BIGEarl
Well-known member
February 27, 2012: Monroe, Washington, Jefferson
Trails: Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Monroe Loop, Crawford Path, Gulfside Trail, Jefferson Loop, Jewell Trail
Summits: Monroe, Washington, Jefferson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Before driving to Marshfield Station for the hike we made a quick stop at The Highland Center for final hike prep. While there we checked the latest information on the weather. From there, we ran over to the Hiker Lot at Marshfield Station and started our day. The plan was a loop of Monroe, Washington, and Jefferson; ascending Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, descending Jewell Trail, and following the usual trails between the peaks.
At the start we went with our MSRs. There was roughly two to four inches of fluffy powder on the hard-packed trail. The snowshoes helped smooth out the bare boot tracks we followed in to Gem Pool. A couple guys went in the previous night and camped near Gem Pool. They decided against continuing to the ridge and headed out. We met them roughly half-way between the trailhead and Gem Pool. At Gem Pool the steep climb started along with the trail breaking. As we gained elevation we also gained snow depth. We were working with pretty good traction on the packed trail surface. Sue was in front and stayed there all of the way to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Sue commented the light powder wasn’t hard to break out but I know the drifts in the final few hundred yards to the treeline were hard work. Sue is amazing!
As we were approaching the LOC Hut the wind suddenly opened up and we were getting hit hard from the southwest. To this point we had calm conditions to enjoy but from here everything changed. We spent the rest of the day above the treeline in 50+ mph wind, gusts to over 70 mph, and occasionally zero visibility. According to the weather history, the temperature was in the low to mid teens. Initially, the wind was from the southwest, and the terrain sheltered us from it on our climb to the LOC Hut. It changed to westerly over the next one to two hours. Yeah, we’re having fun now!
At the LOC Hut we stopped by the dungeon for a quick change. In the dungeon we were out of the wind. We went from MSRs to crampons. There was a chance the MSRs would do the job but neither of us wanted to be forced into a change mid-climb. We stayed with the crampons until we were at the tree line on Jewell Trail.
From the hut we headed straight to the summit of Monroe. Staying on the north/northwest slope helped a little with the wind but we were still getting hit pretty hard; especially after we reached the area approaching the summit. We stayed long enough to get our usual summit pictures, a few area view shots, and we set off for Mount Washington, our next target.
First, we descended back to the hut over the same general route we followed on the climb. From the hut we followed Crawford Path for our ascent to Mount Washington. The early part was reasonable. The wind was on our backs and we didn’t require goggles. We just hiked to Washington. The wind increased significantly as we gained elevation. By the time we reached the junction with West Side Trail we were working hard just staying upright. Sue almost never uses her poles but she had them out now to help with added stability in the high wind conditions. Another change was underway; a thick cloud cover was moving in. Soon, we had very limited visibility. For a while we were able to go from cairn to cairn but eventually lost the string of cairns. We both knew our objective and closest reference point was on top so we generally headed up.
As we climbed the clouds took over and we were operating in zero visibility conditions. The snow and blowing ice crystals were creating a great amount of discomfort as they hit us in the face and eyes. A consequence of this was a tendency to shift our route to the north to place the wind on our backs. As soon as the conditions closed in on us my level of concentration shot way up. I needed to locate reference points each time a small hole in the cover came through and keep on a course to the summit. We kept climbing and eventually a hole blew through exposing a couple of the summit buildings. Sue shouted to head for the buildings where we can dig out the goggles. We went to the sheltered side of the first building and found our goggles. This took care of the biggest challenge we faced, at the time.
We made our way to the summit sign post, got the usual pictures and prepared to head out. We were pretty sure the wind level would drop as we gave up elevation. Before leaving the summit sign, I glanced northward and noticed visibility to Mount Clay was pretty good. Now I was certain our exit from Mount Washington wouldn’t be loaded with stress.
We left via Trinity Connector and Gulfside Trail. After crossing the Cog tracks I made the next route decision. Gulfside Trail follows the edge of Great Gulf for a pretty good distance. If the wind suddenly increased or had a significant gust when we were passing through the area it could knock us off our feet and possibly over the edge. I decided to stay closer to the Cog Tracks while descending to the area of the West Side Trail junction. This approach would keep us safely from the edge until we could start north on Gulfside Trail. Our original plan had us passing over Mount Clay on the way to Jefferson to enjoy the views it has to offer. There were no views on this day and we stayed with Gulfside and the large cairns that mark its route.
We made our way north on Gulfside across the west side of Mount Clay, on to Sphinx Col, and finally to Monticello Lawn and the junction with Jefferson Loop Trail. There seemed to be little difference in the wind all along the way from the summit of Mount Washington to the Jefferson Loop south junction. For most of the distance the conditions opened up a little and we had pretty good visibility for cairn finding. We made the turn onto Jefferson Loop and within a hundred yards lost it. The cairns on Jefferson Loop are not nearly as prominent as those on Gulfside. The conditions again closed in leaving roughly fifty feet of visibility.
Here came another decision; we’re going to bushwhack Jefferson. From where we were we started up. All there is at the top is the large cairn, and the top. Slowly we picked our way through the exposed rocks generally staying on Styrofoam snow as we gained elevation. We came to a place where off to the right appeared to be a section of ledge so we favored to the left and continued up. Eventually, the terrain leveled off but a slight rise was noticeable up ahead. We made our way there and on the far side was the large cairn. Well, that was easy. From the large cairn on Jefferson to the summit is a nice walk right now; it’s a huge snow ramp. We just walked straight to the summit for our pictures.
As we made this final short climb the wind came up even more with pretty significant gusts. First, I got Sue’s picture. Then all we needed to do was change places. That was a major job. We managed to swap places, Sue got the pictures, gave me the camera back, and was gone. We both headed to the large cairn and a small hiding place from the wind.
Leaving Jefferson we started out with a couple good sized cairns. As we descended the cairns got smaller until eventually we were again without a trail. Some clear air blew through and I was able to get a bearing on the Gulfside – Jefferson Loop junction. Off we went across Monticello Lawn directly to the trail junction. From there we took off on Gulfside south to find Jewell Trail and our exit. As we hiked along the west slope of Mount Clay I located a couple cairns marking Jewell Trail and instead of staying with Gulfside to the trail junction we simply cut the corner as is common practice in winter for this exit.
We’re on Jewell and all we need to do is follow it to the trailhead and our waiting truck. That was the plan at least. Jewell wasn’t broken out and most of it was completely hidden by drifts. Looking down the slope toward the treeline we could see what appeared to be a trail corridor but it was quite a distance away. On a couple occasions we managed to locate the small cairns on Jewell Trail and actually follow the packed trail route. At other times we were going point A to point B through areas of spruce traps. Eventually, we found what appeared to be the trail corridor that we saw from high on the slope. That was the trail and we were soon on our way back below the treeline. Sue and I have previously had a tough experience with Jewell Trail after dark. The cairns are very difficult to locate. We wanted to be on the trail and below the treeline before dark. Below the treeline we retired the crampons and changed to our MSRs and pulled out the headlights. It wasn’t dark yet but darkness wasn’t far off.
The remaining hike out went without a surprise. The trail corridor is easy to follow all of the way down. We followed the new exit route that ends a short distance up the slope along the cog tracks. From there we crossed on the upper bridge and walked to the upper lot; off came the snowshoes and we were soon at the lower Hiker Lot packing to leave.
We really earned these three. I’m not sure this was the toughest hike we’ve ever done but it’s right up there and off hand I can’t come up with one that beats it. And, the wind didn’t take out either of us, not even once.
Thanks Sue. Thanks for breaking out Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, thanks for breaking out Jewell Trail, and thanks for not suggesting we bail on our first pass by Jewell Trail (that’s all it would have taken).
In spite of the tough conditions we made it through the hike as planned, and generally on book time. Nice!
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Monroe Loop, Crawford Path, Gulfside Trail, Jefferson Loop, Jewell Trail
Summits: Monroe, Washington, Jefferson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Before driving to Marshfield Station for the hike we made a quick stop at The Highland Center for final hike prep. While there we checked the latest information on the weather. From there, we ran over to the Hiker Lot at Marshfield Station and started our day. The plan was a loop of Monroe, Washington, and Jefferson; ascending Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, descending Jewell Trail, and following the usual trails between the peaks.
At the start we went with our MSRs. There was roughly two to four inches of fluffy powder on the hard-packed trail. The snowshoes helped smooth out the bare boot tracks we followed in to Gem Pool. A couple guys went in the previous night and camped near Gem Pool. They decided against continuing to the ridge and headed out. We met them roughly half-way between the trailhead and Gem Pool. At Gem Pool the steep climb started along with the trail breaking. As we gained elevation we also gained snow depth. We were working with pretty good traction on the packed trail surface. Sue was in front and stayed there all of the way to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Sue commented the light powder wasn’t hard to break out but I know the drifts in the final few hundred yards to the treeline were hard work. Sue is amazing!
As we were approaching the LOC Hut the wind suddenly opened up and we were getting hit hard from the southwest. To this point we had calm conditions to enjoy but from here everything changed. We spent the rest of the day above the treeline in 50+ mph wind, gusts to over 70 mph, and occasionally zero visibility. According to the weather history, the temperature was in the low to mid teens. Initially, the wind was from the southwest, and the terrain sheltered us from it on our climb to the LOC Hut. It changed to westerly over the next one to two hours. Yeah, we’re having fun now!
At the LOC Hut we stopped by the dungeon for a quick change. In the dungeon we were out of the wind. We went from MSRs to crampons. There was a chance the MSRs would do the job but neither of us wanted to be forced into a change mid-climb. We stayed with the crampons until we were at the tree line on Jewell Trail.
From the hut we headed straight to the summit of Monroe. Staying on the north/northwest slope helped a little with the wind but we were still getting hit pretty hard; especially after we reached the area approaching the summit. We stayed long enough to get our usual summit pictures, a few area view shots, and we set off for Mount Washington, our next target.
First, we descended back to the hut over the same general route we followed on the climb. From the hut we followed Crawford Path for our ascent to Mount Washington. The early part was reasonable. The wind was on our backs and we didn’t require goggles. We just hiked to Washington. The wind increased significantly as we gained elevation. By the time we reached the junction with West Side Trail we were working hard just staying upright. Sue almost never uses her poles but she had them out now to help with added stability in the high wind conditions. Another change was underway; a thick cloud cover was moving in. Soon, we had very limited visibility. For a while we were able to go from cairn to cairn but eventually lost the string of cairns. We both knew our objective and closest reference point was on top so we generally headed up.
As we climbed the clouds took over and we were operating in zero visibility conditions. The snow and blowing ice crystals were creating a great amount of discomfort as they hit us in the face and eyes. A consequence of this was a tendency to shift our route to the north to place the wind on our backs. As soon as the conditions closed in on us my level of concentration shot way up. I needed to locate reference points each time a small hole in the cover came through and keep on a course to the summit. We kept climbing and eventually a hole blew through exposing a couple of the summit buildings. Sue shouted to head for the buildings where we can dig out the goggles. We went to the sheltered side of the first building and found our goggles. This took care of the biggest challenge we faced, at the time.
We made our way to the summit sign post, got the usual pictures and prepared to head out. We were pretty sure the wind level would drop as we gave up elevation. Before leaving the summit sign, I glanced northward and noticed visibility to Mount Clay was pretty good. Now I was certain our exit from Mount Washington wouldn’t be loaded with stress.
We left via Trinity Connector and Gulfside Trail. After crossing the Cog tracks I made the next route decision. Gulfside Trail follows the edge of Great Gulf for a pretty good distance. If the wind suddenly increased or had a significant gust when we were passing through the area it could knock us off our feet and possibly over the edge. I decided to stay closer to the Cog Tracks while descending to the area of the West Side Trail junction. This approach would keep us safely from the edge until we could start north on Gulfside Trail. Our original plan had us passing over Mount Clay on the way to Jefferson to enjoy the views it has to offer. There were no views on this day and we stayed with Gulfside and the large cairns that mark its route.
We made our way north on Gulfside across the west side of Mount Clay, on to Sphinx Col, and finally to Monticello Lawn and the junction with Jefferson Loop Trail. There seemed to be little difference in the wind all along the way from the summit of Mount Washington to the Jefferson Loop south junction. For most of the distance the conditions opened up a little and we had pretty good visibility for cairn finding. We made the turn onto Jefferson Loop and within a hundred yards lost it. The cairns on Jefferson Loop are not nearly as prominent as those on Gulfside. The conditions again closed in leaving roughly fifty feet of visibility.
Here came another decision; we’re going to bushwhack Jefferson. From where we were we started up. All there is at the top is the large cairn, and the top. Slowly we picked our way through the exposed rocks generally staying on Styrofoam snow as we gained elevation. We came to a place where off to the right appeared to be a section of ledge so we favored to the left and continued up. Eventually, the terrain leveled off but a slight rise was noticeable up ahead. We made our way there and on the far side was the large cairn. Well, that was easy. From the large cairn on Jefferson to the summit is a nice walk right now; it’s a huge snow ramp. We just walked straight to the summit for our pictures.
As we made this final short climb the wind came up even more with pretty significant gusts. First, I got Sue’s picture. Then all we needed to do was change places. That was a major job. We managed to swap places, Sue got the pictures, gave me the camera back, and was gone. We both headed to the large cairn and a small hiding place from the wind.
Leaving Jefferson we started out with a couple good sized cairns. As we descended the cairns got smaller until eventually we were again without a trail. Some clear air blew through and I was able to get a bearing on the Gulfside – Jefferson Loop junction. Off we went across Monticello Lawn directly to the trail junction. From there we took off on Gulfside south to find Jewell Trail and our exit. As we hiked along the west slope of Mount Clay I located a couple cairns marking Jewell Trail and instead of staying with Gulfside to the trail junction we simply cut the corner as is common practice in winter for this exit.
We’re on Jewell and all we need to do is follow it to the trailhead and our waiting truck. That was the plan at least. Jewell wasn’t broken out and most of it was completely hidden by drifts. Looking down the slope toward the treeline we could see what appeared to be a trail corridor but it was quite a distance away. On a couple occasions we managed to locate the small cairns on Jewell Trail and actually follow the packed trail route. At other times we were going point A to point B through areas of spruce traps. Eventually, we found what appeared to be the trail corridor that we saw from high on the slope. That was the trail and we were soon on our way back below the treeline. Sue and I have previously had a tough experience with Jewell Trail after dark. The cairns are very difficult to locate. We wanted to be on the trail and below the treeline before dark. Below the treeline we retired the crampons and changed to our MSRs and pulled out the headlights. It wasn’t dark yet but darkness wasn’t far off.
The remaining hike out went without a surprise. The trail corridor is easy to follow all of the way down. We followed the new exit route that ends a short distance up the slope along the cog tracks. From there we crossed on the upper bridge and walked to the upper lot; off came the snowshoes and we were soon at the lower Hiker Lot packing to leave.
We really earned these three. I’m not sure this was the toughest hike we’ve ever done but it’s right up there and off hand I can’t come up with one that beats it. And, the wind didn’t take out either of us, not even once.
Thanks Sue. Thanks for breaking out Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, thanks for breaking out Jewell Trail, and thanks for not suggesting we bail on our first pass by Jewell Trail (that’s all it would have taken).
In spite of the tough conditions we made it through the hike as planned, and generally on book time. Nice!
Pictures will follow.
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