| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Willey, Mt. Field, Mt. Avalon, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ethan Pond Trail, Willey Range Trail, Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Maybe 4 cars including mine at the Ethan Pond trailhead (it's a Wednesday). Hitched back from the top of Crawford Notch - thanks to the orange doorless Jeep drivers whose Halsey concert sadly got canceled! |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Upper water crossing below A-Z/Avalon junction was doable after a couple dry days - I imagine could be tricky in high water. Low water crossing aided by some felled logs. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trail ladders rotting out on the south side of Willey. Still usable and helpful - the lower rungs have rotted on several of the five ladders. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Large scat on the lower A-Z Trail that is either dog, bear, or... human |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies were truly horrible between the summit of Willey to Field. Elbows, wrists, and ankles are all eaten up. Should've brought extra bug spray |
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 | Lost and Found: |
N/A |
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|
 | Comments: |
Good day exploring the Willey Range for the first time. The steeps are steep, the views are beautiful where you can get them (Willey, Avalon, partial views from Field looking into Pemi/Franconia and over to Washington). As mentioned above, the ladders on the south side of Willey are still functional but a few have rotted out. Trail is wet and muddy in places up top - trying to spread the word for folks to walk through puddles, not around (widening trails increases human impact and erosion and makes trail maintenance more difficult). Smoke from wildfires may have been complicating things - other hikers, including thru-hikers, were reporting feeling a lot lousier than usual.
Avalon Trail was slick coming down - lots of slabs and roots. That would be a really tough trail to go up and down in the rain, especially between Avalon summit spur and Mt. Field. Saw a bunch of different butterflies (it seemed like one of the first big days for eastern swallowtails): a polygonia (maybe green comma) and a mourning cloak. Heard birdsongs from several birds in the alpine zone and below: black-throated blue and green warblers, golden-crowned kinglet, red-breasted nuthatch, blackpoll warbler, and Bicknell's thrush. |
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 | Name: |
Glitter Beard |
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 | E-Mail: |
williamandrewoliver@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-06-05 |
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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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