Bad One on Madison
- Thread starter NHChris
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I am truly amazed that there isn't an incident like this every weekend on trails like Osgood, a truly tedious path. I was on a really tedious trail last week on Medicine Bow Peak in the Snowy Range. Brutal boulder "hopping" during the final summit push. And this is at 12K feet. They don't use yellow paint out here to mark the rocks, just the occasional cairn. Long's Peak is the exception.
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Mountain Thunder
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Tedious is a great way to describe those trails !
Me too. Reminiscent of Airline up Adams
Bushwacked
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I hiked Watson Path over Madison on my way to the Hut last Sunday evening (Valley > Watson). In addition to saying "I'm not ever taking Watson again" (which I've said before but there I was), I was thinking how it's a wonder there are not multiple ankle/leg injuries every day up there. Madison, Adams, and Jefferson (and others) have pretty wicked footing.
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Watson is my favorite path up Madison. Once took it as the sun was rising. Wonderful approach to the summit.
DayTrip
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I like just about everything that isn't Valley Way heading up to Madison. VW is not a horrible trail by any means but all the other routes are far more enjoyable. Watson is another interesting one. For whatever reason I tend to descend that trail though.
Howker Ridge is a very interesting approach to Madison if you don't mind all the ups and downs. Early on, the Bear Pit (corrected from Trap) is a unique formation. I believe the 4th Howk is about the same height as Pierce. A less traveled approach.
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So what we need is a modern day J Raynor Edmunds, of Edmonds Path fame. He designed trails for walking not leaping, lunging, balancing or bopping.
I've read he enlisted the help of European stone masons to craft pathways in rocky areas to make the locomotion enjoyable rather than grueling.
My kinda guy.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to climb Ben Nevis in Scotland, and was amazed at the quality of the treadway on the lower half of the mountain. It has a real pleasure.
DayTrip
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Indeed. If I recall, the vertical ascent on that route is well over 4500 ft to Madison with all the ups and downs.
If anyone forwards this story to my wife, I’ll hunt them down and get all A-Team on them. I’ll never hear the end of it.
My SI/hip stiffened up in a trip to Adams in July and I missed a step descending Starr Trail. Bloody shins horrified the Mad hut crowd but that was nothing compared to the scolding from my beloved.
JoshandBaron
Well-known member
The Westside Trail is a great example.
I agree.
I didn't go all the way to the summit of Madison on that hike. My destination was the 4th Howk and it's a neat viewpoint. There's a pretty big dip after that before the trail starts the final climb to the summit of Madison and there's still about 1000 feet of elevation gain from the 4th Howk to the summit. However, IMO, even 3500 feet of gain to reach the 4th Howk isn't exactly chump change, especially considering the various ups and downs and the several scrambles. On a previous hike, I went up Watson Path and down Valley Way.
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I've gone up the Howker Ridge Trail a number of times, and I agree that it's a fine trail. About three years ago, I descended it for the first time, and that may be at least as enjoyable.
Whenever I think of Madison, I can't help remembering MacDonald Barr who died there close to the summit in a freakish snowstorm in late August of 1986. I remember it so well because a friend and I were camped at The Perch the night before, having summited Jefferson and heading for Adams and Madison the next day. The weather turned so bad that we cancelled day two, packed up our soggy gear, and slogged down in the rain. As we bailed out on a miserable day, Barr and his party set out to climb Madison with tragic results. The story is well documented in Not Without Peril.
Currently listening to the latest episode of the Trail Talk Highpointers Podcast, where Jason McDonald talks about his rescue among other things. Starts in on the rescue around the 20 minute mark.
Most hilarious part is that he booked a Southwest flight for his wife in Colorado while he was waiting for the rescuers to arrive. She actually made the cross country trip and arrived at the hospital in Berlin, NH before he did.
Good dude. Solid outdoors resume.
Jason McDonald - Search and Rescue in the White Mountains
Most hilarious part is that he booked a Southwest flight for his wife in Colorado while he was waiting for the rescuers to arrive. She actually made the cross country trip and arrived at the hospital in Berlin, NH before he did.
Good dude. Solid outdoors resume.
Jason McDonald - Search and Rescue in the White Mountains
Thanks for posting this. He's lead a remarkable life.
