May 12, 2012: Owl's Head (#29)

Blood, sweat, (maybe a few tears?), mud, fighting off black flies, two miles of bushwhacking, climbing and descending a 1400-foot vertical rock slide, and fording several major water crossings all in one 18-mile trek into the Pemigewasset Wilderness.  Owl's Head is a beast of a hike.
Many would argue that the weather was too good today to be wasted on Owl's Head, a viewless peak that barely rises above 4,000 feet.  And to be honest, I'm almost inclined to agree.  As we passed the Osseo Trail junction, our last chance to be rational hikers and enjoy the weather atop Franconia Ridge, I realized that today's objective was a bit daunting, but that it would definitely be an important experience to have.
There we were, about to expend unimaginable amounts of energy on a peak that few, if any, consider to be anything special, and for the first time in this quest, I felt like a peak-bagger.  I generally don't consider myself a peak-bagger; I prefer to think I'm a "goal-oriented hiker" (semantics, I know).  Perhaps it's the mental image of hikers running to arbitrary highpoints on rainy days just to tag the highest rock, run down the mountain, add it to the list, and speed off toward another peak on the list.  I don't have anything against this type of peak-bagging (if it makes you happy that's all that matters), it's just not for me.  I like to wait for the good weather and soak in every hike, even if that hike is Owl's Head.  So the beautiful weather was a good thing.
After 3.6 miles we reached Black Pond where we would tackle the first challenge of the day: the bushwhack to Lincoln Brook Trail.

West Bond (far left), Bondcliff and a false summit seen above Black Pond

Never having bushwhacked before, I owe a lot of credit to the six others I hiked with today.  It was great to be outside doing very rough physical activity with people who enjoyed it and knew what they were doing.

The group mid-bushwhack.  What an adventure!

The bushwhack was about a mile and it was tough going, but it was a lot of fun and it was great to have a big group to help each other through.
At one point, a grouse thundered away right in front of us, leaving behind a nest of eggs for us to admire.

Grouse nest along the Black Pond bushwhack

The bushwhack ended with a very thick section of forest heading down a steep slope, and then we popped out on the Lincoln Brook Trail.  From here, we followed the trail into Lincoln Brook Valley, nestled between the Franconia Ridge and Owl's Head.
There were two major water crossings before we arrived at the foot of the slide.  The first we rock-hopped with a bit of difficulty.  For the second crossing we instead decided to put on water-shoes and walk right across.

Rock-hopping the first major crossing

A bit more hiking and we were at the base of the slide.  Normally, we would be finishing a hike by this point, but we were just about to start the unforgiving climb to Owl's Head.

Now the real fun begins!

Now this is a climb!

Very unique view of Mt. Liberty

The back of Franconia Ridge with the Lincoln Slide visible

Our group enjoying the slide...Mt. Flume in the background

Hikers on Franconia Ridge.  We were a bit jealous, but having a blast.  CLICK TO ENLARGE.

What an incredibly difficult hike to the ridge!  After resting a bit near the false summit, we continued across the ridge to the official summit.

Mt. Carrigain from the ridge walk

Halfway done with the hike

Bondcliffs!  I'll take any view I can get at this point.

Alright, I won't lie, the hike down was a suffer-fest.  But we had good company and it was an adventure, so I'm not complaining.  The views from the slide were great on the way down, so that helped.

Mt. Garfield summit, on the far right

We waded through the water crossings which was a great relief to our feet, but VERY cold after a few moments.  We filtered drinking water from Lincoln Brook and continued our slog toward the parking lot.  The Black Pond bushwhack was a bit difficult to get excited for the second time, but we survived and we're all the better for it!  We finally got back to the cars at 8:20, finishing 18 miles in just shy of 12 hours.  What a day!
I don't know that I'll be going back to Owl's Head any time soon (or ever) but I'm glad we had such a fun day out, and such a great learning experience.  Huge thanks to Mark, Natalie, Kim, Hui Yeng, Steve, Christine, and Geneva!

March 6, 2012: Mt. Adams (#27) & Mt. Madison (#28)

I've been looking forward to this hike for a while.  A winter hike above tree-line in the Presidential Range had been suggested to me in the past, but I didn't feel ready for such an undertaking until recently.  We had hoped to climb Adams and Madison a few months ago but hurricane-force winds and frigid windchills kept us away.  It looked like we might have an opening this past Tuesday.
As most people who are familiar with the Presidential Range know, these peaks can be extremely dangerous, especially in winter.  The Presidential Range is located on the convergence of three major storm tracks, resulting in dangerously erratic weather.  It's not unusual for winds to gust higher than 100 mph or for windchills to drop far below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since 1849, over 140 deaths have been recorded in the Presidential Range.  We hear these statistics all the time, but I think it's easy to underestimate the real danger that exists.  I've always known that this "darker side" to the White Mountains exists, but spending a winter day above tree-line has helped to make all these stories real.  No, nothing bad happened to us; in fact, we had a spectacular day in the mountains, but it was an eye-opening experience.
We followed the Air Line Trail through the forest for a few miles before views began to open up through the trees.  At first I thought I was seeing a white cloud against the blue sky.  It was shocking to realize that I was staring at the Presidential ridge towering far higher above us than I would have expected.
We ate lunch and geared up just before breaking tree-line.

The headwall of King Ravine

The Air Line Trail follows Durand Ridge, the eastern wall of King Ravine, toward the summit of Mt. Adams.  After breaking tree-line, the ridge becomes an intimidating knife edge.

The knife edge of Durand Ridge thrusting up toward Mt. Adams

Detail on the headwall of King Ravine

We spent a lot of time wandering along the ridge and peering down to the rocky floor of King Ravine.  The wind was pretty mild at this elevation and we had incredible views in every direction.

Crag Camp perched on Nowell Ridge, the western wall of King Ravine

The floor of King Ravine

The knife edge (left) leading to Adams summit (right)

Onwards and upwards

 There were some powdery drifts along the ridge but as we ascended, the ice became firm and we were able to use spikes for the entire trip (although I would have liked to dust off my snowshoes!)
Soon the Madison Spring Hut came into view (4825 ft) as well as a view all the way to Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont (a distance of nearly 80 miles!)
Now the real climbing to Mt. Adams began.

One leg of the approach

A view back down Durand Ridge

That's Adams up ahead!

The final few tenths of a mile were pretty tough.  The climbing was unlike anything I've ever done.  The winds increased with every step.  The shelter of the trees was miles away.  We were completely exposed to the elements and the summit didn't seem to be getting any closer.  It was hard to follow the trail so we just kept heading upward and occasionally sighting a cairn.  The wind made it difficult to communicate.  Finally the summit signs appeared.
Stepping onto the summit was a frightening experience as the winds ripped past us and threatened to blow away anything that wasn't latched on.  It became immediately apparent how easily ill-prepared trekkers could lay down and die in such conditions.
Our fifteen minutes on the summit seemed like a blur as we scrambled to take summit pictures, protect ourselves from the fierce windchill, try to enjoy the fantastic view, and prepare for a difficult descent.  There was a couple on the summit who we communicated with by shouting over the winds.  They were nice enough to take our picture and then we all retreated from the summit.

Mt. Washington and the headwall of the Great Gulf

Mt. Jefferson, with Mt. Moosilauke and the Franconia Ridge in the background

Looking down at Mt. Madison from Mt. Adams

Mt. Carrigain (background) mimicking the shape of Mt. Clay (foreground)

Based on data from Mt. Washington Observatory, we estimate that we experienced winds near 45 mph with windchills of -25 degrees Fahrenheit.  As we descended the steep slopes of Mt. Adams, the winds continued to whip us, this time head on.
As we approached Madison Spring Hut, my hiking companion commented, "It's all downhill from here...except for what's up there."  Towering behind the hut was the massive Mt. Madison.

Notice the Madison Spring Hut in the foreground

I wasn't sure I wanted to attempt Madison after the tough conditions we experienced on Mt. Adams, but we dropped our packs at the hut and started the half-mile ascent of Madison.
Though steep, the short nature of the climb made Madison a much less intimidating climb than Adams.  We reached the summit in 20 minutes and had a chance to sit down and enjoy the views.

The Auto Road racing up Chandler Ridge

The Carter Range across Pinkham Notch

Looking back to Mt. Adams from Mt. Madison

The winds really began to pick up as we made our escape down the Valley Way.
I don't mean for this report to sound like we had a terrible time - we had an incredible day above tree-line.  I just wanted to stress the seriousness of such a trek from the perspective of someone who had never been above tree-line in winter.  It's a beautiful place and a monumental achievement, but the dangers are real and physical/mental preparation is essential.  That said, hike your own hike and don't forget to share the pictures!

January 4, 2012: Mt. Flume (#25) & Mt. Liberty (#26)

Mt. Liberty (left) and Mt. Flume (right) rising above the Flume Visitor Center in Lincoln

Sometimes I feel crazy when I pull up to a desolate and deserted trailhead on a particularly chilly January morning.  Did I really just drive over two hours from Boston's North Shore so that I could climb icy trails to distant peaks in single-digit temperatures?  I must be crazy.

As we began up the Whitehouse Trail from the parking area just north of the Flume Visitor Center, we could hear echoes of the 50 mph winds on Mt. Washington.  We hoped that the winds would be a bit more friendly on these lower peaks.

It's shocking to see how little snow there is in the White Mountains now that we are a few days into January.  We had Microspikes on from the trailhead and gradually ascended toward the Liberty Spring/Flume Slide trail junction.

Once we reached the junction, we had a choice to make: take the Liberty Spring Trail toward Mt. Liberty or take our chances with the dangerous and steep Flume Slide Trail.

We took a moment to consider Edmund Hillary and his first ascent of Mt. Everest, climbing to unknown heights that no man had yet experienced.  He had no idea the perils he might face, but he continued upward toward a summit in the sky.

This was motivation enough, and we kept right on the Flume Slide Trail.
In the past month or so, I have ascended some very steep trails.  Whether it was the Hancock Loop Trail heading to North Hancock, the Wildcat Ridge Trail heading to Wildcat A, or the Blueberry Ledge Trail on Mt. Whiteface, I have had to fight for most of my summits of late.

Flume was no exception and in fact was much more difficult than any previous ascent.

Waterfalls of ice greet us on the Flume Slide Trail

We pushed our Microspikes to the limit on the Flume Slide and were able to make it all the way to the top with only the spikes.

The Flume Slide is a true test of endurance.  It is steep and relentless.  We often bushwhacked parallel to the trail to avoid large and dangerous ice flows.  The climbing was tough and seemed to never end.  When we reached the junction with the Franconia Ridge Trail, it was more than a welcome sight.

We took a quick break and headed for the summit of Mt. Flume.

Climbing the last few steps to Mt. Flume

Precipitous slides on the west face of Mt. Flume

Once we reached my 25th peak, we had spectacular views in every direction, particularly toward the Bond Range in the heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

East Osceola (left) and Mt. Osceola (center)

Mt. Carrigain

The Bonds, with Mt. Washington rising in the distance

Though bluebird skies are always a treat, clouds can make for fascinating views as well.
The wind was mild and the views were outstanding, and I no longer felt crazy for traveling to the mountains.
It started to get chilly, so we began our traverse of the ridge to Mt. Liberty.  Ridge walking was a nice change from the steep climbing on the Flume Slide, and the skies began to lighten as we approached the summit of Mt. Liberty.

Spectacular view of Mt. Bond and the Bondcliffs

North Twin, South Twin, and Galehead rise above the long ridge of Owl's Head

As we ascended the final steps to the summit of Liberty, it was clear that a breathtaking view was moments away.

And now I will let the pictures do the talking...

A view over the Pemigewasset Wilderness to the Presidential Range

Mt. Flume and the Southern Whites

The Kinsman Ridge, Lonesome Lake, the Cannonballs, and the cliffs of Cannon Mountain

Zoomed shot of Lonesome Lake with the AMC hut visible and the Cannonballs rising above

Rime ice and a colorful sky to the southwest, looking through Franconia Notch

There were stunning 360 degree views from the summit.  This hike only reinforced my belief that the Franconia Ridge is possibly the most stunning ridge in the White Mountains.  I wish I could include all of the pictures from today, but at the same time I don't want to spoil everything for those of you who have yet to visit these peaks.
As you can see in the photos above, as we arrived on Liberty, the sun shined through and highlighted the entire Pemigewasset Wilderness and even the Presidential Range took the spotlight.  Less than fifteen minutes later, the Presidentials were completely hidden from sight, engulfed in dense fog.  It just goes to show how quickly weather can change in the White Mountains and how lucky we were to have the spectacular views while they lasted.
We made a quick exit via the Liberty Spring Trail and never saw another soul for the entire hike.  I think it's safe to say we had these peaks to ourselves today.  What a fantastic hike to start the second half of my journey.