SteveHiker
New member
I was awoken by the sound of heavy rain at about 4:30 on Saturday morning. Doesn't sound good. My alarm went off at 6, and it still looked miserable outside, so I rolled over and went back to sleep until about 7. Finally deciding it was now or never I got up and packed up my stuff and hit the road.
The plan was to go to Caps Ridge, but since it was drizzling when I left the house, I had a backup in mind. (Cabot, since its the only other one I haven't hiked yet of the 48). Crusing up 93, the traffic was lighter than I expected what with the light rain and the NASCAR race. By the time I got to Plymouth it was sunny. I noticed a low hanging cloud on a couple of peaks to the west and just about had my mind made up to go to Cabot. But Franconia Notch was 99% cloud free, so I wasn't sure. As I was rolling into Twin Mountain, I could see the buildings on the top of Washington so I went for it.
Cars with MA plates seem to drive verrry slooowly on dirt roads like Jeffereson Notch Road. Maybe it's me, but the road seems in good shape. It's in much better shape than most of the roads I learned to drive on. I've seen the same thing on Zealand road, too.
The hike up to the first overlook was pretty uneventful. I passed a few people and got to the overlook. At least six people were there watching the fog roll in on the Caps. Where did that come from? Most were having second thougths. Screw it. I came this far. There was no view as I climbed the Caps, but at least I could see where I was going. They were a little tricky but not as difficult as I had been led to believe. Getting to the top the clouds parted and I was in the sun. When I got to the crowded summit of Jefferson, the view was incredible. Washington, Clay and the gulfside trail were above the clouds. Everywhere else the view was of the tops of the clouds. All the ravines and gulfs were filled in. In the distance two peaks just poked out of the clouds. I think it was the twins, but hard to say for sure.
It was still early and the cloud/fog was a concern. It was supposed to clear out later, but how much later? and what if it didn't? I headed down to Edmunds Col. From there to Thunderstorm junction was not too much trouble, except that the guy I was talking with as we started down the trail was a little faster than me. I kept up with him until the last false summit on Adams, where I needed a break. I was diagnosed with mild asthma when I was 12. It hasn't bothered me much since I was about 20. But I felt like my lungs were going to explode. After a few minutes to recover, I made the summit. Took a bunch more pictures here as the clouds rolled in and out. I was continuing on to Madison, but the other guy wasn't so at least I could set my own pace.
When I reached madison hut there was only maybe 6 people there. After a brief stop to rearrange my pack, I headed up Osgood trail to the summit. Because it was the third one for the day, it seemed the hardest, although it only took about 20 minutes. The clouds had increased so I didn't stay long, figuring I might need to find someone headind down Valley way and bum a ride back to my car if the weather got really nasty.
On the way down I found a pair of thick wool gloves. I left them with the hutkeepers (or whatever you call them). If anyone lost them, that's where they are. By now the hut was packed. I sat outside and changed my shirt and socks as there was no room inside. I headed back on Gulfside, skirting around Adams. Once in a day is enough. I was also looking on the map for the best way around Jefferson since I didn't feel I had enough left to do it again. So I took the Cornice even though I had read bad things about it on this board. It might have been easier to go back over Jefferson. That trail doesn't cross many contour lines on the map, but if it isn't the hardest "flat" trail, I don't know what is. I nearly lost my balance a few times and while leaping from one rock to another, I got partly hung up on a small shrub or something which tore a nice 6" gash in my left shin. By now the weather had cleared up, and I'm walking across the Cornice with a bloody shin in the wind and the sun the whole way. I finally got back to Caps Ridge and managed to clean up the cut. I wasn't looking forward to going down the Caps, but they didn't seem as bad on the way down as I thought they'd be. As I got down into the woods just before the parking lot, another hiker caught up to me. He had gone up to the top of Jefferson and taken a nap! He would have been the closet person to me when I got cut. I wonder if he heard the loud expletives?
All in all a really great day and a great, although tiring hike. About 12 miles, probably around 5000' and it took about 10 hours including stops. I would recommend that if anyone else attempts doing these 3 in a day to avoid the Cornice from Edmunds Col. Either climb back over Jefferson, or take Gulfside around to the other end of the Cornice back to Caps ridge. Its a little further according to the map, but it has to be easier. That is definitely no shortcut.
The plan was to go to Caps Ridge, but since it was drizzling when I left the house, I had a backup in mind. (Cabot, since its the only other one I haven't hiked yet of the 48). Crusing up 93, the traffic was lighter than I expected what with the light rain and the NASCAR race. By the time I got to Plymouth it was sunny. I noticed a low hanging cloud on a couple of peaks to the west and just about had my mind made up to go to Cabot. But Franconia Notch was 99% cloud free, so I wasn't sure. As I was rolling into Twin Mountain, I could see the buildings on the top of Washington so I went for it.
Cars with MA plates seem to drive verrry slooowly on dirt roads like Jeffereson Notch Road. Maybe it's me, but the road seems in good shape. It's in much better shape than most of the roads I learned to drive on. I've seen the same thing on Zealand road, too.
The hike up to the first overlook was pretty uneventful. I passed a few people and got to the overlook. At least six people were there watching the fog roll in on the Caps. Where did that come from? Most were having second thougths. Screw it. I came this far. There was no view as I climbed the Caps, but at least I could see where I was going. They were a little tricky but not as difficult as I had been led to believe. Getting to the top the clouds parted and I was in the sun. When I got to the crowded summit of Jefferson, the view was incredible. Washington, Clay and the gulfside trail were above the clouds. Everywhere else the view was of the tops of the clouds. All the ravines and gulfs were filled in. In the distance two peaks just poked out of the clouds. I think it was the twins, but hard to say for sure.
It was still early and the cloud/fog was a concern. It was supposed to clear out later, but how much later? and what if it didn't? I headed down to Edmunds Col. From there to Thunderstorm junction was not too much trouble, except that the guy I was talking with as we started down the trail was a little faster than me. I kept up with him until the last false summit on Adams, where I needed a break. I was diagnosed with mild asthma when I was 12. It hasn't bothered me much since I was about 20. But I felt like my lungs were going to explode. After a few minutes to recover, I made the summit. Took a bunch more pictures here as the clouds rolled in and out. I was continuing on to Madison, but the other guy wasn't so at least I could set my own pace.
When I reached madison hut there was only maybe 6 people there. After a brief stop to rearrange my pack, I headed up Osgood trail to the summit. Because it was the third one for the day, it seemed the hardest, although it only took about 20 minutes. The clouds had increased so I didn't stay long, figuring I might need to find someone headind down Valley way and bum a ride back to my car if the weather got really nasty.
On the way down I found a pair of thick wool gloves. I left them with the hutkeepers (or whatever you call them). If anyone lost them, that's where they are. By now the hut was packed. I sat outside and changed my shirt and socks as there was no room inside. I headed back on Gulfside, skirting around Adams. Once in a day is enough. I was also looking on the map for the best way around Jefferson since I didn't feel I had enough left to do it again. So I took the Cornice even though I had read bad things about it on this board. It might have been easier to go back over Jefferson. That trail doesn't cross many contour lines on the map, but if it isn't the hardest "flat" trail, I don't know what is. I nearly lost my balance a few times and while leaping from one rock to another, I got partly hung up on a small shrub or something which tore a nice 6" gash in my left shin. By now the weather had cleared up, and I'm walking across the Cornice with a bloody shin in the wind and the sun the whole way. I finally got back to Caps Ridge and managed to clean up the cut. I wasn't looking forward to going down the Caps, but they didn't seem as bad on the way down as I thought they'd be. As I got down into the woods just before the parking lot, another hiker caught up to me. He had gone up to the top of Jefferson and taken a nap! He would have been the closet person to me when I got cut. I wonder if he heard the loud expletives?
All in all a really great day and a great, although tiring hike. About 12 miles, probably around 5000' and it took about 10 hours including stops. I would recommend that if anyone else attempts doing these 3 in a day to avoid the Cornice from Edmunds Col. Either climb back over Jefferson, or take Gulfside around to the other end of the Cornice back to Caps ridge. Its a little further according to the map, but it has to be easier. That is definitely no shortcut.
