| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Crawford Path, Webster Cliff Trail, Eisenhower Loop, Edmands Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, August 30, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Met at Edmands Path trailhead at 11:45am. Room for at least two cars although it looked like it overflowed at one point. Then drove to Crawford Path. I avoided the $5 at the main lot and the $10 fee at the Highland Center by parking at the steps near the official start of the trail on 302. Usually this spot is empty or just has a couple other cars. Just be sure you’re off the road. Mt Clinton road is very bumpy and narrow but is in better shape than it was a few years ago |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Only the easiest of rock hops. No problems whatsoever even with the recent rain. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Crawford Path, as far as I recall, is not blazed including the section that coincides with the AT. Same with the Mt Eisenhower Loop. Nothing on the very short section of Webster Cliff Trail either. There was a cairn or to above tree line on these trails but not many as I recall. Edmands Path only seemed blazed down low. Fresher blue blaze close to the parking lot and some more faded light blue blaze maybe around halfway up before it stopped altogether. That said, all these trails are very well travelled (and eroded) and easy to follow. No major blowdowns. A widowmaker or two above the trail including one likely to soon fall maybe halfway or a little further up Edmands Path. A very small tree that fell and is partly on the trail along Crawford Path between Pierce and Eisenhower. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
A few well behaved ones on the trail. I think most or all of them were leashed. It was very cold and windy, particularly if headed to Eisenhower so some dogs may not have liked it. These trails are pretty dog friendly though. Bring lots of extra water as there isn’t a whole lot. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Picked up some small pieces of trash likely dropped accidentally and one small plastic water bottle left behind. |
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 | Comments: |
My friends 28th and 29th 4000 footer today. And I got Pierce for my August grid and Eisenhower for my...second grid??
Very cold and windy in a Crawford Notch. It even rained a bit on our way in. I was glad when we finally got from the car and into the woods. Definitely got colder and windier as we ascended and we were in cloud at a time but the clouds actually began to lift around the time we got to Mizpah Cutoff. By the time we reached the summit we actually had some views. We were astounded! We also got to see the clouds roll off Eisenhower! Things were surprisingly comfortable on the summit of Pierce. I still used my fleece, hard shell, and mittens though :) Things got much windier at times on the way to Ike but generally not too bad and lots of places to shelter. Then, when we got to the summit, there was some almost knock you over wind again. Crazy what a difference just a few feet makes.
My friends thermometer read about 35F around Ike and the wind probably gusted to 60-70mph at its worst so the windchill was probably in the teens on top of Eisenhower. The winds didn’t feel much over 30mph, if that, on Pierce though. The sun flirted with us between Pierce and Eisenhower and finally stayed out partway down Ike. Most people we saw were coming down as we were headed up. We definitely won out by doing this later in the day. Met lots of nice folks and talked at length with the one guy on Eisenhower when we got there :)
The trail was a mix of dry and wet from recent rain showers with some small puddles here and there and a little stream running down the trail at a point or two on the way up Pierce. Lots of wet rock but not usually slick. The trails are very eroded so not very conducive to mud. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-08-31 |
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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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