| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jackson, Mt. Pierce, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Webster-Jackson Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Crawford Path |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 27, 2011 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I was the only car in the Jackson parking off 302. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Mud - Significant, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Slush, Snow - Spring Snow |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
rock steps |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One major blowdown on Webster Cliff which is duckunder for munchkins and a step up, on and over for others. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
It was a farily easy day for Pepper since he somehow managed to avoid becoming a total muddy mess on W-J, the slush or wet snow never stuck and he had a ball going down Crawford Path. We met two other dogs late in the hike. Expect a muddy dog from W-J and to a lesser extent WC; but Crawford wasn't bad in comparison. |
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
Webster-Jackson a slop and glop up to around 3200' with lots of mud too in the lower sections, although rock hopping helped avoid much of that. Above that the slop was more consolidated and microspikes helped. I had a little trouble finding the trail to Pierce in the wind and fog but I didn't want to go down W-J. Webster-Cliff had little traffic and so it was a cleaner slush, with some snow over water sections, snow on boards, and some cleared ledges, over to the hut. Microspikes very helpful descending from Jackson.
After the hut WC had lots of exposed rock on the climb up to the ridge, and then the trail was nicely boot packed snow over to Pierce. Crawford Path had a well packed footbed from WC to below 3000' which was a fun and fast boogie down in microspikes. Lower it had some slush but nothing like W-J, and little mud.
The forecast was for higher summits to be in the clear with modest winds, but we hiked in the fog/clouds the whole time until a ways down from Pierce. The winds on Jackson where WC drops off towards Pierce were a steady 25 mph; the peak's were less. There was a nice dry wooden chair at the hut, perfect for a snack break. I'd guess the winds were around 25 on Pierce in fog. We met a couple that had been on Eisenhower and he estimated the winds to be around 40, knocking them around at times.
Given all that I decided to skip Ike and of course on the way down the Presi summits finally cleared, but the notch peaks were still in the fog the southerly winds were pushing up the notch and over the adjacent ridges. It didn't look like even that clearing would be for long as clouds rolled in from the west. NOAA needs some new tea leaves.
We met a dad and son on WC, a couple on Pierce and the couple that had been on Ike, and then late in the hike we met a few more going up. It wasn't the hike I expected, but it had a little adventure and it sure beat staying home. |
|
 | Name: |
Pepper and Me |
|
 | E-Mail: |
windriversjohn at gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2011-11-27 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
