BIGEarl
Well-known member
November 7, 2009: Northern Presidentials
Trails: Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside Trail, Air Line Trail, Lowes Path, Jefferson Loop, Caps Ridge Trail
Summits: Madison, Adams, Jefferson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The day’s plan was to hike a traverse including the Northern Presidentials, Madison through Monroe. We had a good forecast with moderate wind, cool temperature, and lots of sun for the first half but clouds in the afternoon. Roughly 45 minutes later than planned we set off from Appalachia on Valley Way headed for our first target, Madison.
As usual, the hike up Valley Way is a good warm-up for the day. We were hiking with headlights for roughly half of the distance to the treeline. Along the way we made a few stops to relieve the heat by adjusting layers, and to relieve other things. A short distance below the Valley Way Tent Site we heard the sound of a military aircraft overhead and looked to see the show. We also noticed beautiful blue sky. To this point there was no wind. We continued to the Madison Hut, changed to the Osgood Trail, and kept hiking for the summit of Madison. The upper half of Valley Way has a good amount of snow and ice making the footing difficult. There wasn’t enough snow for snowshoes and not enough ice for crampons but enough of each to make staying vertical a challenge.
As we climbed to the summit of Madison we started to get hit by a significant amount of wind. I asked Sue if we should pull out an extra layer but she seemed comfortable and wanted to continue. The higher we climbed the higher the wind speed. Everything was covered with thick rime making the footing questionable in places. Roughly half way to the summit Sue pulled out a jacket to help with the wind. I decided to wait until I could duck behind a boulder for a little protection before digging into my pack. There’s a section of trail that passes around to the east side of the summit and I knew conditions would be relatively calm there. Both of us had extra protection on before reaching the summit. One of these days I’ll get a handheld weather station so I can see what we’re actually experiencing for conditions. The weather history indicates we were probably being hit with a temperature of 21 degrees and a wind of 26 mph from the west. We got our summit pictures and paused for a couple minutes to enjoy the views but were soon headed for the exit. The slow progress due to the snow and ice had cost quite a bit of time and we needed to take a shot at getting some of it back.
We made our way back to the Madison Hut and Gulfside Trail. As we passed the hut there was a solo hiker there that we visited with briefly. He indicated a plan to head for Adams and possibly Jefferson, but he also said he wasn’t feeling well. I believe he hiked up from Appalachia and give the guy credit for making such a climb not feeling 100 percent. Soon we were headed south on Gulfside.
Just as it was on the upper half of Valley Way there is not enough snow or ice for winter gear but enough to slow progress and cost time trying to avoid a fall. We made our way along Gulfside climbing to the junction with Air Line. There, we made the left and started the climb to Adams. The fellow we met at the hut had passed us and was a short distance ahead headed for JQ Adams. We stayed with the marked trail for Adams enjoying the rock-hopping that is the normal condition in the Northern Presidentials. Around us we could see others out for the day. We met two couples hiking down from Adams and noticed others up ahead or on Gulfside.
The wind was very gusty which made staying upright even more of a test and our progress further slowed. Eventually we reached the final climb to the summit and found a significant increase in rime. Being careful to stay on-trail we continuously checked for cairn locations. Eventually we were making the final approach to the summit. There we found three others huddled within the summit boulders enjoying a quick lunch. We stayed long enough to get our summit pictures and that was about it. The wind was really coming across the summit, the temperature was low, and we wanted to drop some elevation to get out of the wind.
We carefully made our way to Thunderstorm Junction via Lowes Path meeting a solo hiker and a couple heading for the summit. We met these others below the level of the high winds but it seems everybody knew what was waiting for them. Back on Gulfside we headed for Jefferson. We were running very late against our plan and were already talking about cutting Monroe from the hike. I suggested to Sue we should plan to take a close look at our next move once we reach Jefferson.
The hike south on Gulfside was problem-free, but slow. Taking care with nearly every step to make sure of foot placement and to recover from the occasional slip on ice and snow cost more time. We made Edmands Col without mishap and were quickly into the climb of Jefferson. Leaving Edmands Col the trail passes near a section of ledge where there are areas of ice over the trail – more questionable footing but we passed another series of tests. After the north junction of Gulfside and the Jefferson Loop we had less difficulty with the conditions. The trail still had a significant amount of snow and ice but there were also enough bare rocks for stable rock-hopping on the climb. We cleared the false summit and continued to the Big Cairn. There, before heading to the summit of Jefferson we stopped to discuss our next move.
We were at the summit of Jefferson a little more than thirty minutes before sunset and darkness was probably a little more than an hour away. Considering our speed with the conditions we probably wouldn’t reach the Gulfside – Jewell trails junction before dark. Hiking Washington in darkness isn’t that tough – the trails are well marked and we had everything we needed to be comfortable and safe. We just decided a couple hours in darkness to the summit wouldn’t be much fun. If we thought it was possible to get there for the sunset it would have been a different story but it was too late for that. Our decision; hit the summit of Jefferson and descend via Caps Ridge. Once we reached the trailhead we would road walk back to the car that was left at the trailhead lot on Base Road – it’s only a couple miles.
We climbed to the summit for some pictures and enjoyed the views for a while. Then, the descent on Caps Ridge Trail – this is a fun trail! Carefully, we made our way off the summit constantly checking the location of the next cairn. The top section of Caps Ridge is typical Northern Presidentials rock hopping rough trail. Slowly we covered the upper .4 miles and came to the junction with the Cornice Trail. While we were there taking pictures of the sunset another hiker approached from the north on the Cornice Trail. The first words he spoke were “that’s a terrible trail” (I’ve heard that before). We visited briefly, I asked where he was headed and he motioned down Caps Ridge so we all hiked out together. The other hiker is Dan Logan, he is working on his NH4K’s since last February and has eight to go (Adams, Cabot, Isolation, The Carters, and The Wildcats). Good luck Dan!
Soon after leaving the trails junction and before getting into the scrambles we stopped to pull out headlights. We were going to descend the interesting parts of the Caps Ridge Trail in the dark – Fun (with a capital F). There are a number slabs with just enough ice to make footing a real test. We passed a number of these spots seated. Otherwise, we simply used great care and slowly made our way through the gauntlet of the Caps Ridge Trail. Finally off the rough stuff, the trail moderates and we had a mild final walk out.
At the trailhead Dan asked if we would like a ride to our car. That answer took no thought at all. He saved us at least an hour of road walk (probably more). We got back to the trailhead lot on Base Road. Moved our things from Dan’s car to Sue’s and said our goodbye. Dan waited before leaving to make sure our car started – nice guy, I hope we meet again. Thanks for the ride and your company on the hike out.
We came up a little short with the hike but still enjoyed a very full day in the mountains. Thanks Sue for another terrific day.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside Trail, Air Line Trail, Lowes Path, Jefferson Loop, Caps Ridge Trail
Summits: Madison, Adams, Jefferson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The day’s plan was to hike a traverse including the Northern Presidentials, Madison through Monroe. We had a good forecast with moderate wind, cool temperature, and lots of sun for the first half but clouds in the afternoon. Roughly 45 minutes later than planned we set off from Appalachia on Valley Way headed for our first target, Madison.
As usual, the hike up Valley Way is a good warm-up for the day. We were hiking with headlights for roughly half of the distance to the treeline. Along the way we made a few stops to relieve the heat by adjusting layers, and to relieve other things. A short distance below the Valley Way Tent Site we heard the sound of a military aircraft overhead and looked to see the show. We also noticed beautiful blue sky. To this point there was no wind. We continued to the Madison Hut, changed to the Osgood Trail, and kept hiking for the summit of Madison. The upper half of Valley Way has a good amount of snow and ice making the footing difficult. There wasn’t enough snow for snowshoes and not enough ice for crampons but enough of each to make staying vertical a challenge.
As we climbed to the summit of Madison we started to get hit by a significant amount of wind. I asked Sue if we should pull out an extra layer but she seemed comfortable and wanted to continue. The higher we climbed the higher the wind speed. Everything was covered with thick rime making the footing questionable in places. Roughly half way to the summit Sue pulled out a jacket to help with the wind. I decided to wait until I could duck behind a boulder for a little protection before digging into my pack. There’s a section of trail that passes around to the east side of the summit and I knew conditions would be relatively calm there. Both of us had extra protection on before reaching the summit. One of these days I’ll get a handheld weather station so I can see what we’re actually experiencing for conditions. The weather history indicates we were probably being hit with a temperature of 21 degrees and a wind of 26 mph from the west. We got our summit pictures and paused for a couple minutes to enjoy the views but were soon headed for the exit. The slow progress due to the snow and ice had cost quite a bit of time and we needed to take a shot at getting some of it back.
We made our way back to the Madison Hut and Gulfside Trail. As we passed the hut there was a solo hiker there that we visited with briefly. He indicated a plan to head for Adams and possibly Jefferson, but he also said he wasn’t feeling well. I believe he hiked up from Appalachia and give the guy credit for making such a climb not feeling 100 percent. Soon we were headed south on Gulfside.
Just as it was on the upper half of Valley Way there is not enough snow or ice for winter gear but enough to slow progress and cost time trying to avoid a fall. We made our way along Gulfside climbing to the junction with Air Line. There, we made the left and started the climb to Adams. The fellow we met at the hut had passed us and was a short distance ahead headed for JQ Adams. We stayed with the marked trail for Adams enjoying the rock-hopping that is the normal condition in the Northern Presidentials. Around us we could see others out for the day. We met two couples hiking down from Adams and noticed others up ahead or on Gulfside.
The wind was very gusty which made staying upright even more of a test and our progress further slowed. Eventually we reached the final climb to the summit and found a significant increase in rime. Being careful to stay on-trail we continuously checked for cairn locations. Eventually we were making the final approach to the summit. There we found three others huddled within the summit boulders enjoying a quick lunch. We stayed long enough to get our summit pictures and that was about it. The wind was really coming across the summit, the temperature was low, and we wanted to drop some elevation to get out of the wind.
We carefully made our way to Thunderstorm Junction via Lowes Path meeting a solo hiker and a couple heading for the summit. We met these others below the level of the high winds but it seems everybody knew what was waiting for them. Back on Gulfside we headed for Jefferson. We were running very late against our plan and were already talking about cutting Monroe from the hike. I suggested to Sue we should plan to take a close look at our next move once we reach Jefferson.
The hike south on Gulfside was problem-free, but slow. Taking care with nearly every step to make sure of foot placement and to recover from the occasional slip on ice and snow cost more time. We made Edmands Col without mishap and were quickly into the climb of Jefferson. Leaving Edmands Col the trail passes near a section of ledge where there are areas of ice over the trail – more questionable footing but we passed another series of tests. After the north junction of Gulfside and the Jefferson Loop we had less difficulty with the conditions. The trail still had a significant amount of snow and ice but there were also enough bare rocks for stable rock-hopping on the climb. We cleared the false summit and continued to the Big Cairn. There, before heading to the summit of Jefferson we stopped to discuss our next move.
We were at the summit of Jefferson a little more than thirty minutes before sunset and darkness was probably a little more than an hour away. Considering our speed with the conditions we probably wouldn’t reach the Gulfside – Jewell trails junction before dark. Hiking Washington in darkness isn’t that tough – the trails are well marked and we had everything we needed to be comfortable and safe. We just decided a couple hours in darkness to the summit wouldn’t be much fun. If we thought it was possible to get there for the sunset it would have been a different story but it was too late for that. Our decision; hit the summit of Jefferson and descend via Caps Ridge. Once we reached the trailhead we would road walk back to the car that was left at the trailhead lot on Base Road – it’s only a couple miles.
We climbed to the summit for some pictures and enjoyed the views for a while. Then, the descent on Caps Ridge Trail – this is a fun trail! Carefully, we made our way off the summit constantly checking the location of the next cairn. The top section of Caps Ridge is typical Northern Presidentials rock hopping rough trail. Slowly we covered the upper .4 miles and came to the junction with the Cornice Trail. While we were there taking pictures of the sunset another hiker approached from the north on the Cornice Trail. The first words he spoke were “that’s a terrible trail” (I’ve heard that before). We visited briefly, I asked where he was headed and he motioned down Caps Ridge so we all hiked out together. The other hiker is Dan Logan, he is working on his NH4K’s since last February and has eight to go (Adams, Cabot, Isolation, The Carters, and The Wildcats). Good luck Dan!
Soon after leaving the trails junction and before getting into the scrambles we stopped to pull out headlights. We were going to descend the interesting parts of the Caps Ridge Trail in the dark – Fun (with a capital F). There are a number slabs with just enough ice to make footing a real test. We passed a number of these spots seated. Otherwise, we simply used great care and slowly made our way through the gauntlet of the Caps Ridge Trail. Finally off the rough stuff, the trail moderates and we had a mild final walk out.
At the trailhead Dan asked if we would like a ride to our car. That answer took no thought at all. He saved us at least an hour of road walk (probably more). We got back to the trailhead lot on Base Road. Moved our things from Dan’s car to Sue’s and said our goodbye. Dan waited before leaving to make sure our car started – nice guy, I hope we meet again. Thanks for the ride and your company on the hike out.
We came up a little short with the hike but still enjoyed a very full day in the mountains. Thanks Sue for another terrific day.
Pictures will follow.
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