshoes strongly recommended up high still. |
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 | Name: |
sdways01 |
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 | E-Mail: |
sdways01 at yahoo dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-05-08 |
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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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