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Mount Eisenhower - Fri. Aug 19, 2005 (Pics Added 8/28/05)

ChileMass

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Date - 8/19/2005

Trails Hiked - Edmands Path to Eisenhower Loop to summit (approx 4800')

Distance - 6.6 mi round trip

Difficulty - Moderate until treeline, then easy.

Conditions - Sunshine, temps in low 80s at base, mid-60s at summit. Almost no wind. A few bugs on top, a few muddy spots on the trail from recent T-storms.


Another nice day in the Whites. Beautiful sunshine and a good group from the 6 camping families. 5 kids and 8 adults made the trip.

The White Mountain Guide (WMG) says Edmands Path is the easiest route to the southern Presidentials and follows the most moderate grades for most of its length, so for our group of weekend/once-in-a-while hikers, it was an easy choice. FYI - Mt. Clinton Road in from Crawford Notch was in very good shape with only a little washout evidence along the shoulder, so any car could make it the 3.2 miles from US 302.

The trail in from the parking lot starts very gradually for the first mile, but then increases for the next mile and a half or so. The WMG aside, it will definitely get your heart pumping. We had to stop several times for water and to give the kids a break. We didn't want to exhaust them and make this hike into a death march which would turn them off from hiking. Edmands Path is in very good shape, and there are definitely sections where you can tell a lot of effort went into constructing this trail. Much of it is just dirt or roots which are a lot easier on the feet than rocks. The woods were beautiful, with sun and shade all the way.

At about 2 1/4 miles, the trail begins to wind in a sort of a cat-walk around the mountain, with just scrubby trees between you and the view (and a BIG drop). This part of the pathway was man-made to provide access to the upper sections and must have been some job to create. After the cat-walk and a short rock-hopping section, the Edmands Path comes completely out into the open and ends in beautiful meadows below the summit connector. The views got better and better as we went up the summit loop trail, except for the cog railway, which was belching huge clouds of black smoke and really screws up this otherwise perfect vista. Monroe's 2 spiky peaks come into view just below Eisenhower's summit.

There was very little wind and the views across to the big Presidential peaks and right up to Mt. Franklin were tremendous. Our group was sweaty and ready for lunch, but with these terrific views to inspire us, we easily walked the final 20 minutes or so to the top. And, this crew of amateurs and kids beat the WMG time estimate by almost a half-hour, arriving on top in 2:34. Not bad!!

There were about 15 people at the summit, and lunch tasted really good. The views from Eisenhower extend 360 degrees due to the flat, open meadow at the top, and the kids kept saying, "Wow - this is really cool" which was great to hear. Mt. Carrigain looked close enough to touch it, Chocurua's pointy silouette was clearly seen to the south, and we could see the Franconias way off to the west. About the farthest landmark I could see was Jay Peak to the northwest.

The walk down was about 1:40 and slightly tough on the knees and quads, but as is our tradition, wings and beers at the Red Parka Pub in Glen took all the edge off. (Wings and sodas for the kids, thanks). :beer:

Probably my last hike in the Whites this season, but it was memorable!! Pics later this week when my wife gets back from camping with the camera -

CM
 

pepsi

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Re: Mount Eisenhower - Sat. Aug 20, 2005

Great trip report. Nice that the kids got enjoy it. I too always marvel at the stone work on that trail. The drill marks and path direction show that he was a perfectionist and knew he wasn't just cutting a path but making something that would last.


ChileMass said:
Date - 8/20/2005

Conditions - Sunshine, temps in low 80s at base, mid-60s at summit. Almost no wind.

Another nice day in the Whites. Beautiful sunshine and a good group from the 6 camping families.

There was very little wind and the views across to the big Presidential peaks and right up to Mt. Franklin were tremendous.

There were about 15 people at the summit, The views from Eisenhower extend 360 degrees due to the flat, open meadow at the top, and the kids kept saying, "Wow - this is really cool" which was great to hear. Mt. Carrigain looked close enough to touch it, Chocurua's pointy silouette was clearly seen to the south, and we could see the Franconias way off to the west. About the farthest landmark I could see was Jay Peak to the northwest.

CM




I did have to look at the date a few times and then the calender and then trip report and then the date to see if we were talking about the same day and the same Eisenhower :)

By the time I got there conditions were not quite the same. Coming from the north you could make out the summit from almost 200-300 feet away :D
 

ChileMass

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MichaelJ said:
Well done. Edmands is, indeed, a beautifully-built trail. I love the rock "gateway" near the alpine zone.

Michael - thanks - it was big fun.



NOTE - my bad - this trip was Friday 8/19, not Saturday 8/20 as originally posted. Lost track of days having fun on vacation......
 

Greg

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Great report. Thanks CM! Ike and Edmund's Path is very special to me. It was my first White Mountain hike and campout at age 13. We camped a mile and a half in and then hiked Ike the next day. It was so beautiful and inspiring that my brother and I continued on all the way to Washington. We then turned around and went back to camp. Not bad for a skinny kid and his first time in the Whites. Hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. :)
 

pepsi

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ChileMass said:
NOTE - my bad - this trip was Friday 8/19, not Saturday 8/20 as originally posted. Lost track of days having fun on vacation......



:eek: :eek: :eek:

That explains a lot :D

I was wondering how I could have had 50+? MPH winds on Jefferson with 20-30 feet visibility at the same time you were having sunshine and clear skies. I know the weather changes fast but...
 

ChileMass

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pepsi said:
ChileMass said:
NOTE - my bad - this trip was Friday 8/19, not Saturday 8/20 as originally posted. Lost track of days having fun on vacation......



That explains a lot :D

I was wondering how I could have had 50+? MPH winds on Jefferson with 20-30 feet visibility at the same time you were having sunshine and clear skies. I know the weather changes fast but...

Wow - that sounds nasty. It rained all day in Bartlett on Saturday, but there was never any wind.

PS - so where's YOUR trip report - ????? :eek:
 

thetrailboss

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Nice report. As stated, Edmands was quite a trail builder and this is one of his gems. Very nice and easy trail. Try Caps Ridge as well sometime...short and not too tough, but well worth the effort.
 

thetrailboss

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I just realized that you were probably alive when Eisenhower and Washington were real Presidents! :lol: :wink:

Seriously...nice pics.
 

ChileMass

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thetrailboss said:
I just realized that you were probably alive when Eisenhower and Washington were real Presidents! :lol: :wink:

Seriously...nice pics.

With friends like you, Michael....... :wink: :wink: :wink:
 

thetrailboss

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ChileMass said:
thetrailboss said:
I just realized that you were probably alive when Eisenhower and Washington were real Presidents! :lol: :wink:

Seriously...nice pics.

With friends like you, Michael....... :wink: :wink: :wink:

Which woman is your wife? Your kids?
 

ChileMass

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thetrailboss said:
ChileMass said:
thetrailboss said:
I just realized that you were probably alive when Eisenhower and Washington were real Presidents! :lol: :wink:

Seriously...nice pics.

With friends like you, Michael....... :wink: :wink: :wink:

Which woman is your wife? Your kids?

None of the women in my life made the hike. Those are my friends and their kids. Fortunately, my girls will ski with me almost anytime, but hiking is another matter. Too sweaty, too tiring, too many bugs, etc, etc, etc.....
 
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