| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Great Gulf Trail, Sphinx Trail, Gulfside Trail, Mt. Jefferson Loop, Gulfside Trail, Lowe's Path, Air Line, Gulfside Trail, Osgood Trail, Great Gulf Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 22, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Two other vehicles in the Great Gulf parking area when I started and about a half dozen when I ended. Not many people on the northern Presis today at all |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Rock hopped the crossing of the West Branch of the Peabody River due to the bridge still being closed. Had to take a few leaps of faith from one rock to another. All other unbridged crossings were also rock hopped. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Great Gulf had some blowdowns that got progressively more frequent after the closed bridge; Sphinx Trail was blowdown hell in the first 1/3 mile or so. Sphinx in general had several signs of light use and was a little tricky to follow in spots with some areas of very dense overgrowth. They are both trails in Wilderness, after all.
Gulfside, Osgood etc. were wide, well marked and maintained and easy to follow as usual. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Very little until I got to the Osgood Cutoff junction and it had warmed up. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Aside from the below-treeline section of Sphinx Trail, which was very wet and like a stream bed in spots, the trails were mostly dry with minimal mud and wet ground. There were only two small snowfields I had to cross, and traction wasn't necessary for either. Definitely have good trail eyes and be comfortable with following wild, lightly used, hard-to-follow trails if you're going deep into the Great Gulf on the Great Gulf Trail or its offshoot trails.
Madison Spring Hut was still closed, and there wasn't anyone outside or inside it getting it ready for re-opening- it was still fully boarded up, like it was all winter. Will open on June 4th according to the AMC webpage for the hut.
Weather conditions were pretty stellar, with mostly sunny skies, light wind, cool to mild temps, and low humidity. Great day and conditions to do this death march, which ended up being 16.5 miles roundtrip with 6,000 feet of elevation gain. |
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 | Name: |
Spencer |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-05-22 |
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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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