| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Jackson Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Little Jackson Mountain Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 26, 2020 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The dirt roads leading in all appeared to have experienced washouts to varying degrees. I was glad to be in a 4x4 pickup. There were some workers on one of the roads assessing the damage. The last dirt road that leads to the trailhead was blocked by a series of large downed trees starting about a quarter mile in. I hiked most of the road in to get to the trail |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Naturally, due to the major rain and flash melt we had the last couple days, the trail is essentially a stream. Some stretches worse than others. One existing stream that intersects the trail was particularly swollen and I had to go up stream to find a narrower spot to jump across. Rocks were all covered in a thin sheen of ice, so rock hopping was not feasible |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A lot of blowdowns on both the roads leading in and the trail itself. Between the extremely saturated ground and the major wind storm we had a couple days ago, I am not surprised by the conditions. Nothing truly impeded progress on foot, though I did note at least one significant trail-side tree near the top of the last steep stretch of woods that looked like it was imminently due to become a blowdown, so I was careful not to bump into it. The tree is prominent enough that I imagine many people grab onto it during their descent - I would advise against that given its fresh wounds |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Unusual to be able to access this trail in December so I figured I'd give it a shot. It was slow going due to wet, muddy, icy, slippery, and snowy sections. Above treeline, there were drifts of wet snow (anywhere from knee deep to waist deep) interspersed between snowless rocks, which also alternated between being dry and being totally iced every 25 feet or so - there was no good answer for traction. I barebooted much of it (very carefully). Wind at the summit was not particularly sustained but noticeable gusts (20-30mph estimated) came through regularly. It was cool to do this trail in December and I had fun with it, but there are certainly better options this time of year |
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 | Name: |
JDB |
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 | E-Mail: |
jdb50@pm.me |
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| Date Submitted: |
2020-12-26 |
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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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