| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Valley Way, Gulfside, Airline, Osgood Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 11, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Crossings are only 3 or 4 steps but be careful of black ice. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown. Currently a crawl under. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Today I took advantage of the weather window with a forecast prediction of 5-10 mph winds. Headed up Valley Way. Absolutely no snow or ice for at least 1.5 miles. After that there were some ice flows, but they were avoidable. At the Watson Path junction I put on microspikes as ice flows were more common. The next half mile was the trickiest part of the hike. It wasn't too bad but I had to use a little more care going around the ice flows. The last mile to the hut was in fairly good shape. There wasn't much snow but just enough to cover the ice. Footing through this section was very good. I headed up to Adams first. There was some bare rock but was able to step mostly on packed snow with an occasional spot of ice. Heading up to Madison there was a lot more bare rock. I almost took my spikes off but there was just enough ice that I decided to keep them on. I did see some hikers barebooting this section, so it is doable. I carried full crampons but did not use them. Although I got through the hike with just microspikes, I do recommend carrying something more aggressive just as a precaution, either full crampons or Hillsounds. Weather prediction was accurate, just an occasional light breeze. Minor fog rolled in for a couple of minutes but other than that the peaks stayed in the clear. |
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 | Name: |
Eric Rathbun |
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 | E-Mail: |
elrathbun@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-12-12 |
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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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