| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Jewell Trail, Gulfside, Cog Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Forest Service parking lot at Ammonoosuc Ravine trail was well plowed with little ice. I was first car at 7:00 am. Probably 10 to 15 cars at 1:00 pm. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
two of the crossings had bridges the only other water crossing presented no problems |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are two minor step overs and one area where trees came down, probably back in October, but that area is easy to get around |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
There was one dog on the trail today and he/she was handling the conditions like a pro. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
nothing |
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|
 | Comments: |
very stable snow base on the trail beginning at Ammonoosuc parking area with trace amounts of new snow, trail stayed solidly packed the entire way with new snow gradually increasing to between 2 and 3 inches at about 3,600 feet. Snowshoes were not necessary. . Once above tree line all rocks were snow covered with some drifts having built up next to the trail. After you are on Gulfside Trail the drifts next to the trail can be a foot and a half to two feet deep. The cairns are all covered with rime ice and that can sometimes make them almost indistinguishable from other rocks. A few times I accidentally wandered off the trail. The snow fields leading directly up to the summit were a few feet deep. All the trail signs above tree line are well covered with ice; making reading them difficult or impossible. I wore micro spikes the entire way as did all of the other hikers I met.
A remarkable weather day for winter. Almost no wind, skies were clear and the trail was about as close to perfect as it can get in winter. Looking westward the views were fantastic, you could see some clouds down lower. Looking eastward, especially along the Great Gulf, the clouds extended in a solid mass eastward to the Wildcats/Carter and over into Maine. However you were above all of that. The clouds stopped at the rim of the Great Gulf. There was no wind that I could feel when I was at the summit. All of those hiking in the Presidential's today won the weather lottery. I passed 7 people on the trail, one of whom summed up the day best when he said "the summit of Mt. Washington simply beckoned you upward." |
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 | Name: |
Bruce |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2018-03-06 |
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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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