Mt Eisenhower and Mt Pierce 10-19-13

[WeRmudfun]

We headed up to the ‘Playground’ again this weekend for the pup’s 14th and 15th summits. This time it was Mt. Eisenhower and Mt Pierce. We dropped a vehicle at the Crawford Connector trailhead and then drove up to the Edmunds Path Trailhead. The parking lot was almost filled to capacity when we arrived shortly after 8:00AM. Edmunds Path is supposed to be one of the easiest trails in the White Mountains and we’d have to agree that it didn’t require a lot of effort to get up to the top, but it was a steady incline until right before breaking tree line. The trail itself is in fine condition. The 1st 3 water crossings are bridged and the others were easily crossed. As far as the fall foliage went, well it fell…all over the forest floor. Lol There is not much for views until you start working your way around the cone of the mountain, but Eisenhower has 360 degree views, so the lack of views coming up was not a big deal.
Once we got above tree line, the views were worth the hike. It was hazy, but that’s a lot better than cloudy, unless of course the clouds are below you. LOL At about that time we came to the Eisenhower Loop Trail. We took the right and accented to the top. The trail up is well maintained with plenty of cairns to keep you on track. We got to the summit and it wasn’t as busy as we expected and before we knew it we had the summit to ourselves to enjoy. After our stay we continued down the other side of the mountain. This whole trail we did not find difficult at all either. There are 2 small ladders on this side of the mountain that posed no problem going down.
At the end of the Eisenhower Loop Trail we took a right onto the Crawford Path Trail which is a ridge walk over to Mount Pierce. This was our second time doing this and we enjoyed both times very much. The hike over is very easy with hardly any noticeable elevation gain or loss. There was water on the trail at times. It’s was avoidable for the most part, plus it let the dogs hydrate themselves too.
When we got to Mt Pierce we got to see some friends of our bagging their first 4K summit. The timing was great to be able to celebrate their accomplishment with them. We also had a visit with the GreyJays, who helped us eat our snacks. LOL We joined back up with our friends and headed down the Crawford Path to the Crawford Connector. This part of the Crawford Path was very wet and muddy. Overall it was another great day to hike in the Whites. As we usually do, we did post a video of the day’s adventure for anyone who might be interested in seeing it or the trails we took. Just follow the link…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLiqiV0YZZw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUvonD5mWIH03yQY3eosLwcQ

 

[Driver8]

Nice stuff - I enjoyed both these peaks, on separate hikes, in May and June. Looks like the weather was a lot better than the Obs predicted - probably was quite a bit windier and colder up on Mt. W. I'm looking forward to another trip up that way next time good weather and my schedule permit. Thanks for sharing!

 

[WeRmudfun]

Nice stuff - I enjoyed both these peaks, on separate hikes, in May and June. Looks like the weather was a lot better than the Obs predicted - probably was quite a bit windier and colder up on Mt. W. I'm looking forward to another trip up that way next time good weather and my schedule permit. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks. We lucked out on the weather and the winds this week and last week we got the undercast. We may stay home this weekend, our luck with Mother Nature may run out.

The Edmands Path, courtesy of J . Rayner Edmands, from 1909.

Nota bene: Edmands built the path to take advantage of the natural contours of the landscape, a practice that while common today was novel for the time. Edmands was also responsible for construction of the popular Gulfside Trail and Valley Way in the northern Presidentials, and in the early 1890s pioneered the current White Mountains system of using large cairns—instead of paint blazes—to guide hikers above treeline.

If that's not reason enough to love and adore the Edmands Path...

Great info! we knew some of it, but not all of it. Thanks.