Mt. Adams 5774' - Mt. Madison 5367' - (48/48) - The Finish!

Well folks, that’s a wrap!  Paloma and I officially finished the 48 New Hampshire 4000+ footers list after completing Mt. Adams and Mt. Madison on Sunday, September 24^th.  I am going to split this post into two.  This post will be about the hike, the next post will be a “reflection” on the past several years of our pursuit.

Appalachia Trail-head

We had plans on Saturday, so decided to finish our quest on Sunday.  Bonus – the weather was looking absolutely gorgeous, unseasonably warm for the time of year, so we were excited to take advantage of it and get on the trails.  Weather this time of year in the Presidential Range can be tricky so we absolutely lucked out.  70+ degrees and sun in the forecast.  Paloma and I set off for the Appalachia trail-head at approximately 6:15AM, and after making a quick stop for a coffee, arrived at the trail-head at 8:45AM.  It was a bit later of a start than we had wanted but that was ok.  There was an AMC worker and Park Ranger at the trail-head – we talked to them a bit about our plan for the day and the ranger was kind enough to take our pre-hike photo.  They both congratulated us on our upcoming completion of the 48.

Airline Trail

We officially hit the trail at 8:55AM.  Our route for the day was to take the Airline trail to the summit of Mt. Adams, then descend to the Madison Hut via the Airline and Gulfside trail.  From the Hut we would the climb the Osgood trail to the summit of Mt. Madison, and descend via Watson Path and Valley way back to the trail-head.  A total distance of just shy of 10 miles.  We knew this wasn't going to be an easy hike as the elevation gain is pretty significant but we were excited to finish our final two mountains.

Steep Trail!

After crossing some power lines, the Airline trail immediately begins to climb.  I wasn't feeling that great at the start of the hike - I think it was a combination of the warmth/humidity, the multivitamin I had just taken on an empty stomach, oh and the 15lbs of Chipotle I had consumed at a birthday party the day before.  Yep, definitely the Chipotle.  To cool myself down I decided to hike without a shirt on for a bit (don't worry, I won't post any shirtless photos) - this seemed to do the trick and I started to feel better about a mile or so in.  I quietly apologized to the hundreds of chipmunks that seemed to be in this area as they had to witness me topless.

Gorgeous Ridge

Once we passed the intersection with the Randolph Path the trail became steeper.  We were hiking now!  The Airline Trail doesn't mess around.  It is basically a straight shot to the top of Mt. Adams, meaning that it is decently steep the entire way.  We passed the Scar Trail intersection at 10:30AM and then finally broke tree-line at a few minutes past 11.  Wow - once you break tree-line you are treated to the most amazing, yet intimidating views I have ever encountered.  At this point the Airline Trail crosses a ridge, in front of you looms Mt. Madison to the left and Mt. Quincy Adams and Mt. Adams to the right.  Off to the far right you can see Mt. Jefferson.  The ridge is flanked by King Ravine. Amazing views all around.

Rock Pile Leading to Mt. Adams

The terrain across the ridge is quite rocky and requires a bit of scrambling at different points.  The sun was beating down on us which felt great but induced some serious sweating.  We plodded along the ridge until we met up with the Gulfside trail and continued on Airline.  Yikes - ahead of us was nearly a mile-long, steep rock pile. Thankfully the trail skirts along the side of Mt. Quincy Adams instead of going over it, which saves you some in the elevation department.  We decided to stop and have our sandwiches before summiting Mt. Adams, as we could tell we would need as much energy as possible.  We soaked in the views for a few minutes before proceeding.

Summit of Mt. Adams

The final half mile or so to Adams is brutal.  Very steep and very rocky.  We took our time climbing
up as we knew we still had to summit Mt. Madison after and didn't want to completely run out of energy.  We officially reached the summit of Mt. Adams at 12:40PM.  We sat down for a quick breather and took a few photos at the top.  The views over to Mt. Washington were nothing short of amazing.  I could have spent hours on the summit, especially considering the weather was remarkably calm for this elevation - only a little bit of wind.  The view over to Mt. Madison was absolutely gorgeous as well, and it was extra special given that we were able to look at our final peak!

View from Mt. Adams to Mt. Madison

We started our descent at 12:48PM.  The going down was much easier but we still weren't able to go too fast, as you literally have to jump from boulder to boulder.  We reached the intersection with the Gulfside trail at 1:25PM and proceeded down the short path toward the Madison Hut, reaching it at 1:40PM.  We stopped in to check out the Madison Hut and fill up with some water.  Much like the other huts throughout the White Mountains, this one was set in  gorgeous spot between Adams and Madison, with a small pond a few hundred yards behind it.  The AMC caretaker generously offered us a free meal of leftover roasted turkey and mashed potatoes - it took all of our might to pass it up but we figured we still had a ways to go and a big meal might weigh us down.

We left the hut a 1:48PM and began our climb to the summit of Madison via the Osgood trail. 

Madison Hut & Mt. Madison

Similar to the ascent to Adams, the Osgood Trail is rocky and steep but relatively short at only a half of a mile.  About halfway to the summit the trail turns a bit to the right and flattens out somewhat.  When we finally caught a glimpse of the summit we were both filled with joy - not only were we reaching our final summit but we were also done gaining any serious elevation for the day (though little did we know that the descent would be tough as well).  We held hands as we "crossed the finish line," officially reaching the summit at 2:25PM (aww, how cute).

Summit of Mt. Madison - we did it! 48/48!

We quickly threw down our packs and began to celebrate.  Thankfully there was only one other group on the summit and they were hunkered down behind some boulders so we basically had the place to ourselves.  I had brought two mini bottles of champagne in my pack to drink at the top and we enjoyed them with some goldfish crackers (how classy)!  We took a bunch of photos with a sign Paloma had made marking our final peak.  It felt as though we were meant to finish on this day as the weather was absolutely perfect.  We spent 20 minutes or so at the top, soaking in the views and the sense of accomplishment we had.

We had originally planned on descending back to the hut the way we came up to meet up with the Valley Way trail, but in looking at the map it appeared we could cut off some mileage by taking the

Champagne to Celebrate

Watson Path down and meeting up with Valley Way further down the mountain.  We started down the Watson Path at 2:45PM.  We quickly realized that maybe we hadn't made the best choice.  The top part of the Watson Path was incredibly rocky and fairly steep, making our descent quite slow.  When we finally got into the trees the trail was quite rough and seemed to stretch on for an eternity.  The trail was also deserted - which normally I would enjoy but to me it indicated that this wasn't a very popular path - I wonder why!  As we approached the river I could tell that we finally nearing the intersection with the Valley Way trail, officially meeting the trail at 4:38PM. 

Watson Path

By this point we were both pretty exhausted - that descent was rough!  Thankfully the remaining hike out via Valley Way was incredibly easy - so much so that we were able to break out into a slow jog for most of it.  We passed numerous trail intersections and had to look at the map a couple of times to ensure we were going the right way, thankfully we didn't get lost.  I'd love to return to this trail as there are a number of paths leading to different waterfall viewing points that seem like they would be neat.

We reached the parking lot at 5:30PM.  We were both wiped out.  This was easily one of the, if not the, more challenging hikes we have done on our journey.  We shed our sweaty boots and hopped in the car and began the drive back home, reflecting on all of the great hikes we have done.  We finally reached our commitment of hiking them all!

Hike Stats

Trails: Airline, Gulfside, Osgood, Watson Path, Valley Way

Total Time (Including Breaks): 8:35

Distance: 9.7 Miles
Elevation Gain: 5000'

Mt. Jefferson - 5712' Mt. Washington - 6288' (42/48)

Bundled-up Vivian

Paloma and I finally committed to getting back on the trails and finishing up our quest to hike the 48.  We had our sights set on summitting Mt. Jefferson via the Caps Ridge Trail on Sunday, August 20th, however poor weather and the fact we were hiking with our 16-month old, Vivian, caused us to turn around about a half-mile from the summit.  We were bummed but knew that we made the right decision, especially after talking with others who did go to the summit and told us it was miserable.  I will say, though, she looked pretty cozy bundled up in my Deuter Kid Comfort Air carrier!

We decided to return to conquer Jefferson less than a week later, on Saturday, August 26th.  This time, however, we decided to up the ante and add Mt. Washington to the plan.  Given our experience the week prior, we decided that hiking in the Presidential's with a 16-month old might not be the best plan given the unpredictability of the weather and the long hours we would be hiking, so we recruited my parents to join us on our trip to hang with Vivian while we hiked.   We arrived at the Caps Ridge trail-head at just after 9:00AM, made our final preparations and were on the trail at 9:25AM.  The weather at the base was just above 50 degrees and the skies were clear.

Beautiful Day

Our route for the day was to take the Caps Ridge Trail up to the summit of Jefferson, then take a short jaunt down the Jefferson Loop Trail to connect to the Gulfside trail across to Washington.  To reach the summit of Washington we would take the Trinity Connector.  Our plan was to descend to the Lake of the Clouds hut via the Crawford Path, and finally return to the base of Washington via the Ammonoosuc trail.  A total distance of 10.5 miles or so.

Climbing the Caps

The Caps Ridge trail is unique in that the trail-head starts at such a high elevation that you break treeline within a short period of time.  The trail is relatively mild early on but was a bit overgrown - surprising since it seems like it is well used.  You are treated to some decent views pretty early on - this particular day was nice and clear so the views were fantastic.  Quite a difference from the week prior.  Once you break treeline you begin to climb over the Caps - a series of rock outcrops that require some bouldering to get over.  It is actually quite a fun trail to climb on.  As we climbed to around 5000' the temperature started to drop significantly, so Paloma and I both put on our fleece jackets and rain shells.

Summit of Mt. Jefferson

We reached the summit of Jefferson at 11:30AM.  It was quite breezy at the top and we were in and out of the clouds.  When the clouds cleared we were treated to amazing views over to Mt. Adams and Mt. Madison, as well as over to our destination - Mt. Washington.  Woof - it looked like quite a trek to get over there!  We spent only a few minutes on the summit of Jefferson as we were eager to begin our trek across the range to Mt. Washington.

The Cog Railway

The Gulfside trail is actually quite pleasant and easy going, though even though were were keeping a pretty good pace Washington still looked quite far.  Halfway between Jefferson and Washington is Mt. Clay, which although is over 5000' tall, doesn't qualify for the 4000 Footer list due to the prominence rules.  We were tempted to take the Mt. Clay Loop to bag this mountain as well, but given the time we decided to stick to the Gulfside Trail and skip the elevation gain to bag Mt. Clay.  The views along the Gulfside trail were phenomenal, and it really highlighted the scale of the Presidential Range.

 Paloma on the Gulfside Trail

After we circumvented Mt. Clay, we emerged onto the shoulder of Mt. Washington and quickly came to an intersection with the Cog Railway.  We reached the tracks just in time to see one of the trains going by - this was pretty cool.  As we waived to the passengers descending via the train, half of me was thinking about what wussies they were taking a train to visit the summit of Washington, though the other half of me was tempted to hitch a ride down.  We got a bit turned around at this point and had to backtrack a bit to get back on the correct path to the summit.  This involved climbing alongside the train tracks, which got the legs burning as the ground was quite soft and the pitch was quite steep.  We finally found our way back to the trail and began climbing steadily to the summit of Washington.  The final approach was via the Trinity Connector, and before we knew it we were standing on top of the tallest of the 48 4000 footers, the mighty Mt. Washington.  The time was 1:40PM.

Ugh!

For those unfamiliar with Mt. Washington - lets just put it this way...the summit is a shit-show.  I've purposely put off hiking Mt. Washington because most people who climb it end up being disappointed because they have found the summit to be swamped with people who either took the Cog Railway or Auto Road to the top.  Well folks, that is exactly what we experienced.  We had to wait in a twenty minute long line to get our photo with the sign at the summit.  It was not enjoyable.

Summit of Mt. Washington

Now - I am not knocking people for driving or taking the railway up - just a few months ago Paloma, Viv and I drove to the summit of 14k foot Pike's Peak in Colorado and had a great time.  But it is quite a let down to have hiked for so long and to not be able to enjoy the summit.  Oh well - I knew what we were getting into.  After we snapped our summit photo we decided to get the heck out of dodge, and began our descent to the Lake of the Clouds hut at 2:00PM.

Lake of the Clouds

The hike down Crawford Path to the hut was relatively mild.  As we hiked we watched someone fly a drone, presumably taking some cool aerial shots of the Lake of the Clouds.  We reached the hut at 2:45PM.  If I could turn the Lake of the Clouds hut into my full-time residence I would do it in a heartbeat.  What a gorgeous setting.  Flanked by Mt. Washington and Mt. Monroe, the hut sits on the shore of a crystal clear lake that Paloma pointed out almost resemble those infinity pools you see at high end Caribbean resorts.  We stopped in the hut to use the facilities and I was tempted by some delicious smelling brownies that must have just been made by one of the crew members there.  I was good though and passed.  I wanted to spend more time at the hut but it was now 3:00PM, so we decided to begin the final section of our hike via the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail.

Swimming Hole

The Ammonoosuc Ravine trail skirts down the ravine alongside the Ammonoosuc river.  It was a bit steep at the top so we had to take some care in our descent.  What a beautiful trail, though.  There are a number of small waterfalls and swimming holes along the trail, and great views back up towards Mt Washington.  We kept a decent pace as we got lower on the trail, and reached the Cog Railway parking lot at 4:50PM.  What a great but exhausting day of hiking.  We reunited with my parents and little Vivian and began the drive back home.  I was pooped!

All in all this is a fantastic hike.  It is decently strenuous but the hike along the Gulfside Trail is mild and gives you a decent recovery period before ascending Washington.  Make sure you check the weather before doing this hike, though, as you are exposed for several miles.  42 down, 6 to go!

Hike Stats

Trails: Caps Ridge, Jefferson Loop, Gulfside, Trinity Connector, Crawford Path, Ammonoosuc Ravine

Total Time (Including Breaks): 7:25

Distance: 10.5 Miles

Elevation Gain: ?? (If anyone has an accurate Elevation calculation of this route, please let me know!)

Mt. Galehead - 4024' (37/48)

Gale River Trailhead

Where has the summer gone?  Paloma and I have been so busy this summer unfortunately hiking has taken a bit of a backseat.  Thankfully, though, we have a number of free weekends coming up to get back in the woods!  On Saturday, we decided to tackle one of the easier remaining mountains on our list, Mt. Galehead.  My parents decided to join us and we all set off for the Gale River trailhead up off of Rt. 3 past Franconia Notch.  The ride up was uneventful as usual, and the 70 MPH speed limit on Rt. 93 made the miles go buy quite fast.

When we reached the parking lot at around 8:25AM, there were already quite a few cars in the lot.  I had been holding a large iced-coffee in my bladder for the majority of the ride so needless to say I had to pee.  I went to the far end of the lot down a short trail, thinking I found a nice, secluded area.  Little did I know there were two people sleeping in the back of a Subaru right next to the little trail.  Whoops, hope you enjoyed the show!  The weather at the trailhead was just over 70 degrees, a bit overcast and quite humid.  We made our final preparations and were on the trail at 8:43AM.

MUD

Our route for the day was an out-and-back up the Gale River, Garfield Ridge, and Frost trails.  A total distance of 10.2 miles.  The Gale River trail follows along the Gale River (wow, what a unique name) for the first four or so miles of the hike.  This provided a great warm-up as the trail had easy grades for nearly those entire four miles.  There were a few water crossings that were easy to navigate, but I bet during rainy periods some of them could be a bit more treacherous.  Despite some extremely muddy sections, we were able to keep up a pretty good pace until just before the junction with the Garfield Ridge trail, where things got quite a bit steeper and damp.  Even though up to this point the hike was relatively mild, we were all sweating buckets as the humidity level was high and the temperatures were rising.

Galehead Hut

We reached the junction with the Garfield Ridge trail at 10:45AM and took a quick break to cool down a bit, re-hydrate and enjoy some trail-mix. With only 1.1 miles remaining to the summit, we were in pretty good spirits and ready to tackle the remainder of the hike.  The Garfield Ridge trail was quite a bit steeper than the Gale River trail, but all in all it wasn't too difficult either.  It was still quite a bit damp so we had to take extra care to make sure we didn't slip into one of the numerous mud puddles along the trail.   We reached the Galehead Hut at 11:26PM, but decided to go for the summit first and then return to the hut for lunch.

Lookout Point

We took the Frost Trail from the Hut for the remaining half-mile to the summit.  I had read that this section was strenuous but I am not exactly sure why it got that description.  Aside from a 100 yard steep section, this was an easy and fast section of the trail.  We stopped at a great outlook point just before the summit to take in some views since the summit is just a pile of rocks in the woods with no views whatsoever.  The view from the outlook was beautiful and we could look back down over the Galehead Hut.  After we got our fill of the view, we continued to the summit, reaching it at 11:49AM.  We snapped a few obligatory summit photos and then set off back down the Frost Trail back towards the hut.  We were all starving so we had some extra pep in our step.

Summit of Mt. Galehead

We sat down on the beautiful front porch of the hut to eat lunch.  The view from the front porch was great, looking out over the valley below between Galehead and South Twin.  There were quite a few other hikers at the hut, eating, refilling water, and relaxing before continuing on their adventures.  The Galehead Hut is gorgeous on the inside as well, and it was interesting to read that this hut is the most remote in the AMC hut network, given that it is a 4.6 mile hike from the road.  I kept thinking about how awesome it would if this hut was your summer home, and how great it would be to spend a few months living here.  Dreams!  After we had our fill of sandwiches, cookies, fruit and chips we decided it was time to begin our descent, leaving the hut at 12:41PM.  The clouds were rolling in and looking a bit threatening so we figured we would get back into tree cover - the forecast did predict scattered T-storms.

Lunch a the hut

The descent was quite easy and quick and we made very good time coming down.  We reached the parking lot at 3:00PM on the dot and shed all of our sweaty clothes to attempt to freshen up for dinner on the ride back.  We stopped in Plymouth, NH at the Lucky Dog Tavern & Grille which is quickly becoming one of my favorite after-hike dinner spots, mainly due to their delicious pulled pork nachos with diced pickles.  We ordered a full size as an appetizer and the thing was so massive it nearly took up the entire table.  It proved to be no match for us hungry hikers though!  We enjoyed some sandwiches and salads and continued on our ride home, stopping briefly in Concord to visit with my Grandparents and check out their new apartment.

All-in-all a great day for a hike, a good meal, and a visit.  I'd recommend the Galehead hike for those looking for a longer hike that isn't going to kill you.  Even though the views aren't spectacular there are still a few nice vantage points along the way and the hut is a nice place to visit.

Hike Stats

Trails: Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail

Total Time (Including Breaks): 6:15

Distance: 10.2 Miles

Elevation Gain: 2,450'