Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, NH |
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| Trails: |
Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop |
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| Date of Hike: |
Friday, January 8, 2021 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable) |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns; Webster Cliff Trail had 3-6" of powder with some drifts & some consolidated sections. Micro spikes were adequate for all conditions today. Bring snowshoes if we get any snow at all this week. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Only one furry pal today coming down from Jackson. Note: water sources & seeps are freezing up quickly so carry extra water for your 4-legged companions. |
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| Bugs: |
You're kidding, right? |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
Got a late start at 11:30 with temps around 20 but still figured I could do the loop in less than 5 1/2 hours if I didn't dawdle, chat or take pics. Well I was pretty chatty today! Made it up to Jackson in 1:15 & the summit pitch was a bit tricky and very windy. Finding Webster Cliff trail was difficult but after 150 yards the path became fairly clear and got more consolidated further on. One other hiker had come down from Eisenhower so there were faint tracks to keep me on trail. I was going to resign myself to just going to Pierce & coming down Crawford Path but I met a couple about 1/3 of the way to Mizpah Hut and I decided at that point it was "Eisenhower or Bust". The hut came quickly and the trail past the hut got very steep but was still firm. I made it to Pierce in about an hour from Webster and headed right up Crawford to Eisenhower. Crawford Path was largely well-sheltered but it was very windy and cold where the trail came out in the open. It had been overcast all day but the sun came out soon after I headed up Mt Eisenhower Loop and warmed up my dark blue shell. The cone was quite windy and the last .1 was painfully cold into a 50+ MPH headwind. Made it to the summit at 2:35, just 50 minutes after leaving Pierce. It took 20 minutes before I could blink comfortably and was very glad when I reached Crawford Path again! Crawford was so firm I was able to make it down from Eisenhower summit to Rte 302 in 1:40 (no running). Total time for the 11-mile loop was 4:45 (including 15+ minutes of chat) and this marks peaks 15, 16 & 17 in 9 days of hiking as I try to do the single-season Winter 48 at age 60 (SOLO with no car-spotting). I'll be off-trail until 1/14 due to a travel commitment; what a shame to waste 5 days of perfect trail conditions! |
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| Name: |
Bob H |
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| E-Mail: |
hynoskyb@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-01-08 |
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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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