hikersinger
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Hike Date: Sunday, December 13, 2015
Route: Castle Trail, from trailhead on Route 2 to Mt. Jefferson summit (5.0 miles) and back same way
Conditions: lower 1/3 no snow or ice, upper half a mix of some ice and snow; above treeline, crusty snow in-between and covering many rocks
Equipment used: bare boots for lower half; microspikes very adequate the rest of the time; just be careful on the scrambles
Time: started about 7:30am, returned about 4:30pm
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/450058497
After a few months away from any "serious" mountain hiking (had done Moosilauke, Pierce, and Success over the past two months), I took advantage of an unseasonably nice day to get out with friend/co-worker James to hike Mt. Jefferson.
I hadn't been up to this summit in literally 20 years, so I was way overdue. Besides, this is one of 15 peaks I have left on my winter 48 so I thought it would be a good warm-up. I've also been wanting to explore the Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) side of the northern Presidentials, an area I've largely ignored so far for some reason (have only been up/down Valley Way, and went up Watson Path once).
The Castle Trail has quickly become one of my favorites, for its varied features: river crossing (straightforward, with a short and easy bushwhack up-stream); open birch forest; dense ascent up onto the spur with a few thrilling scrambles; fabulous, towering boulders that make up one of a few "Castles"; and extended section above treeline, with spectacular views down into ravines on either side.
For a nice, unseasonably warm day in December, we saw only one other person all day: in the distance, sitting on the summit ahead of us. He/she was gone by the time we reached the high point.
Late Fall saw warmer than normal temperatures and next to no snow by the time we were on the mountain. The upper half of the mountain did feature some snow, but microspikes proved more than effective for the whole stretch up to and including the summit.
The only slightly annoying thing about the trail, is the few false summits leading up to the top. Built a good amount of character, especially with my cohort.
I hadn't realized it until after, but the Castle Trail is one of the Terrifying 25, so I'm thrilled to have been able to check this one off! Like many trails on the 25, this is one of those "hidden gems" of the Whites.
Interesting, on the way down, perhaps a mile or so from the trailhead, we smelled skunk, which I hadn't ever recalled smelling on a trail. This is certainly not to say they don't exist in the mountains, but it's simply not something I'd encountered before. There are a few houses in the area of the trailhead, so maybe we were simply smelling skunk downwind.
Route: Castle Trail, from trailhead on Route 2 to Mt. Jefferson summit (5.0 miles) and back same way
Conditions: lower 1/3 no snow or ice, upper half a mix of some ice and snow; above treeline, crusty snow in-between and covering many rocks
Equipment used: bare boots for lower half; microspikes very adequate the rest of the time; just be careful on the scrambles
Time: started about 7:30am, returned about 4:30pm
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/450058497
After a few months away from any "serious" mountain hiking (had done Moosilauke, Pierce, and Success over the past two months), I took advantage of an unseasonably nice day to get out with friend/co-worker James to hike Mt. Jefferson.
I hadn't been up to this summit in literally 20 years, so I was way overdue. Besides, this is one of 15 peaks I have left on my winter 48 so I thought it would be a good warm-up. I've also been wanting to explore the Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) side of the northern Presidentials, an area I've largely ignored so far for some reason (have only been up/down Valley Way, and went up Watson Path once).
The Castle Trail has quickly become one of my favorites, for its varied features: river crossing (straightforward, with a short and easy bushwhack up-stream); open birch forest; dense ascent up onto the spur with a few thrilling scrambles; fabulous, towering boulders that make up one of a few "Castles"; and extended section above treeline, with spectacular views down into ravines on either side.
For a nice, unseasonably warm day in December, we saw only one other person all day: in the distance, sitting on the summit ahead of us. He/she was gone by the time we reached the high point.
Late Fall saw warmer than normal temperatures and next to no snow by the time we were on the mountain. The upper half of the mountain did feature some snow, but microspikes proved more than effective for the whole stretch up to and including the summit.
The only slightly annoying thing about the trail, is the few false summits leading up to the top. Built a good amount of character, especially with my cohort.
I hadn't realized it until after, but the Castle Trail is one of the Terrifying 25, so I'm thrilled to have been able to check this one off! Like many trails on the 25, this is one of those "hidden gems" of the Whites.
Interesting, on the way down, perhaps a mile or so from the trailhead, we smelled skunk, which I hadn't ever recalled smelling on a trail. This is certainly not to say they don't exist in the mountains, but it's simply not something I'd encountered before. There are a few houses in the area of the trailhead, so maybe we were simply smelling skunk downwind.
