Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail: 3.1 miles / Mount Monroe Loop: 0.6 miles / Crawford Path: 1.5 miles / Gulfside Trail: 1.1 miles / Mount Clay Loop: 1.0 miles / Gulfside Trail: 0.6 miles / Mount Jefferson Loop: 0.3 miles / Caps Ridge Trail: 2.5 miles / Jefferson Notch Road: 1.4 miles / Jewell/Boundary Line Trail: 1.3 miles
Total Miles: 13.5 (5,200' elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- Not Since the spring of 2012 have the trails been this snow free and easy this early in April. 2016 had less snow but the ice was horrible through April which made for some intense hiking.
- Todd and I took advantage of the warm weather and no wind for a loop hike of Monroe, Washington, and Jefferson. It felt like late August above treeline, we could have worn shorts and tshirts for most of this hike today.
- Even with the low snow levels overall there is plenty left below treeline, luckily the snow was still packed down in the morning on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail that postholing was no issue. Above treeline it is rock spike season as it's a mix of bare ground and snow drifts. Caps Ridge above treeline was a little more interesting with snow drifts hiding some ankle twisting boulders so we cautiously maneuvered around those spots. Below treeline still was holding a few feet of snow which was soft and unstable in spots over the final mile where postholing happened from time to time.
- Once back to Jefferson Notch we ran the snow covered road to the Boundary Line Trail over to the Ammo lot.
Gem Pool holding onto quite a bit of snow
Lakes of the Clouds Hut snow drift, see it now before it melts!
The dungeon
Lakes of the Clouds and Mount Washington
Southern Presidential Range
Todd makes his way across a snowfield on the east side of Mount Monroe above Oakes Gulf
Usually this snowfield is a little dicey to cross with a no fall zone but with the low and soft snow it's fun this year in early April
Crawford Path
Next stop, Washington
Walking over Lakes of the Clouds which is buried beneath a snow drift
Mount Monroe
High up on the Crawford Path (Appalachian Trail)
The Cog, Jacob's Ladder, and Mount Monroe
Me doing some trail work. The trail sign for my adopted trail, the Sphinx Trail, falls down every winter, I put it back up every spring!
Monticello Lawn and Mount Washington
Todd descending the lowest cap on the Caps Ridge Trail
Glacial erratic rock outlook
Good place to take in the view!
Jefferson Notch
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