Wishing to hike the entire Davis Path end to end, but wanting to spend the early part of the day above tree line, we decided to begin at the upper end of the trail. We headed up the Ammonoosuc Trail and at the hut we turned left onto the Crawford Path. This brought us to the junction with the Davis Path, just .6 miles below the summit of Washington.
The end of the Davis Path is 14.4 miles away on Route 302, just below Crawford Notch. Originally built as a bridal path in 1845, the path is well graded the entire way.
Our time above tree line was spectacular. Earlier summit enveloping clouds had cleared and views were endless. The deer grass has turned a reddish brown color and the wind was whipping them into waves through the rocks and gullies.
Passing the trail junctions for Boott Spur, then Glen Boulder, and looking south west we enjoyed the nicest up-close views of the Southern Presidentials, from a perspective we don’t often get. Even the rock cairns marking the trails looked cool on the wide open landscape. Looking ahead we could see our route laid out before us, including the various summits we would be hitting before our day was over.
Eventually we did drop into the trees, but we still had views as the trail stayed high. Along this first stretch of woods, and before the spur for the summit of Isolation, we met two fellow VFTTers, Rols and Tuco (aka Paul and Eric). It was great meeting you guys and talking all things hiking and VFTT!
We stopped for a snack on Isolation and then continued on. This part of the hike turned out to be another really lovely woods walk. The trail is well cleared and trimmed, not like the brushed in trails of the Dry River area below us. In this year of seemingly endless rain, there was no shortage of small streams, seeps and springs to retrieve water from if needed. Poles were helpful through the inevitable mud holes, and there are bog bridges in need of replacement.
Next stop was the summit of Davis. This was the only summit along the entire path that we had never been to. It was truly everything everyone comments about. The views are 360 degrees, and so fantastic that you almost want to stick out your arms and twirl around like Julie Andrews in A Sound of Music. (Note: this is my wife writing, you don’t want to see me (John) dancing on any summit.)
We dropped down and around Giant Stairs, and then did a side trip to visit Resolution Shelter. Naturally, the path to it was steep and down, but short. This shelter, the guide book tells us, will be removed once it is past repair (because this is a Wilderness area). That time doesn’t appear to be far off. The shelter’s open side is snug to a rock ledge, and its back end practically hangs off a steep wooded slope. In fact, if you peer under the raised sleeping platform, you’ll see a lot of air and nothing else under the back left corner. And that is the corner nearest the drop off. But, it is a great spot, with nice views of the Giant Stairs.
The lovely woods walk continued, becoming a narrow path over smooth moss edged bedrock. Open areas, reminiscent of Welch and Dickey, are frequent.
Passing Mt. Crawford, another great spot for views, we finally started down to the road. Underneath, the trail breaks into that crumbly ‘rotten granite’ gravel. We could see huge slides of this stuff (which at a distance looks like sand) on the hillsides around us.
Our last footsteps took us across the suspension bridge over the Saco River and back to the car---an excellent day.
Pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/album/552896188LtmVaH
The end of the Davis Path is 14.4 miles away on Route 302, just below Crawford Notch. Originally built as a bridal path in 1845, the path is well graded the entire way.
Our time above tree line was spectacular. Earlier summit enveloping clouds had cleared and views were endless. The deer grass has turned a reddish brown color and the wind was whipping them into waves through the rocks and gullies.
Passing the trail junctions for Boott Spur, then Glen Boulder, and looking south west we enjoyed the nicest up-close views of the Southern Presidentials, from a perspective we don’t often get. Even the rock cairns marking the trails looked cool on the wide open landscape. Looking ahead we could see our route laid out before us, including the various summits we would be hitting before our day was over.
Eventually we did drop into the trees, but we still had views as the trail stayed high. Along this first stretch of woods, and before the spur for the summit of Isolation, we met two fellow VFTTers, Rols and Tuco (aka Paul and Eric). It was great meeting you guys and talking all things hiking and VFTT!
We stopped for a snack on Isolation and then continued on. This part of the hike turned out to be another really lovely woods walk. The trail is well cleared and trimmed, not like the brushed in trails of the Dry River area below us. In this year of seemingly endless rain, there was no shortage of small streams, seeps and springs to retrieve water from if needed. Poles were helpful through the inevitable mud holes, and there are bog bridges in need of replacement.
Next stop was the summit of Davis. This was the only summit along the entire path that we had never been to. It was truly everything everyone comments about. The views are 360 degrees, and so fantastic that you almost want to stick out your arms and twirl around like Julie Andrews in A Sound of Music. (Note: this is my wife writing, you don’t want to see me (John) dancing on any summit.)
We dropped down and around Giant Stairs, and then did a side trip to visit Resolution Shelter. Naturally, the path to it was steep and down, but short. This shelter, the guide book tells us, will be removed once it is past repair (because this is a Wilderness area). That time doesn’t appear to be far off. The shelter’s open side is snug to a rock ledge, and its back end practically hangs off a steep wooded slope. In fact, if you peer under the raised sleeping platform, you’ll see a lot of air and nothing else under the back left corner. And that is the corner nearest the drop off. But, it is a great spot, with nice views of the Giant Stairs.
The lovely woods walk continued, becoming a narrow path over smooth moss edged bedrock. Open areas, reminiscent of Welch and Dickey, are frequent.
Passing Mt. Crawford, another great spot for views, we finally started down to the road. Underneath, the trail breaks into that crumbly ‘rotten granite’ gravel. We could see huge slides of this stuff (which at a distance looks like sand) on the hillsides around us.
Our last footsteps took us across the suspension bridge over the Saco River and back to the car---an excellent day.
Pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/album/552896188LtmVaH
