November 25, 2011: Mt. Whiteface (#22)

After a big Thanksgiving Dinner last night (thanks mom!), it was time for a little exercise, and what better way to exercise than spending the day up north.  We took I-95 and Rte. 16 which was a nice change of scenery from the typical drive up I-93.  It kind of felt like we were sneaking in the back door of the White Mountain National Forest...after a quick exit from the highway and a short drive, we were at the Ferncroft Parking Area.  Since a good amount of snow had been dumped on New Hampshire in the last few days, I was excited to get to use my new snowshoes for the first time. 

The Blueberry Ledge Trail takes its time in getting to the ridge.  I recall saying, "I kind of wish the trail would get steeper so we can feel like we're making progress."  Boy, would I regret those words!
The snowshoeing was enjoyable as we entered the Sandwich Range Wilderness.  There was a lone pair of boot prints from yesterday, which gave me the honor of being the first person to break the trail.
As we continued upward, the trail became a series of ledges (hence, Blueberry Ledges...) and slabs.  Unfortunately, there is not yet enough snow to completely hide the rocks, so I removed the snowshoes and was able to move quicker by bare-booting.
After the trail wandered for a while through gentle terrain, we arrived at the true "attack."  At this point, my hiking companion opted to turn around and I continued up the steep trail.  I think it was mainly trail conditions that made this a difficult climb, but it was pretty steep and relentless.
Soon a view to the cliffs of Whiteface opened up.  Though this should have been a relief, it was actually a bit distressing noticing how far away the summit appeared to be.

After a bit more climbing, I arrived at the first open ledge, which offered a vast overview of the land stretching to Lake Winnipesaukee (I'll save a picture of the view for a little later).  We also had views down to the Ferncroft Parking Area, and a distant view of the southern Whites with haze inversion.

 

There was a precipitous drop-off to the ledge I was on, so I stayed well away from the edge.  As I turned to continue my climb I encountered probably the most difficult piece of trail I've ever encountered.

I'm not sure the picture above captures it accurately, but this piece of trail caused me a lot of trouble.  It was the first time in my quest for the 48 that I had to consider turning back and returning another day.  This ledge seemed to be completely impassable.  I tried several times but it was proving too dangerous.  Seeing no alternative routes, I decided to give it one more try.  It required a strange contortion of the body and some upper-body strength, but I was able to pull myself onto the ledge above.
Now I want to be clear...I do not condone careless risk-taking.  I would not have attempted to climb a ledge that was beyond my ability or was overly dangerous, especially since I was alone at this point.  I only attempted to climb higher once I had planned my attack, thought through the possible outcomes, and decided it was worth a try.  I felt challenged, but confident, given my experiences thus far.  It's also important to remember that however high you climb, you must also be able to safely descend.  I know most people reading this are probably experienced White Mountain hikers, but to those of you who aren't --- think before you act.
Once over that ledge, the climbing only became more difficult.  There were at least three occasions when I questioned whether I should continue upward.  I gave myself a strict turn-around time and proceeded with caution.  At times I had to climb on my hands and knees, literally crawling up the steep slabs.  Given the snowy conditions and the exposed ledges, I felt like I was climbing Mt. Everest!

Difficult climb, but extreme rewards.  On every ledge there were incredible views to Lake Winnipesaukee, Mt. Chocorua, Mt. Passaconaway and the Natural Bowl, and the Presidential Range.

Lake Winnipesaukee, south of the White Mountains

Mt. Chocorua

Mt. Passaconaway

The Presidential Range, perfectly framed by foreground ridges

I finally arrived at the top ledge, which I believe is referred to as the South Peak.  I continued down the Rollins Trail toward the true summit and stopped at what appeared to be the high-point.  I can't be sure that this was the highest point, but it wasn't a big concern to me...I was busy worrying about the steep descent.
This summit shot was taken on the highest ledges...

Though steep, the descent was easier than I had expected.  I was able to slide down most of the ledges that had given me trouble on the ascent.

There was an abundance of beautiful views to take in on the way down.  As I arrived at the bottom of the blueberry ledges, the sky looked like it was getting ready for a beautiful sunset.  I'm sorry I couldn't stay to see it, but I know one thing for sure: I wouldn't have wanted to descend in the dark.
I arrived at the trailhead after the long segment in the trees and was pretty good and tired.  We enjoyed the blazing sunset on our drive home.  So much for a gentle climb (don't let the 4020' height fool you)! ...but definitely worth it.  I think I earned my dessert this year.

Zoomed image of the ravine on Mt. Passaconaway

November 19, 2011: N. Hancock (#20) & S. Hancock (#21)

I have always felt intimidated by the Hancocks.  Ever since I read a description of the steep and highly eroded climb, nervous thoughts have haunted me as to how difficult of a hike the Hancocks would prove to be.  Today I learned that my fears were not unwarranted and that the Hancocks are a truly difficult pair of peaks.  This is definitely not a hike I would recommend to non-hikers, but there are great rewards at the top, and well-earned rewards to boot.
We started toward Hancock Notch this morning under crystal blue skies.  The Hancock Notch Trail is mainly flat as it wanders through the forest, intersects the Cedar Brook Trail, and finally arrives at the Hancock Loop Trail at the base of the mountain.  By the time we reached the base of the mountain we were less than a mile from the North Peak and my altimeter read 603 feet above the trailhead...this could only mean one thing: we had a very steep climb ahead of us.

Before the completion of the Kancamagus Highway (NH 112) in 1959, the Hancocks were some of the most isolated mountains in New Hampshire, visited only by loggers.  Today we had plenty of company on the trails as we began our ascent of the North Peak.  We were soon greeted with impressive views of the Arrow Slide.

It is at this point that the climb became unbelievably steep.  According to my altimeter, we ascended over 1,200 vertical feet in less than 0.7 miles...to say it was my most challenging climb to date would probably be an understatement.  Views soon opened up of Hancock's South Peak and of the Osceolas.

The trail was a seemingly endless Stair Master machine and as we climbed higher along the narrow trail, it reminded me of the higher slopes on Mt. Willey.
After a commendable climb, we arrived at my 20th peak in the White Mountains, and a well-deserved overlook around the corner.

Enjoying some sun on North Hancock

We enjoyed lunch and some southern views of the mountains.  I dropped my pack to do some bushwhacking to try to find some northern views with no luck.

Mt. Moosilauke (right bump) and Moosilauke South Peak (left bump) (I hiked these last month):

We enjoyed the North summit for nearly forty minutes before moving on to cross the ridge.  We took our time to enjoy the ridge walk and also took many bushwhacking detours to try to find unique views.  It was difficult to find any good northern views because the forest is so dense along the ridge, but we were able to get some extremely unique glimpses of the Bonds (sorry, no pictures) and even some very limited views to the Presidential Range.

We were also able to grab some great views of the Zeacliffs and the east face of Franconia Ridge.

 We had a fascinating view of Mt. Carrigain, in which the mountain appeared much more pointy than usual.  Unfortunately, my picture came out blurry, but here is a zoom to Signal Ridge (the approach to Carrigain):

We had a great walk across the ridge with many great views, even if we had to create some of the views ourselves.  Before we knew it, we arrived at South Hancock.

Though limited in scope, the views from South Hancock were well worth the effort:

The wind began to pick up on the ridge just as we began our descent from South Hancock.  The trail was very steep and reminded me a lot of descending the Falling Waters Trail from the Franconia Ridge.  After a very long hike back to the trailhead, we enjoyed a great dinner at the Woodstock Inn.  Never has food tasted so good!
This was my most challenging hike so far, but definitely a fun day in the outdoors and an accomplishment of which to be proud.  As I enter the 20s in my quest for the 48, I'm really starting to feel like I'm making progress --- 27 peaks to go, and 27 adventures to look forward to!

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.