Mount Madison

Trail: Airline, Osgood Trail, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Woke up after not sleeping well multiple nights in a row, but had all my gear packed & food prepared for my planned effort & already took the day off from work. Unfortnately The whole day i ended up feeling off after not fully recovering from a presidential traverse last weekend (achilles/knees/feet), sleeping poorly, etc. This manifest itself in me tripping quite a few times/not being able to hold a regular pace & move efficiently. Anyway.. The forcast was a high of 46 on washington with 20-25 mph winds. There was not a cloud to be seen in the sky all day. I started at 0530 from valley way up airline. The water had frozen overnight & it was about freezing in the parking lot. A great day in my opinion. I brought a single microspike in case it was absolutely needed. Didnt even bother on what remains of the Jefferson snow field. The way to handle this is 'kick in' to the snow and move slow to prevent a slide. Most of the day above treeline it was a bit hard to stay warm, but this was mostly a personal choice (i had the layers to stay warm). Later when i got below treeline i missed the feeling as it was hot and humid (hot for spring). Aside from the mentioned personal issues it was undeniably a choice day to be above treeline and i only encountered a handful of people. The views via Airline are unmatched on a clear day, even feeling off a great day to be up above.”

Trail: Great Gulf Trail, Sphinx Trail, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Lowe's Path, Air Line, Osgood Trail

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky

“Aside from the below-treeline section of Sphinx Trail, which was very wet and like a stream bed in spots, the trails were mostly dry with minimal mud and wet ground. There were only two small snowfields I had to cross, and traction wasn't necessary for either. Definitely have good trail eyes and be comfortable with following wild, lightly used, hard-to-follow trails if you're going deep into the Great Gulf on the Great Gulf Trail or its offshoot trails. Madison Spring Hut was still closed, and there wasn't anyone outside or inside it getting it ready for re-opening- it was still fully boarded up, like it was all winter. Will open on June 4th according to the AMC webpage for the hut. Weather conditions were pretty stellar, with mostly sunny skies, light wind, cool to mild temps, and low humidity. Great day and conditions to do this death march, which ended up being 16.5 miles roundtrip with 6,000 feet of elevation gain.”

Trail: Great Gulf Trail, Osgood Trail, Pine Link

Conditions: Dry Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Great Gulf was a great warm up. First two miles went by quickly. Osgood trail was work, nothing too technical. Seemed easier above tree line because of the incredible views. Pine Link I would skip and go down another trail. Overgrown and too many blow downs to count.”