1HappyHiker
Well-known member
Due to a mid morning start-time and the short daylight hours of November, my friend Zman and I wanted a hassle-free, straightforward hike with good views. And, because of my preference to be out of the woods with minimal use of headlamps, we wanted to come up with a hike that could be done within a 5 to 6 hour time frame. Once we got on the road, we discussed several possibilities and ultimately decided on a simple out & back hike to Mts. Crawford and Resolution.
We made good time to the summit of Mt. Crawford. There was no snow or ice on the trail, and no blowdowns of any consequence.
The viewing conditions were excellent. Well, almost "excellent". There was one persistent cloud that came and went, like it was playing "peek-a-boo" with the views of Mt. Washington's summit. But hey, if that's all there is to "complain" about, then it's a pretty darn good day!
We lingered on the summit of Crawford for nearly an hour eating lunch and taking photos. Below is a snapshot of Zman patiently waiting for the one cloud to clear the summit of Washington.
And, here are two other snapshots taken from Mt. Crawford.
Crawford Notch, with Frankenstein Cliff and Mt. Willey prominent in foreground
Stairs Mountain and Presidential Range
After Mt. Crawford, it was onward to Mt. Resolution. For this portion of our trek, there were more blowdowns that what we had experienced on our way up to Crawford. However, all were easy to step over or walk around. Actually, large pools of water on portions of this trail slowed us down more often than any of the blowdowns!
Each time I've done the trek from Crawford over to Resolution, I've been amazed at how quickly it goes. The same was true this time as well, even though we did have to stop briefly to put on our Microspikes since there was some sporadic ice on the bare rock portions of the Mt. Parker Trail as it approaches Mt. Resolution.
By the time we arrived on Resolution, there was little evidence of the "peek-a-boo" cloud that had persisted over Mt. Washington while we were on Mt. Crawford. Below is a snapshot of the Presidentials from Mt. Resolution.
The trek from Resolution back to the trailhead was uneventful. However, I must say that the knees certainly get a real workout during the steep descent that begins at the base of Mt. Crawford and continues to within a few tenths of mile from the trailhead.
As shown in the photo below, we were on our way out of the woods just at "the twilight's last gleaming". It was another "star-spangled" day in the Whites.
1HappyHiker
We made good time to the summit of Mt. Crawford. There was no snow or ice on the trail, and no blowdowns of any consequence.
The viewing conditions were excellent. Well, almost "excellent". There was one persistent cloud that came and went, like it was playing "peek-a-boo" with the views of Mt. Washington's summit. But hey, if that's all there is to "complain" about, then it's a pretty darn good day!
We lingered on the summit of Crawford for nearly an hour eating lunch and taking photos. Below is a snapshot of Zman patiently waiting for the one cloud to clear the summit of Washington.
And, here are two other snapshots taken from Mt. Crawford.
Crawford Notch, with Frankenstein Cliff and Mt. Willey prominent in foreground
Stairs Mountain and Presidential Range
After Mt. Crawford, it was onward to Mt. Resolution. For this portion of our trek, there were more blowdowns that what we had experienced on our way up to Crawford. However, all were easy to step over or walk around. Actually, large pools of water on portions of this trail slowed us down more often than any of the blowdowns!
Each time I've done the trek from Crawford over to Resolution, I've been amazed at how quickly it goes. The same was true this time as well, even though we did have to stop briefly to put on our Microspikes since there was some sporadic ice on the bare rock portions of the Mt. Parker Trail as it approaches Mt. Resolution.
By the time we arrived on Resolution, there was little evidence of the "peek-a-boo" cloud that had persisted over Mt. Washington while we were on Mt. Crawford. Below is a snapshot of the Presidentials from Mt. Resolution.
The trek from Resolution back to the trailhead was uneventful. However, I must say that the knees certainly get a real workout during the steep descent that begins at the base of Mt. Crawford and continues to within a few tenths of mile from the trailhead.
As shown in the photo below, we were on our way out of the woods just at "the twilight's last gleaming". It was another "star-spangled" day in the Whites.
1HappyHiker
