giggy
New member
10/4/08
Trail Conditions: Great Gulf Trail in good shape to about 4000 feet. Snow starts at about 4000 and than gets deeper as one goes higher. Roughly 1 to 2 inches at spaulding lake. Trail up headwall is very wet and slick with snow over rocks. Its been about 3 or 4 years since last on this trail that high and brook seemed to be running higher than I recall, but I could be "mis-remembering" this. Above brook, snow and ice all the way to top of headwall, but very barebootable. Maybe 4 to 6 inches of snow above 5800 feet. Tough to know how much of that drifted. Wamsutta trail was very slick coming down and took more time than one would think due to slow going down steep, wet rock. Winds pretty high - about 40-50 mph with higher gust - highest felt on Ball Crag - nearly blew me over more than once.
completely socked in all day until the sky opened up as we were coming down nelson crag.
Special Equipment Required: It was pretty close to full winter conditions above 4000 feet. I might argue it was winter conditions. Hats, gloves, shells, etc..
Comments: Great 2 nights of camping in the gulf with freinds. Few went for summit in "full" conditions. Not a great weather day, but still fun as a warm up winter hike. Nice second night out deep in the gulf. Good few parties in the gulf this weekend. Bears are very active in the gulf right now. Ranger said food has been taken from bluff. One of our party saw one on the way out on the trail near osgood cutoff. One of our party spoke to ranger and there have been reports of a few "bluff charges". Take extra precaution when hanging food, etc..
Your name: giggy
Trail Conditions: Great Gulf Trail in good shape to about 4000 feet. Snow starts at about 4000 and than gets deeper as one goes higher. Roughly 1 to 2 inches at spaulding lake. Trail up headwall is very wet and slick with snow over rocks. Its been about 3 or 4 years since last on this trail that high and brook seemed to be running higher than I recall, but I could be "mis-remembering" this. Above brook, snow and ice all the way to top of headwall, but very barebootable. Maybe 4 to 6 inches of snow above 5800 feet. Tough to know how much of that drifted. Wamsutta trail was very slick coming down and took more time than one would think due to slow going down steep, wet rock. Winds pretty high - about 40-50 mph with higher gust - highest felt on Ball Crag - nearly blew me over more than once.
completely socked in all day until the sky opened up as we were coming down nelson crag. Special Equipment Required: It was pretty close to full winter conditions above 4000 feet. I might argue it was winter conditions. Hats, gloves, shells, etc..
Comments: Great 2 nights of camping in the gulf with freinds. Few went for summit in "full" conditions. Not a great weather day, but still fun as a warm up winter hike. Nice second night out deep in the gulf. Good few parties in the gulf this weekend. Bears are very active in the gulf right now. Ranger said food has been taken from bluff. One of our party saw one on the way out on the trail near osgood cutoff. One of our party spoke to ranger and there have been reports of a few "bluff charges". Take extra precaution when hanging food, etc..
Your name: giggy
