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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Monroe, NH
Trails
Trails: Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Monroe Loop
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, November 19, 2011
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at the Cog Base Station, only 4 other cars when we came back down 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rock hoppers easy 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: no blow downs 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: rough trail for a pup 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: none 
 
Comments
Comments: Relatively easy and straight forward trail before gem pool at 1.5 miles in. Only one section of the trail below gem pool that was tricky, where the trail climbs up an angled rock slab that was covered with ice - a slide down this ice would land you in the brook. We bush whacked around this because we didn't have crampons on yet.



Above gem pool, the stair master section is free of ice with minimal snow, but nearing it's top and from that point forward, ice is all you'll meet. I would recommend putting on crampons at gem pool.



I did see one pair of men who got away with microspikes today, but the ice was relatively soft and with the cold weather approaching it will only harden - crampons is the way to go.



Unless conditions change, above the hut today we could have gotten away without crampons at all, but we left them on for the chance of meeting ice. We found none. Any precipitation coming through at this point will freeze, so I'd keep them on.



Coming down was rough footing with some rather dangerous sections due to the ice. Crampons, ice axe or hiking poles, and maybe a rope are great to keep as safe as possible on the way down.  
Name
Name: Rick and Dave 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2011-11-19 
Link
Link: https:// 
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