| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jackson, Mt. Webster, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 26, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I was really surprised to be the first car at 630am; when I returned at 1115am there were only a half dozen cars. Where is everyone? It’s Saturday! |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The first crossing, on the main Webster Jackson Trail, is still bridged enough that I didn’t even have to slow down to cross it. The lowest crossing on the Webster branch is bridged, which is great, because you absolutely have to stop and stare at the massive wall of blue ice! Everything else is still bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are lots of blowdowns, and only one appears new and only one is a potential problem. The new one is on the Webster Cliff Trail between Jackson and Webster and is obstructing the trail enough that you have to go around it. It appears new because there is a line of fresh postholes around it and really compacted trail under it. The problematic one is just after the Bugle Cliff junction. Though it’s pretty much laying on the ground, there is clearly a path around it and that area is wet and muddy on a good day. It might be a good one to remove to prevent erosion. It’s about 12” diameter. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I found a single Carhart glove on the Webster branch and packed out and left it on the trail sign on 302. |
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 | Comments: |
Route: Webster Jackson trail via the Jackson branch to the summit, then Webster Cliff to Webster, then the Webster branch of Webster Jasckson back to the main trail and back to my car.
Wowza, the ice was impressive. There are two goodly ice flows before Bugle Cliff, and then, as you would expect, the summit cone scramble via the Jackson branch of the Webster Jackson trail is hard and thick ice. A prior trail report said that the summit was bare rock; it currently is not! There are also two impressive ice flows coming off Jackson on Webster Cliff trail toward Webster. I was horrified to see what looked like a deep gouging skid mark from a crampon … fortunately the crampon person clearly continued on for the rest of the same loop that I hiked. The final bad icy sections are before and after the water crossing on the Webster branch of the Webster Jackson trail.
I wore Hillsounds all the way, except to climb up to the summit of Jackson and down and over to Webster, for which I wore crampons. I thought about putting them back on for the ice around the water crossing (described above) but just gutted it out at that point (a little but sketchy but I lived to tell about it!). Snowshoes went for a ride.
Very few people out today - just two small groups. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-03-26 |
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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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