Mount Madison

Trail: Valley Way, Osgood Trail

Conditions: Ice - Black, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular

“Micro spikes from start to finish. The snowshoes got a free ride today, as I didn't really see a need for them. Valley Way was covered in a nice fresh 2 inches of snow that fell last night. This was very helpful as the trail was mostly covered in ice under the snow. About a half mile from the Madison Hut, a monorail is developing and the edges are getting steep on the cliff side. Use caution and take your time. I got to the top of Valley Way as another hiker was coming down from Adams. He seemed happy to see me and said I was the first person he's seen all day. After reading the trail reports from today, he must have been Spencer. We chatted at the hut and the again on top of Madison. Hope you finished you hike safely. Very windy and with just micro spikes, the push to the summit of Madison took longer than I would have liked. Crampons would have been more helpful here, but I don't have them yet, so it was what it was. Most of what is above the hut in elevation is covered in rime ice. Very cool to see if you haven't yet! The hike down from Madison took some time due to the wind being pushy. Valley Way back to the car was nice and easy after the first mile or so from the hut. I'd recommend taking which ever tracking your comfortable with because they will all be useful. Enjoy!”

Trail: Air Line, Gulfside, Osgood Trail, Valley Way

Conditions: Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Snow/Ice - Postholes

“It may be spring on paper, but it was still winter on the Northern Presis, especially above 4,000 feet. Below that, there wasn't a whole lot of snow, with about two to three inches of fresh powder from last night. Since I was the first (and possibly the only) one up Air Line today, I did the honors of tracking it out. Parts of Air Line below 4k feet were very icy, with that fresh powder obscuring some prolonged ice flows; crampons were not overkill, and I did indeed switch to them on this section. Similar deal for Valley Way, although the ice wasn't as bad. From 4K feet to treeline, snow depths increased significantly and quickly (3+ feet easily), with stable monorails either starting to form or already formed. Lots of rime ice above treeline, as well as fresh snow hiding ankle-twisting gaps in the rocks; felt like I was playing Minesweeper with my foot and trekking pole placement. No views from Adams due to summit fog, although I did get some views from Madison, including a few really nice undercast views. Although we're now almost to April, I would definitely still carry all the standard winter gear (micros, snowshoes etc.) for a while if attempting any of the 4Ks. After all, you never know with spring shoulder season...”

Trail: Valley Way, Osgood Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Small Patches

“Out and back on Valley Way due to recent weather. No traction required for first bit of avoidable ice. Used a mix of exo spikes and hillsounds going up. Barebooted from the hut to summit. Negligible rime up there. Full crampons coming down until after the major ice then went back to exo before barebooting the last mile. Summit was wind free. Got pics of some people summiting on Adams too”