| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Monroe, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Dry River Trail, Crawford Path, Mt. Eisenhower Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, July 21, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Shoulder of Route 302 at trailhead crowded on Saturday late morning. Maggie's Run parking lot ~10 min. walk away almost empty. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Dry River water level is low--all crossings easy |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Dry River Trail - terrible despite limited vestiges of trail maintenance. Difficult route-finding, especially northbound between the Mt Clinton Trail and Isolation Trail junctions, and many side paths avoiding obstacles, including one before the bridge marked with pink plastic ribbon tied around trees. Cairns placed at some helpful points. Boggy and overgrown sections, particularly closer to treeline. See below for description of washouts between Mt Clinton Trail and Isolation Trail junctions.
Mt. Eisenhower Trail - (mostly) lovely |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
thankfully few, except in areas closer to the trailhead |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Glasses placed on a rock above treeline brought up to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Yellow sleeping bag left on Dry River Trail close to the top. |
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 | Comments: |
Beautiful weather, wonderful designated campsite, etc. Other than four volunteers with the Forest Service (two as a pair) doing solitude checks in different sections, we only passed one person on his way back from the falls and a few others at the campsites around Isolation Trail/Dry River Cutoff.
The two washouts between the Mount Clinton Trail and Isolation Trail junctions are dangerous. The issue isn't just if one has a fear of heights, as we were warned by the first Forest Service volunteer we met; there actually is a real risk of slipping on the slides and falling a long distance to the river. These are steep loose gravel slides with few decent footholds and no handholds. Rocks that could be used as steps were loose. I can imagine it being impassable when wet. The warning regarding route-finding and river crossings posted at the trailhead does not reflect this danger. Use caution.
In addition, other sections of the trail hang over erosion. It looks like just another major storm (or less) before they collapse. |
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 | Name: |
hikingscoop |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-22 |
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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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