| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Pierce, Mt. Jackson, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster Jackson Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 8, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All easy to cross on ice or rocks |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Crawford was a highway of packed powder, thin down low so we stayed in bare boots until a little before the junction with Mizpah Cutoff, where we switched to spikes. Spikes all the way to Eisenhower and back to the junction. While there are a few occasional spots of looser powder, most of the trail is well packed. No postholing and no real ice to be had on that stretch. There were plenty of folks out enjoying this trail as usual...not quite as packed as a bar on New Year's but you get the idea.
We planned to take the road less traveled and cut across to Jackson via the Webster Cliff Trail. Only saw 2 folks along the way but the number of postholes was more like 2 thousand and felt like 2 million. Some were definitely above knee high; at least 3 feet of snow at the hut. We wore snowshoes from Pierce to Jackson not so much out of necessity but because we brought them for that stretch so we were going to wear them, damnit. The postholes were served with a side of narrow trail which is always a delight. There was about 3" of new powder on the frozen snowpack so sadly it was not really enough for our snowshoes to do much good for the trail. The other 2 we saw were managing ok in the loose powder in spikes. Pick your poison or better yet, if you're looking for smooth sailing and efficient travel, hit Jackson as an out and back instead of going this way. As we approached Jackson the steep sections were icy but not as sketchy as I've seen them in previous years (could be descended with care). Summit rocks had just a bit of a dusting on them. Spikes back on there. Steep sections coming down near the summit have been wiped almost entirely clear of snow by butt sledders. However, you would need to pay me to go down one of those bumpy curvy ice luges on my butt. We picked our way slowly down using cracks in the rock and trees. Do-able in spikes but these conditions are significantly icier than two weeks ago when we were here.
Along the way we honored some hiking legends of the Whites. Honored the beef man by packing out a dish rag from Jackson, honored the Cone Demon by bringing our snowshoes, and honored the Teal Goat with some flashy teal nail polish. |
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 | Name: |
Splash and Britty Cent |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-01-08 |
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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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