| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Madison, Mt. Adams, Mt. Adams 5, Mt. Jefferson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Way, Watson Path, Osgood Trail, Gulfside, Airline, Jefferson Loop, Randolph Path, Gray Knob, Lowes Path, The Link |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, November 3, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Appalachia lot off US 2 in Randolph, NH. Large paved lot that is plowed in winter after storms. Kiosk, no privy. AMC shuttles closed until June 1, 2023. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing of Snyder Brook on Watson Path was accomplished on ice covered rocks. That was eventful… |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One new blowdown on Watson, not obstructing the trail. The remaining blue blazes on Lowes are very faded. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
3 dogs seen having a nice time. Very attentive owners watching for paw damage. Glad to have helped one doggo not aggressively bark at people. But she scared one person, and he kindly asked for the owner to hold the dog as he passed (she did this gladly). |
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 | Bugs: |
Some seen around 4000 feet but not a nuisance. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Route:
Valley Way > Watson Path > Osgood > Gulfside (AT) > Airline > Lowes Path > Gulfside (AT) > Mt Jefferson Loop > Randolph Path > Gray Knob > Lowes Path > The Link
Valley Way: popular well travelled route to Madison. Well blazed in blue, well maintained. Signs up, legible. Minor leaf litter in lower elevations.
Watson: grueling ascent of Madison on the north flank. But I could not face another ascent of Valley Way today… Not blazed, but small signs help after crossing the Snyder Brook. No ice on trail, still carried rock spikes just in case. Winds not so bad, surprisingly. Carins mark the way above tree line, they may not be big enough to mark the route in winter.
Osgood: this is the AT and is marked with huge carins. Some white blazes. No ice. Steep and rugged. Water flowing from the spring that runs by the hut (filter/ purify though).
Gulfside: this is the AT and is blazed in standard white blazes, in parts. For the most part it is marked by large carins, visible above the snowpack most times. No ice. Thought I may have run into Phillip Werner… dude looked just like him. There was some water on the portion between Adams and Jefferson. It was not frozen but it is in, or right next to the trail. So… you decide if it’s good for you.
Airline: blazed in faded blue blazes. Large carins mark the route. No ice.
Mt Jefferson Loop: marked with carins, one large one at the summit. No ice as it was quite hot ascending with full sun and low wind on that side. Fun meeting a fellow gridder who is 87.8% done!!!
Randolph Path: well marked with carins as it heads into the scrub. This does merge with Israel Path for a bit, all signs up, legible. Due to the talus, it takes more time than you think to traverse this segment.
Gray Knob: not blazed, small carins mark the path. I like this little trail. Lots of protection in the scrub. For the first time, I met a Tracer on trail. I’ve never met ANYONE on this trail. Super nice to chat with you, Kaitlyn! Great job getting over 50% of the tracing done!
Lowes Path: the portion descending from Adams summit is marked with carins. The other portion I hiked was after the junction with Gray Knob to the junction with the Link. There were some very faded blue blazes, then no blazes. The footpath was discernible. Leaf litter increased as elevation decreased. No ice. Some rocks had water on them making them more slick.
The Link: blazed in yellow, thank goodness as the trail was obliterated by 4 inches of leaves. It was so hard to see the trail. I fell into mud and small streams hidden under the leaves. Some blazes updated, others not. All junction signs up, intact. Moderate descent off Jefferson.
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 | Name: |
Remington34 |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-11-03 |
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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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