May 18, 2012: N. Twin, S. Twin, Galehead (#30-32)

Giant cliffs on North Twin (viewed from Gale River Trail)

Less than a week after tackling Owl's Head, I headed back to the mountains this morning with a nearly 13 mile hike planned for the day.  Some might call this crazy, but it would be more crazy to pass up such a beautiful weather forecast.  Owl's Head was a nice walk in the woods, but left much to be desired in terms of views (though the views from the slide are not to be overlooked).  A trip to the Twin Mountains, with the promise of great views, was the hike of choice.
After spotting a car at the Gale River Trailhead, we drove to the North Twin Trailhead and we were on our way.  The trail is pretty flat for a few miles, though it crosses the river several times.  Water levels were high and we took our boots off for the first crossing.

Boots off for the first crossing of Little River

When we arrived at the second crossing, we decided to bushwhack along the river instead of crossing back and forth.  The only thing more fun than a bushwhack is a surprise bushwhack!  This one was actually a lot of fun.  We figured if we stayed along the west bank of the Little River, we would inevitably intersect the trail in about a mile or so.  Though there seemed to be a vague herd path for much of the bushwhack (game trail? rail bed?) I got some practical experience navigating with good old fashioned map and compass.  Forty minutes after we started the bushwhack, we popped back onto the trail at the spring just above the final river crossing.  (It wasn't until we reached the ledges on North Twin that we learned that there is an "official" bushwhack on the east side of the river...)
Now for the climb!  It was a tough climb, reminiscent of the upper portion of Benton Trail on Mt. Moosilauke.  There were occasional glimpses through the trees assuring us that we were in fact making progress.  After some prolonged steep sections, we popped out at the first open ledge, just below the summit of North Twin.

The scree fields on Zealand Mountain, with Carrigain Notch in the background

WOW!  This ledge offers what I would deem to be one of the finest views in the Whites.  A while back, I made a somewhat successful effort not to look at pictures from hikes I have yet to do...what a difference it makes!  I was just blown away by how fresh this view was.

Mt. Hale (foreground) looking a bit small next to the Presidential Range

Pondering the view from my new favorite ledge

After prying ourselves from the ledge, we continued to the unspectacular highpoint on North Twin, and beyond to a second unbelievable vista, this time with views west toward Franconia Ridge.

The cairn was here at the junction, but the path to the vista seems higher

This is the kind of stuff my jaw literally drops for

Galehead Hut, the steep ridges of Owl's Head, and Mt. Flume

Another hard ledge to leave, but South Twin beckoned.  The ridge walk was enjoyable and we passed plenty of other hikers along the way.  At the col, there was a blown-down patch with views to the Presidentials, and just ahead was the summit of South Twin.

South Twin summit viewed from the north

South Twin is the highest peak in New Hampshire outside of the Presidential and Franconia Ranges.  South Twin has a lot to show for it!  I would rank this as one of my favorite mountains of all time (up there with the likes of Katahdin, Lafayette, Moosilauke, Adams).

Look at those Bonds!

We have to leave here to go to Galehead?!

After chatting with some section hikers up from Indiana, we had lunch and really soaked in the views.  Staring out at the sometimes undulating, sometimes jagged peaks of the Whites melted away any aches we felt from the tough hike up.  And so, with much disappointment, we began the descent to Galehead Hut.

Mt. Garfield's best profile viewed from the hike to Galehead Hut

The hike down from South Twin is TOUGH STUFF.  That will kill your knees in no time.  Reminded me of the rapid descent from Mt. Pierce to Mizpah Spring Hut.
After dropping our packs at the hut, we tagged the less-than-remarkable summit of Galehead Mountain.  Galehead can be forgiven only because it's not that far out of the way.

Blogger is telling me I'm nearly out of storage and I upload this gem...

Galehead Hut below North Twin

At least there was a nice view up to the Twins towering directly to the east.  Now that we're done being peak-baggers, we can fill our water and head down. 
The hike down was long...does the Gale River Trail ever end?
Overall, I loved this hike.  Usually the greatest vistas take some huffing and puffing to get to, and this is certainly one not to be missed.  I will be back here again and again.

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!