| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Washington, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Jewell Trail, Gulfside, West Side |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, April 18, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I parked at the Ammo lot. If you park there, remember it’s year round fee to park. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Bridges. Actual bridges. Yippee!! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
So Jewell Trail has had a really rough winter. There are multiple significant blowdowns and only two appear new. There is an awkward one just below the Jewell Link junction that didn’t have any sort of tracks around it this morning. It’s almost parallel to the trail. The other one that appears new is about 0.3 miles below treeline and is huge (at least 18” diameter) and is really bushy across the trail. Those of us that hiked Jewell today made ourselves a little workaround but that one is a bit of a beast. :(
Additionally, I could be wrong, but I think that the Gulfside trail sign, at the summit, is missing. I knew where to go, having gone that way before!! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Did not see any today. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not yet! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
There is a microspike at the Ammo lot. |
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 | Comments: |
I was the first one up Jewell today; 2-4” new snow down low and 4-6” above treeline (with lots of drifts up to 12”). Microspikes to treeline then snowshoes for the WIN!! I have trouble following some parts of Jewell (above treeline) in the summer, and really struggled breaking this out today. I definitely blew it on one little section - I was too close to the cairn in a section where the trail isn’t right next to the cairn. That was my only error and it was short, thankfully!!
Gulfside is a bit easier to follow and again snowshoes for the win!
I took West Side over to the Cog and snowshoed up the west side of the Cog to where Gulfside comes across the Cog. (In January a super experienced hiker - Kyle L - took me this way during poor visibility conditions in January and now that I could see things, today, I can see why!). Ice started when I was halfway up that little section of the Cog and it continued up Gulfside almost to the summit. It’s thick, in most places. For that I switched to Hillsounds, and for the most part my Hillsounds got a bite when I kicked my feet down, so I didn’t switch to crampons.
On the way down I wore the same traction at the same places but it was super sunny and warm (20s, no wind!) which was awesome for comfort but terrible for snow stability so of course everything turned to mashed potatoes. Which wouldn’t have been terrible except that there was ice under the mashed potatoes. So that made the descent super slow. Which was ok, because the views were amazing!!
Today I met the famous “Old Man with the Saw” and his friend Malia, and also saw Jane again (I saw her last week on the Kinsmans!). Small world! |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-04-18 |
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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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