Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Monroe, Mt. Washington, NH |
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| Trails: |
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Gulfside, Jewell Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Monday, February 15, 2016 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The lower hiker's lot at the Cog Railway is not plowed so parked up near the Cog Railway building. |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
There were no issues - everything is frozen over. |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There were a some blowdowns on Jewell Trail - two big ones and a few smaller ones. Able to get under, over or arond them. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Did this one with Monica and the Random Group of Hikers. Started with snowshoes and kept them on the entire day. The lower sections of Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail were barebootable but the heel lifts were greatly appreciated on the steeps. There was plenty of crusted over snow up to the hut and then from the hut to Monroe so never considered taking the snowshoes off. It was nice enough to sit outside the hut for a rest break. The conditions were similar for the trek up to Washington, although when we got close we left the trail and simply went up to the summit. The snow was solid enough that snowshoes, along with the heel lifts, were a good choice. Once we got over Washington and crossed the tracks we had a decision to make - the trail near the gulf was a solid sheet of what looked like boilerplate ice. Snowshoes wouldn't be the right traction and even with crampons the ice looked a little disconcerting so we opted to keep our snowshoes on and use the drifted snow adjacent to the tracks to descend to the cop between Washington and Clay. It was a good decision and was relatively easy. There was some deep snow on the upper portion of the Jewell Trail so snowshoes worked well there too. Once below treeline the snow was packed and while it could have been barebootable kept the snowshoes on until the end. |
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| Name: |
Michael & Monica |
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| E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-02-16 |
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| Link: |
https://www.meetup.com/random-hikers/events/228078134/ |
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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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