October 8, 2011: Mt. Moosilauke (#19)

As soon as I left New Hampshire in August, I knew that November was far too long to wait to bag another peak.  Not only would I have to wait three months, but I would completely miss the fall foliage season for which New Hampshire is famous.  So I sat down last month and made plans to travel to New England, and I've been hoping for good weather everyday since.
After a full day of traveling from central Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia, to DC, and finally to Boston, I was up early this morning for the last leg of the trip to the White Mountains.
The weather forecast was for temperatures close to eighty and blue skies, and the day did not fail to impress.  Truly an Indian Summer! 
In addition to my usual hiking companion Steve, we had the pleasure of hiking with Dan and his brother Bill as well (Check out Dan's blog HERE).  After spotting a car at the Ravine Lodge, we made our way over to Benton.
We chose to ascend via Benton Trail to avoid large crowds up for the holiday weekend, and were surprised to find Tunnel Brook Road gated.  As we started the 1.5 mile road walk, we soon realized that the road had been badly damaged by Hurricane Irene.

The road walk passed quickly and we were able to enjoy some bright fall colors along the way.

We made it to the trailhead by 9:50 and began our ascent.  After the only major water crossing, we found ourselves peeling off layers, and we soon arrived at a ledge with spectacular views into Little Tunnel Ravine and north toward the Kinsman Ridge.

North and South Kinsman

After a bit more climbing we came to another look-out with views of Vermont's Green Mountains through the haze to the west.  There were many nice reds in the valley to the west, and after enjoying the view for a few minutes, we continued toward the summit.
Before long, we left the tree cover and found ourselves in the plateau of alpine fields that surrounds the summit.  The views to the east were unbelievable!  Although I'd seen many pictures of the views from Moosilauke before, to see it with my own eyes was a whole different experience.  It seems that from Moosilauke, all of the White Mountains are laid at your feet, and I can honestly say it was one of the best views I've had so far.

We wandered through the alpine zone taking in all the views as we walked the last few steps toward the summit.  At 12:18pm, we arrived at my nineteenth summit in New Hampshire.

Franconia Ridge, appearing much more compact than usual, as viewed from the southwest:

It was around seventy-five degrees on the summit, which is almost unheard of for this time of year in the Whites.  It was pretty windy, but definitely far from bone-chilling, and we were able to find a sheltered place to relax.  We spent about an hour eating and talking, took a few last minute photos from the summit, and began a beautiful ridge traverse to Moosilauke's South Peak.

Most distant: Mt. Washington; middle: the Bond Range; foreground: Mts. Liberty and Flume...

We enjoyed mountain cranberries along the way, and we were at the South Peak in no time.  From the South Peak we had impressive views all around, and it was far less crowded than the main peak.

Beautiful fall colors on the scarred face of Mt. Clough, looking northwest:

Group summit shot with Moosilauke's main peak in the background:

We headed down the Carriage Road from the South Peak, and then took the Snapper Trail toward the Ravine Lodge.  After a very rewarding day above the trees, we arrived at the Ravine Lodge around 3:30pm.
Was seven hours on the trail worth the day of traveling to New England?  Without a doubt.  Being able to make it up north was the perfect way to break-up the semester and take some time to enjoy the season.  It was also great to be able to share the trail with new friends and familiar faces at the same time.  A weekend well spent and a perfect day in the mountains!

August 18, 2011: Mt. Eisenhower (#17) & Mt. Pierce (#18)

 There is no such thing as a bad day in the White Mountains.  There are, however, some days (and hikes) that are better than others.  Today was by far one of the best hikes I have had this far in my journey.
A great hike is always the one with the least planning.  After hiking Moriah, we sat down at dinner and discussed the options for our second day in the mountains.  We had 32 mountains to choose from, but I knew I wanted to end the summer on a high-note in the Presidential Range.  After much debating, we decided we would hike either Pierce or Eisenhower, or maybe even both, but we would wait to make that decision at the trailhead.  No pressure or over-planning, the way hiking is supposed to be.
In the morning, we decided to ascend Edmand's Path to Mt. Eisenhower, and from the summit we could decide whether we would continue onto Pierce or head back down Edmand's Path.  We left a car in each lot and began our ascent.
It was more humid than the previous day, but still a pleasant walk in the woods.  I had hoped the trail wouldn't be too difficult, so as to accommodate our various ability-levels.  It was a very moderate trail, but a bit more rugged than I had expected.
Once we left the trees and began circling the massive summit cone, the real fun began.

View to the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods:

Mts. Jefferson, Clay, and Washington, as well as the shoulder of Mt. Franklin:

Zoom to the summit of Mt. Washington:

It was incredible to be back in an alpine zone.  The surroundings were phenomenal and the urge to run across the ridge to every mountain peak along the way was almost undeniable.

We decided to have our lunch just below the steep summit spur so we would have the necessary fuel for the climb.  From our lunch spot we had a clear view of the climb ahead of us.  It was an intimidating view, but an exciting adventure nonetheless.

A view from the summit spur down to some of the alpine trails:

This picture gives a good sense of the steepness of the climb (notice another trail far below):

A helicopter passed low over the ridge as we climbed higher toward the summit.
A few minutes later I arrived on one of my most spectacular summits yet, Mt. Eisenhower.

We had the summit to ourselves for a good fifteen minutes before several other groups of hikers arrived.  Everyone was very friendly and we enjoyed the weather and good conversation at nearly 4,800 feet above sea level.

After enjoying the summit for over half-an-hour, my two hiking companions decided to head back down Edmand's Path and I would continue over to Pierce.  The weather was just too good to pass up.

Mt. Pierce as viewed from Eisenhower summit:

It was my first time hiking solo and it was the perfect stretch of trail.  As much as I like hiking with others, having the freedom to move at my own pace and appreciate the beauty of my surroundings on my own was a welcome experience.  The stretch of trail between the two peaks is one of the most beautiful trails I have ever hiked.  I met several friendly people on the trail between the peaks and I arrived at Mt. Pierce summit less than an hour later.

I ate an orange and some peanut M&Ms and sat down to enjoy my accomplishment.  I drank the last of my water, which gave me the perfect excuse to make a side-trip to the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut eight-tenths of a mile down the trail.
The trail was steep down to the hut, but I'm glad I made the trip.  I filled my water and chatted with a friendly man from Meredith. 
Now was the long, grueling hike down with no views to keep me company.  But as I've said before, the hike down is a small price to pay for such an incredible day above treeline.  I took the Mizpah Cut-Off to the Crawford Path, where I met my two companions at the trailhead on Mt. Clinton Road.
I'm glad I was able to end my summer in the best way possible and with the best weather possible.  I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling trip to the mountains.  Hopefully this can hold me over for the next three months until my return.

August 17, 2011: Mt. Moriah (#16)

It certainly has been too long since I've written a trail report.  After spending the summer working outside of Chicago, a two-day White Mountain vacation was far overdue (don't even get me started on how flat it is in the Midwest).
Since I'd only ever done one hike starting from Pinkham Notch, I chose Mt. Moriah as my re-introduction point to the mountains.  We hit the road early and started up the Stony Brook Trail under blue skies.
We definitely lucked out in terms of weather - blue skies, sun, very low humidity - we heard from more than one source that it was one of the top five best-weather days of the summer in the Whites.
The trail meandered for quite a while under the canopy of trees.  When we finally emerged onto stone ledges, the views were just as incredible as always.

We had views of the rocky shoulders of Moriah, and as we climbed higher the Carter Range came into view, as well as a bit of the Wildcat Range.

After spending a couple months in the flatlands, the mountains seem to look even larger than I remember.  A few steps further and my most anticipated view came into sight: the massive Northern Presidentials: Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.

As we ascended higher up the trail, Mt. Washington himself peered over the Carter Ridge, making for a wonderful backdrop to our traverse over rock slabs and bog bridges.

The summit did its usual tease long before our actual arrival.  I guessed we were nearly to the top only to notice the summit much further off - but no matter; it couldn't have been a better day to be above the trees.
After a steep scramble, we arrived on my 16th peak, which we shared with a few other friendly hikers.

After taking in some of the summit views, we scrambled back down to the trail and went from ledge to ledge, stopping at nearly every outlook to soak in a beautiful day in the New England mountains.

We enjoyed a leisurely descent and we were even joined by a large green frog.

Once we arrived back at the trailhead, it was nice not to have to rush back home, but instead to drive through the Notch and stop at many of the scenic viewpoints.  It was also nice to spend the night in New Hampshire for the first time.  It was truly a perfect day, but with one more day left in the mountains, little did I know that the best was yet to come.

May 13, 2011: Mt. Hale (#15)

What a beautiful day for a Friday the 13th hike!  We started up the Hale Brook Trail under blue skies and warm temperatures headed for the 4,054 ft. summit of Mt. Hale.
The trail offered a lot of scenery as we gently climbed toward the ridge.

It's been too long since we've smelled the pine scent of summer in the mountains, and there were actually other hikers on the trail today, too.  It seems that spring has arrived.
We met many friendly people on the trail today, including a woman out bird-watching, a young woman who had turned around at the first water-crossing and was considering an alternative hike, and Trish and her two daughters just before the summit...glad you were all out enjoying today's weather!
As we ascended we were able to see the Presidential Range through the trees - a nice bonus that wouldn't be possible in the summer.  I was constantly craning my neck backwards looking for the perfect break in the branches to snap a shot of Mt. Washington.  I was eventually able to get my shot of the grand mountain.

We also had views to the Sugarloaf Mountains from an area that had been logged (hate to talk about logging in the Whites like it's a good thing)

The trail is marked by three major water-crossings, none of which gave us too much trouble, though they did involve getting your feet a little wet.  It was a good trail choice for the day, though, thanks to the brook which provided refreshing, cool breezes. 
We crossed a nice section of side-hill which made for pleasant walking and also offered views up toward Mt. Hale through the trees.

After the second water crossing (approximately 3,000 ft.) the dreaded monorail began.  This monorail was much less avoidable than the one on the Osceolas and remained pretty constant all the way to the summit.

Like most 4000-footers, Hale teased us by making us think we were almost to the summit several times before actually getting there.  Through the trees we could make out the Willey Range, as well as Carrigain Notch, which I had never seen before with my own eyes.

Whitewall Mountain through the trees:

Before long there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  We left the cover of the trees and came into the sun on my 15th peak.

We spent over an hour on the summit eating lunch, enjoying views of the Twin and Willey Ranges from the top of the 5-foot cairn, and watching the needle on our compass spin due to magnetic rocks on the summit.  I also walked a short ways down the Lend-A-Hand Trail as well as located the entrance to the abandoned Fire Warden's Trail.

The Willey Range from the top of the cairn (Mt. Field and Mt. Willey):

South Twin Mountain:

North Twin Mountain:

Eventually, we decided we should probably head back down.  It was certainly nice to lounge in the sun and enjoy a mountain summit, but a certain monorail was calling our name.

A glimpse of Mt. Jackson on the descent:

The snow was actually much more manageable on the descent, and once past it, we enjoyed a relaxed walk back to the trailhead.
After packing up the cars, I had a great drive down Rte. 302 with the windows down and the Presidential Range out of the clouds.  I stopped by the Mt. Washington Hotel to snap some shots of the Range, which is rapidly losing snow in this beautiful weather.

Great weather to enjoy the forest and grab another peak.  Another perfect day in the mountains!