| 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: |
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Cog Railway parking is plowed. There were snow squalls on the way out, so beware that the road might not be in the best shape. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossing Gem Pool felt a lot better this time around. Ice seems much thicker than in recent weeks. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No issues of consequence. |
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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 recent snowstorms, while giving the south of the state a firm wallop, fell with a relatively light touch over Washington. Generally, I hiked through about 3-5 inches of bone-dry powder on Ammonoosuc Ravine trail, and maybe a few inches more than that in drifts once on Crawford Path. However, once above treeline, the wind has shaped the snow such that in places, you might be walking on the top of a layer of compacted snow. One thing I did almost none of is postholing, nor much in the way of wading through drifts that were more than shin deep -- and only every once in a while at that. Nearer to the summit, things got weird in and amongst the boulders, but that was about the size of it. I made it trailhead to summit, and back again, in lightweight crampons, never once wanting to swap into the snowshoes I was carrying.
If you're working on the four seasons 48, and Washington is still on your autumn list, and the weather's clement on Saturday (the solstice begins that evening) there are a lot of reasons to give it a whirl. It's not the greatest at the moment, but even still, the trail ain't half bad right now.
As always, photos and a more detailed report on my blog. Enjoy! |
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 | Name: |
Protean Wanderer |
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 | E-Mail: |
hiker@proteanwanderer.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-12-18 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.proteanwanderer.com/2019/12/19/trip-report-mt-washington/ |
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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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