BIGEarl
Well-known member
November 14, 2009: Southern Presidentials
Trails: Edmands Path, Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster-Jackson Trail
Summits: Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
Hiking with Sue is always interesting (she might say the same about hiking with me). We had a plan to pick up where we left off on our last hike in the Presidentials (Mount Washington) and head south for Jackson. To finish the planned hike soon after dark an early start was needed. First, we made a quick stop at the Highland Center. When we got out of our vehicles the wind was impressive. With the wind coming from the southeast through the notch, Webster Cliff and The Willey Range act together as a huge funnel and seem to cause significant acceleration by the time it hits the Highland Center. Our main interest in stopping at the Highland Center was to see the latest forecast information for the day. It wasn’t yet available. Based on the forecast details I reviewed at 1:30am we had acceptable conditions to work with for Mount Washington until approximately midday, and we expected to be on Eisenhower by then. We spotted a vehicle at the turnout on Route 302 (Webster-Jackson trailhead lot) and drove the other to Base Road for our hike.
In very little time we were geared up and hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail under headlights. We had very comfortable conditions and jackets were not needed. As usual, our world was limited to the beam of our headlights and we simply hiked toward the first milestone – Gem Pool. As we approached Gem Pool the day was starting to get light. We were very sheltered on the trail but could see the effects of the wind on the treetops – they were really dancing. A short distance before reaching Gem Pool there is an opening in the trees that allows a nice view to the headwall of the ravine and to the area near the height of land – usually. Today all we could see were clouds. I’m guessing the cloud layer was well under 4000 feet (we were at ~3500 feet and the clouds were very close). We stopped to discuss how to proceed considering the high winds and most likely zero visibility. Sue commented when it comes to hiking Mount Washington in high winds and zero visibility, once a year is enough. We hiked Washington in high winds and zero visibility back in January and didn’t really need to do it again right now. The discussion was a short one, we u-turned back to the trailhead to decide a salvage plan for the day.
We knew the forecast was most likely posted at the Highland Center and decided to head there to get the latest information. When we arrived, MikeP was at the front desk. His planned hiking partners for the day had cancelled and he was now resetting his hike targets as well. We reviewed the forecast, considered the conditions, and decided a traverse of Eisenhower through Jackson would make a good hike for the day. I was fairly sure we could reach the summit of Eisenhower about the time we had originally planned (noon) and complete the hike around dark or a little before. We invited MikeP to join us but he declined. Off we went to the Edmands Path trailhead and our salvage operation.
We had the place to ourselves; there were no other vehicles in the trailhead lot. Now we’re working with a late start that seemed strange – for us. The Edmands Path is a terrific trail that I haven’t been on for a couple years and this was a first-time for Sue. We made our way through a second warm-up and enjoyed the pleasant conditions. The terrain provided complete shelter from the wind and the trail was clear and dry. It seemed we had a good salvage plan in process. Because of my poor hearing the wind noise doesn’t register with me but I was able to get regular updates from Sue. More than once she confirmed we had wind – and plenty of it. Somewhere around 3500 feet we ran into the first test on the trail. There is a pile of blowdowns that block the trail but we were able to climb over them and continue toward the Crawford Path. I knew we were not far from the area where the trees get small and the wind would probably start being uncomfortable. It was time for another layer. Soon, we came to an area with a significant amount of ice. The trail contours around the north facing slope and receives limited sun. The trail has patches of ice developing that require a little extra attention to avoid a fall. We managed to pass this area without any problems. A short distance below the junction with the Crawford Path the trees turn into scrub and we started being hit with a significant wind. Both of us planned on adding another layer and face protection but decided to make this change when we hit the Crawford Path.
The trail contoured a little more around Eisenhower and we approached the junction with the Crawford Path. The clouds were being driven across the ridge from east to west. Visibility was no more than 200 feet. The weather history indicates we were being hit with a sustained wind of approximately 55mph and gusts to nearly 70mph. Brisk! Some day I’d like to get a handheld weather station (Kestrel). We made it to the junction, stopped for a quick video of the conditions, and continued into the scrub for a little shelter while we pulled out more layers. It looked like we were going to have an interesting climb to the summit of Eisenhower.
I really enjoy approaching the summit of Eisenhower from the north. I feel this is the easiest approach due to the layout of the switchbacks. The wind was roaring through from east to west which meant it was coming directly across the slope we were planning to ascend. We’re having fun now! We started into the climb and made our way through a couple of the early switchbacks. The trail gains elevation quickly and I decided it was time for another video. I made the stop, got the video, and re-joined Sue. At that point she asked if I was finished playing around. The wind we were experiencing was quite gusty which forced us to make frequent stops to brace ourselves and stay upright. We managed to make the climb to the summit without a single fall. Not bad – if I do say so myself. We hit the summit a little before noon as expected, more video, some pictures, and we took off. Leaving the summit cairn required us to lean into the wind at a pretty good angle to remain stable, and upright. The descent was no worse than the ascent and we managed to make our way to the Eisenhower Loop – Crawford Path south junction without any problems.
From here to the trailhead would be much less exciting, but still fun. Between Eisenhower and Pierce there are a number of sections of thick scrub that provide a nice break from the high wind. At one point we stopped for Sue to adjust layers and me to clear my camera lens. We weren’t yet being hit with the rain that was in the forecast but the clouds were leaving everything and everybody very wet. Fortunately, we had the right equipment to stay comfortable and safe. We continued south and reached the junction with the Webster Cliff Trail, made the turn, and headed for the summit of Pierce. From the trail junction to the summit is a short distance but completely exposed to the high wind. We wasted no time in making our way to the summit, got a couple summit pictures, and headed back into the shelter of the trees. From here for most of the remainder of our hike we would be hiking in very sheltered conditions. The light showers that were in the forecast were hitting but didn’t present any real problem. We made our way past the closed-for-the-season Mizpah Hut and continued for Mount Jackson. The Webster Cliff Trail is completely clear all of the way to Jackson. The new bridges crossing the two large bog areas are finished and really nice. The only test is on the final approach. Climbing the scrambles with essentially one arm is a little interesting but we made our way to the summit cairn, a little more wind, and a couple more summit pictures. The primary concern at this point was our exit from Jackson on wet ledge. We both expected some slipping and sliding on the way out. Something was bound to leave a mark.
Carefully, we made our way off the summit and managed to clear the really difficult sections without a single fall. Nice! The trail continues very steep and rough but eventually the grade moderates and we reached the Webster-Jackson fork and knew we only had a little over a mile to the trailhead. The intensity of the showers was increasing but still not too bad. We were soaked and it really didn’t matter anyway. The hike from the trail fork to the trailhead went well and we were soon passing the spur to Elephant Head and nearly out. We reached the trailhead, I got a picture of the trailhead sign, and the rain came. Suddenly the intensity of the rain really increased. A couple more minutes so that we could have at least got our things into the car would have been nice. We loaded up, made a quick stop at the Highland Center and Sue changed into some dry things, retrieved the truck at the Edmands Path lot, and set off for our drive south. On the way by we made a quick stop at Beaver Brook Wayside Area for me to make a change into some dry things too (if I were thinking they would have been left in Sue’s car in the morning and I would already be comfortable).
As I said, hiking with Sue is always interesting. Thanks Sue, I had a terrific and fun day – hope you did too. Maybe the next time we take a shot at Washington we’ll actually hit it.
Pictures and videos will follow.
Trails: Edmands Path, Crawford Path, Eisenhower Loop Trail, Webster Cliff Trail, Webster-Jackson Trail
Summits: Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
Hiking with Sue is always interesting (she might say the same about hiking with me). We had a plan to pick up where we left off on our last hike in the Presidentials (Mount Washington) and head south for Jackson. To finish the planned hike soon after dark an early start was needed. First, we made a quick stop at the Highland Center. When we got out of our vehicles the wind was impressive. With the wind coming from the southeast through the notch, Webster Cliff and The Willey Range act together as a huge funnel and seem to cause significant acceleration by the time it hits the Highland Center. Our main interest in stopping at the Highland Center was to see the latest forecast information for the day. It wasn’t yet available. Based on the forecast details I reviewed at 1:30am we had acceptable conditions to work with for Mount Washington until approximately midday, and we expected to be on Eisenhower by then. We spotted a vehicle at the turnout on Route 302 (Webster-Jackson trailhead lot) and drove the other to Base Road for our hike.
In very little time we were geared up and hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail under headlights. We had very comfortable conditions and jackets were not needed. As usual, our world was limited to the beam of our headlights and we simply hiked toward the first milestone – Gem Pool. As we approached Gem Pool the day was starting to get light. We were very sheltered on the trail but could see the effects of the wind on the treetops – they were really dancing. A short distance before reaching Gem Pool there is an opening in the trees that allows a nice view to the headwall of the ravine and to the area near the height of land – usually. Today all we could see were clouds. I’m guessing the cloud layer was well under 4000 feet (we were at ~3500 feet and the clouds were very close). We stopped to discuss how to proceed considering the high winds and most likely zero visibility. Sue commented when it comes to hiking Mount Washington in high winds and zero visibility, once a year is enough. We hiked Washington in high winds and zero visibility back in January and didn’t really need to do it again right now. The discussion was a short one, we u-turned back to the trailhead to decide a salvage plan for the day.
We knew the forecast was most likely posted at the Highland Center and decided to head there to get the latest information. When we arrived, MikeP was at the front desk. His planned hiking partners for the day had cancelled and he was now resetting his hike targets as well. We reviewed the forecast, considered the conditions, and decided a traverse of Eisenhower through Jackson would make a good hike for the day. I was fairly sure we could reach the summit of Eisenhower about the time we had originally planned (noon) and complete the hike around dark or a little before. We invited MikeP to join us but he declined. Off we went to the Edmands Path trailhead and our salvage operation.
We had the place to ourselves; there were no other vehicles in the trailhead lot. Now we’re working with a late start that seemed strange – for us. The Edmands Path is a terrific trail that I haven’t been on for a couple years and this was a first-time for Sue. We made our way through a second warm-up and enjoyed the pleasant conditions. The terrain provided complete shelter from the wind and the trail was clear and dry. It seemed we had a good salvage plan in process. Because of my poor hearing the wind noise doesn’t register with me but I was able to get regular updates from Sue. More than once she confirmed we had wind – and plenty of it. Somewhere around 3500 feet we ran into the first test on the trail. There is a pile of blowdowns that block the trail but we were able to climb over them and continue toward the Crawford Path. I knew we were not far from the area where the trees get small and the wind would probably start being uncomfortable. It was time for another layer. Soon, we came to an area with a significant amount of ice. The trail contours around the north facing slope and receives limited sun. The trail has patches of ice developing that require a little extra attention to avoid a fall. We managed to pass this area without any problems. A short distance below the junction with the Crawford Path the trees turn into scrub and we started being hit with a significant wind. Both of us planned on adding another layer and face protection but decided to make this change when we hit the Crawford Path.
The trail contoured a little more around Eisenhower and we approached the junction with the Crawford Path. The clouds were being driven across the ridge from east to west. Visibility was no more than 200 feet. The weather history indicates we were being hit with a sustained wind of approximately 55mph and gusts to nearly 70mph. Brisk! Some day I’d like to get a handheld weather station (Kestrel). We made it to the junction, stopped for a quick video of the conditions, and continued into the scrub for a little shelter while we pulled out more layers. It looked like we were going to have an interesting climb to the summit of Eisenhower.
I really enjoy approaching the summit of Eisenhower from the north. I feel this is the easiest approach due to the layout of the switchbacks. The wind was roaring through from east to west which meant it was coming directly across the slope we were planning to ascend. We’re having fun now! We started into the climb and made our way through a couple of the early switchbacks. The trail gains elevation quickly and I decided it was time for another video. I made the stop, got the video, and re-joined Sue. At that point she asked if I was finished playing around. The wind we were experiencing was quite gusty which forced us to make frequent stops to brace ourselves and stay upright. We managed to make the climb to the summit without a single fall. Not bad – if I do say so myself. We hit the summit a little before noon as expected, more video, some pictures, and we took off. Leaving the summit cairn required us to lean into the wind at a pretty good angle to remain stable, and upright. The descent was no worse than the ascent and we managed to make our way to the Eisenhower Loop – Crawford Path south junction without any problems.
From here to the trailhead would be much less exciting, but still fun. Between Eisenhower and Pierce there are a number of sections of thick scrub that provide a nice break from the high wind. At one point we stopped for Sue to adjust layers and me to clear my camera lens. We weren’t yet being hit with the rain that was in the forecast but the clouds were leaving everything and everybody very wet. Fortunately, we had the right equipment to stay comfortable and safe. We continued south and reached the junction with the Webster Cliff Trail, made the turn, and headed for the summit of Pierce. From the trail junction to the summit is a short distance but completely exposed to the high wind. We wasted no time in making our way to the summit, got a couple summit pictures, and headed back into the shelter of the trees. From here for most of the remainder of our hike we would be hiking in very sheltered conditions. The light showers that were in the forecast were hitting but didn’t present any real problem. We made our way past the closed-for-the-season Mizpah Hut and continued for Mount Jackson. The Webster Cliff Trail is completely clear all of the way to Jackson. The new bridges crossing the two large bog areas are finished and really nice. The only test is on the final approach. Climbing the scrambles with essentially one arm is a little interesting but we made our way to the summit cairn, a little more wind, and a couple more summit pictures. The primary concern at this point was our exit from Jackson on wet ledge. We both expected some slipping and sliding on the way out. Something was bound to leave a mark.
Carefully, we made our way off the summit and managed to clear the really difficult sections without a single fall. Nice! The trail continues very steep and rough but eventually the grade moderates and we reached the Webster-Jackson fork and knew we only had a little over a mile to the trailhead. The intensity of the showers was increasing but still not too bad. We were soaked and it really didn’t matter anyway. The hike from the trail fork to the trailhead went well and we were soon passing the spur to Elephant Head and nearly out. We reached the trailhead, I got a picture of the trailhead sign, and the rain came. Suddenly the intensity of the rain really increased. A couple more minutes so that we could have at least got our things into the car would have been nice. We loaded up, made a quick stop at the Highland Center and Sue changed into some dry things, retrieved the truck at the Edmands Path lot, and set off for our drive south. On the way by we made a quick stop at Beaver Brook Wayside Area for me to make a change into some dry things too (if I were thinking they would have been left in Sue’s car in the morning and I would already be comfortable).
As I said, hiking with Sue is always interesting. Thanks Sue, I had a terrific and fun day – hope you did too. Maybe the next time we take a shot at Washington we’ll actually hit it.
Pictures and videos will follow.
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