NH Tramper
Member
Date of Hike: Apr. 29, 2013
Trail Conditions: I haven't been on Lowes Path since I was 17ish and on a date and I felt the time was right to try it again. I was glad I did, it's an awesome trail and we had an awesome time. There was a vertically stuck-in-the-trail tree limb and a major 'whack around blowdown down low, plus some downed branches here and there, and of course running water, mud, snow, and ice floes but it was still clear enough and fun. A mixed bag for sure. I noted the old hand cable on one of the steeps is gone but it was otherwise the same old trail. The important thing was that the monorail higher up was pretty firm, but may be best tackled with snowshoes soon. Gray Knob Trail was a little bit muddy and rocky, but mostly snowy and in the spruces above treeline may be best tackled with snowshoes, but was still pretty firm today. Israel Ridge Trail and Gulfside Trail where, like Gray Knob Trail, a mix of water, mud, snow, and dry rock, but pretty easy to navigate. The snow was firm enough today to walk on without snowshoes, but this may change. The Jefferson Loop was pretty much the same, but had more rock than other elements. The snowfield was still snowy but there is a lot of running water underneath so weak spots may show up soon. All of the little crossings were easy rock-hops.
Special Equipment Used: Snowshoes, as noted, might be helpful, as would be spikes, but the latter only in a few places like the ice floes. That said, they were significant enough in places that crampons might be helpful. Trekking poles were helpful for probing and balance. Safety glasses might also be useful due to the in-your-face canopy in the still-deep snow sections at the higher elevations, but this wasn't as significant a problem as I've been seeing recently.
Comments: Hiked this one with my good friend Theresa and we had a stellar, awesome day (sun, light winds, comfy temps). So nice up there. Only met one other person the whole day: hanging for a bit at the cabin on the way up a voice calls, "hey, Mike." I turn and it's an AMC-met/employee friend, Mac, who is now the caretaker at Gray Knob for the RMC. Cool gig, and such a small world. Speaking of Gray Knob, the new building is nice, but I sure do miss the hand pump at the sink. Bagged Abigail (Adams 4) for the TW72 list, and Adams and Jefferson made up 129 and 130 of my grid as well as 43 and 44 of my 2013 NH48 effort. Productive as well as fun.
Mike "Tramper" Cherim
Nottingham NH
Trail Conditions: I haven't been on Lowes Path since I was 17ish and on a date and I felt the time was right to try it again. I was glad I did, it's an awesome trail and we had an awesome time. There was a vertically stuck-in-the-trail tree limb and a major 'whack around blowdown down low, plus some downed branches here and there, and of course running water, mud, snow, and ice floes but it was still clear enough and fun. A mixed bag for sure. I noted the old hand cable on one of the steeps is gone but it was otherwise the same old trail. The important thing was that the monorail higher up was pretty firm, but may be best tackled with snowshoes soon. Gray Knob Trail was a little bit muddy and rocky, but mostly snowy and in the spruces above treeline may be best tackled with snowshoes, but was still pretty firm today. Israel Ridge Trail and Gulfside Trail where, like Gray Knob Trail, a mix of water, mud, snow, and dry rock, but pretty easy to navigate. The snow was firm enough today to walk on without snowshoes, but this may change. The Jefferson Loop was pretty much the same, but had more rock than other elements. The snowfield was still snowy but there is a lot of running water underneath so weak spots may show up soon. All of the little crossings were easy rock-hops.
Special Equipment Used: Snowshoes, as noted, might be helpful, as would be spikes, but the latter only in a few places like the ice floes. That said, they were significant enough in places that crampons might be helpful. Trekking poles were helpful for probing and balance. Safety glasses might also be useful due to the in-your-face canopy in the still-deep snow sections at the higher elevations, but this wasn't as significant a problem as I've been seeing recently.
Comments: Hiked this one with my good friend Theresa and we had a stellar, awesome day (sun, light winds, comfy temps). So nice up there. Only met one other person the whole day: hanging for a bit at the cabin on the way up a voice calls, "hey, Mike." I turn and it's an AMC-met/employee friend, Mac, who is now the caretaker at Gray Knob for the RMC. Cool gig, and such a small world. Speaking of Gray Knob, the new building is nice, but I sure do miss the hand pump at the sink. Bagged Abigail (Adams 4) for the TW72 list, and Adams and Jefferson made up 129 and 130 of my grid as well as 43 and 44 of my 2013 NH48 effort. Productive as well as fun.
Mike "Tramper" Cherim
Nottingham NH
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