| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Cog station hiker parking lot as well as the upper parking lot near the station |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Major crossings still bridged, small streams were open |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The forecast for today seemed reasonable for a climb although Friday got the banner forecast originally listed for today. I learned that although warm temperatures, i.e. in the 30’s may seem attractive for a climb it brings another set of problems: layering challenges to stay dry and wet sticky snow to name a few. I started with microspikes which was laughable as the snow just balled up underneath. I might as well been bare booting. At the Gem pool I changed to crampons, big crampons, which also balled up. Halfway up the Ammo trail it started to drizzle plus water was dripping off the trees. About .3 miles from the Lakes Hut the Ammo trail deviates from the established route and brings you to a water ice area on the north side of the hut. It was in this section that one of my legs fell into a spruce trap when I went a few inches off the established treadway. The Ammo trail is in tough shape at the moment with very wet sticky loose snow. Coming down it was treacherous particularly in places where people had butt slided down. The very sticky snow all the way to the summit made the climb very challenging as it was necessary to frequently knock the snowballs off. Those with anti-balling plates on their crampons fared much better. Entered the clouds just before the hut and stayed in the clouds all the way to the summit. There was limited visibility but cairns could be clearly seen and trail junctions were clearly marked. Not too windy on the summit, some 30 mph gusts. |
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 | Name: |
Dexhiker |
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 | E-Mail: |
dexpcdoc@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-01-21 |
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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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