| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jefferson (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Jewell Spur, Jewell Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 2, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked next to the cog railway station. No fee in winter. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
At the Cog railway station the hiker bridge across the Ammonoosuc brook was removed after it became damaged in 2011. As of this entry there is a relatively safe place to cross slightly upstream. We did not actually cross here (see below). |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are two major blowdowns on the Jewell trail requiring short off-trail detours. Also, a couple of step over blowdowns. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Jewell trail relocated spur, Jewell trail spur, Jewell trail
Given the grim forecast for the Mt. Jefferson summit (60 mph winds gusting to 75 mph, up to -31 wind chill, overcast, and in the clouds) it was doubtful that we would reach the summit today. Decided to call this a reconnaissance hike to become familiar with the trail. Found the sign to the Jewell trail spur just on the other side of the cog railway tracks. A staircase from here put us directly down into running water from a fork of the Ammonoosuc brook. Although this was easy to cross, just beyond it was the main fork with a rapidly moving stream with ice shelves. Without taking the time to scout the area we decided to try option B – the relocated Jewell spur trail. According to the latest WM Guide the spur trail was relocated in 2011 since the hiker bridge was removed. We followed the service road which parallels the train tracks crossing the Ammo brook via a vehicle bridge then looking for a stake indicating where to turn left and cross the tracks with the help of wooden stairs. Unfortunately there was no stake nor wooden stairs. After proceeding up the unplowed road a ways we crossed the tracks then split up to find the opening in the woods for the re-route. We eventually found it and hiked the 30 or 40 feet before it joins the regular spur trail. A rope across the reroute here and a sign indicates that the re-route is closed. Except for the couple blowdowns mentioned the Jewell is in good shape. Most of us were able to bareboot the unbroken trail. At treeline we layered up and put on full crampons (half inch microspikes would have been a better choice). The next stretch was easy to follow as the trail followed an open area between low scrub. When the scrub vegetation ended we had to follow cairns. The footing with full crampons was treacherous since there was not much snow over bare rock Following the trail got progressively more difficult since the snow covered cairns resembled other land features. The visibility decreased as we climbed higher with denser fog, more wind, and dropping temperatures. We reached a point where we could not see the next cairn. Collectively we decided not to continue as we were concerned about being able to follow the trail back down. The GPS indicated that we had reached a point one tenth of a mile from the Gulfside Trail intersection. We returned the way we came noting where it was best to cross the tracks and climb the hill to enter the woods. |
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 | Name: |
Dexhiker |
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 | E-Mail: |
dexpcdoc@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-01-04 |
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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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