P
PeteB
Guest
Date of Hike: 10/10/09
Trail Conditions:
- Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail: Beautiful down low with recent rainfall (cool moss/foliage + full brooks/streams); slippery on the ledges up toward Lakes of the Clouds hut; may be a very challenging descent.
- Mt. Monroe Loop: A lot of standing and running water between the hut and the beginning of the short climb but nothing challenging. Trail is in good shape. Visibility on the summit was very low.
- Crawford Path: Icy on the last mile before the summit. Visibility was pretty low (maybe 30-40 feet?) but the trail was easy to follow.
- GulfsideTrail: Not terribly slippery -- I kept my microspikes on anyway; low visibility but the trail was pretty easy to follow. Slippery crossing the cog railway.
- Jewell Trail: Some mud, but otherwise in great condition. One large blowdown within .25 miles of the trailhead.
Comments: The summit forecast on the 10th was for temperatures in the mid twenties and winds ranging from 40-80mph (wind chills ranging from 5 above to 5 below). There was constant cloud cover so everything exposed (and inside my pack, to a certain extent) became soaked. This became an issue on the final ascent of Washington when the wind turned everything with wet into ice. I was in full winter gear (except, unfortunately for my shell mittens, which I somehow managed to forget) and very comfortable except for my double-gloved hands (one pair was soaked within a 5 minutes of swapping pairs -- the first went into my jacket to dry out -- and became frozen, causing some minor frostbite on one of my fingers). I was hiking solo but ended up tagging along with two hikers I met on the way up (thanks again Mike and Paul!) for the first few miles of the descent. I would have been comfortable continuing on my own, but it was very nice to have companions on the descent until the tree-line. Overall, the issue was not temperature (I was very warm and comfortable everywhere except, again, for my hands) but moisture management.
Special Equipment Required: Full winter gear more or less required (heavy insulation not necessary to wear but should be carried -- down parka stayed in my pack the whole time -- but top and bottom shells, and plenty of face/head/hand protection required); crampons/snow shoes not necessary yet; traction highly recommended (I wore microspikes for the last mile up and down from the summit of Washington); poles recommended; extra shell mittens highly recommended
Your name: Peter Begley
Your E-mail address: petebegely at gmail dot com
Trail Conditions:
- Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail: Beautiful down low with recent rainfall (cool moss/foliage + full brooks/streams); slippery on the ledges up toward Lakes of the Clouds hut; may be a very challenging descent.
- Mt. Monroe Loop: A lot of standing and running water between the hut and the beginning of the short climb but nothing challenging. Trail is in good shape. Visibility on the summit was very low.
- Crawford Path: Icy on the last mile before the summit. Visibility was pretty low (maybe 30-40 feet?) but the trail was easy to follow.
- GulfsideTrail: Not terribly slippery -- I kept my microspikes on anyway; low visibility but the trail was pretty easy to follow. Slippery crossing the cog railway.
- Jewell Trail: Some mud, but otherwise in great condition. One large blowdown within .25 miles of the trailhead.
Comments: The summit forecast on the 10th was for temperatures in the mid twenties and winds ranging from 40-80mph (wind chills ranging from 5 above to 5 below). There was constant cloud cover so everything exposed (and inside my pack, to a certain extent) became soaked. This became an issue on the final ascent of Washington when the wind turned everything with wet into ice. I was in full winter gear (except, unfortunately for my shell mittens, which I somehow managed to forget) and very comfortable except for my double-gloved hands (one pair was soaked within a 5 minutes of swapping pairs -- the first went into my jacket to dry out -- and became frozen, causing some minor frostbite on one of my fingers). I was hiking solo but ended up tagging along with two hikers I met on the way up (thanks again Mike and Paul!) for the first few miles of the descent. I would have been comfortable continuing on my own, but it was very nice to have companions on the descent until the tree-line. Overall, the issue was not temperature (I was very warm and comfortable everywhere except, again, for my hands) but moisture management.
Special Equipment Required: Full winter gear more or less required (heavy insulation not necessary to wear but should be carried -- down parka stayed in my pack the whole time -- but top and bottom shells, and plenty of face/head/hand protection required); crampons/snow shoes not necessary yet; traction highly recommended (I wore microspikes for the last mile up and down from the summit of Washington); poles recommended; extra shell mittens highly recommended
Your name: Peter Begley
Your E-mail address: petebegely at gmail dot com
