MarcHowes
New member
Date(s) Hiked: 9/9, 9/10
Trails(s) Hiked:Day 1: Great gulf, Osgood, Star lake, Gulfside, Jefferson loop, Crawford, Crossover, Tuckerman ravine. Day 2: Webster Jackson, Webster cliff, Crawford, Eisenhower loop.
Total Distance: ~26+
Difficulty: Insane
Conditions: Rain on day one. Cold, Windy
Special Required Equipment: Winter clothes, Boots!
Pictures http://hoosactunnel.net/nonhoosac/NH/Presidentials060909/ http://hoosactunnel.net/nonhoosac/NH/Presidentials060910/
Trip Report:
Day 1:
I started my Hike at 3:57AM at the Great Gulf Trail Trailhead. El 1350. I proceeded up to Osgood junction mainly by moonlight. Osgood trail grew very steep towards the tree line. I witnessed and photographed the sunrise just as I got above the tree line. The wind I encountered on the grind to Madison summit was intense, I would say gusts around 50-60 and sustained around 40. This was the hardest wind I encountered during the day. I ended up hiding in a cave as I added more layers. After nearly 2:45 I reached Monroe summit. I proceeded next to the Monroe hut where I got some water and watched people eating yummy pancakes (the smell made me very hungry). I continued past star “lake” and up to the Summit of Adams. The climb up Adams was sheltered and not windy. As I wandered between Adams and Jefferson I encountered my first non-me hiker. He breezed by me. I figured he probably started at the hut with the amount of energy he had. Some other hikers surfaced about ¾ mile behind me. I heard them clearly but after my initial viewing of them I never saw them again.
Jefferson summit was cloudy and cold. There was a real neat cairn up there. I opted to climb the Clay summit which looked big from the north but when you get to the top you realize it is just a puny bump!! I viewed the Cog railway with great excitement as I got ever closer to the rails. One train was going up and one down. As I ascended Washington I entered into the days “permafog” I encountered a lot of coal on the trail from the cog. When I reached Washington my camera threatened “dead battery” so I only took one picture (this made me very angry btw).
In the summit building I bought two of the best tasting pieces of pizza I have ever eaten in my life (not cause they were good, it was cause they were warm!). I did some talc-ing and some mole-skinning on my feet and decided to go for Monroe. I took Crawford trail down to lake of the clouds hut and slowly ascended Monroe which had 2 American flags.
As I descended I noticed rain clouds to the west so I made my escape for Tuckerman ravine. As I entered the fog on the crossover trail it began sprinkling. This did not make me one bit happy. I navigated the fog to Tuckerman Junction and began the sharp descent. As soon as I got to the top of the headwall it happened… A sudden downpour occurred. There I was on the worst trail in the world to be descending wet. I met some people I met earlier on my way down and chatted with them briefly. As soon as I reached the base of the wall the rain stopped. I proceeded to the shelter where I wrung out my clothes. Ultimately I reached Pinkham lodge trailhead and therefore my bike. I rode between trailheads on 16 back to my car as quickly as I could because on the mountains I could see more rain coming.
The second I get to my car (not a second before, not a second after, but the second) the downpour of biblical proportions starts. I disassemble my bike and throw it in my car. A lightning storm blows in and hits the presidentials with great fierceness and volume (a strike every few seconds sustained for several minutes.) I got a nice front row seat to views of some pretty amazing bolts. Boy was I glad I was in my car in a valley and not on the mountains, I really lucked out.
DAY 2
I started my day at 7AM by climbing the Webster-Jackson trail at Crawford notch. I ate leftover Chinese food from the night before for breakfast so I had an intense stomach ache for about an hour. I reached Jackson summit and was greeted by some real nice views of the notch, the presidentials and pretty much everything. The trail between Jackson and Pierce was loaded with mud! The trail was considerably more crowded than the northern traverse. I filled my water bottle at Mitzpah hut and did the final grind up pierce. Lots of good views, Washington was cloud obscured unfortunately. The Cog was in full swing and I could hear its whistle clearly. I did the final leg of my quest through the mud infested Crawford trail. The grind up Eisenhower was torture after all of the hiking done in the last 2 days. As soon as I get to the top clouds come in. I have a bit to eat in the freezing windy cold and leave. Sure enough as soon as I get off the mountain the clouds vanish. At least I got some mountain side shots!
I took Crawford path all the way back to my car. The closer I got to my car the more excited and quicker I moved. The last 500 feet were done in a sore foot tired run which will not soon be forgotten.
-----
So there it is. My two day approach of the Presidential range. The only part I missed was the section between Monroe and Eisenhower, but I am not going to lose any sleep over that. I figure the total vertical gain was 13,250 ft and total mileage was in the neighborhood of 26 miles. If the weather were nice and if I had two cars I think I could have done the whole range from top to bottom in one day. But another day!!
Thanks for reading,
Marc
Trails(s) Hiked:Day 1: Great gulf, Osgood, Star lake, Gulfside, Jefferson loop, Crawford, Crossover, Tuckerman ravine. Day 2: Webster Jackson, Webster cliff, Crawford, Eisenhower loop.
Total Distance: ~26+
Difficulty: Insane
Conditions: Rain on day one. Cold, Windy
Special Required Equipment: Winter clothes, Boots!
Pictures http://hoosactunnel.net/nonhoosac/NH/Presidentials060909/ http://hoosactunnel.net/nonhoosac/NH/Presidentials060910/
Trip Report:
Day 1:
I started my Hike at 3:57AM at the Great Gulf Trail Trailhead. El 1350. I proceeded up to Osgood junction mainly by moonlight. Osgood trail grew very steep towards the tree line. I witnessed and photographed the sunrise just as I got above the tree line. The wind I encountered on the grind to Madison summit was intense, I would say gusts around 50-60 and sustained around 40. This was the hardest wind I encountered during the day. I ended up hiding in a cave as I added more layers. After nearly 2:45 I reached Monroe summit. I proceeded next to the Monroe hut where I got some water and watched people eating yummy pancakes (the smell made me very hungry). I continued past star “lake” and up to the Summit of Adams. The climb up Adams was sheltered and not windy. As I wandered between Adams and Jefferson I encountered my first non-me hiker. He breezed by me. I figured he probably started at the hut with the amount of energy he had. Some other hikers surfaced about ¾ mile behind me. I heard them clearly but after my initial viewing of them I never saw them again.
Jefferson summit was cloudy and cold. There was a real neat cairn up there. I opted to climb the Clay summit which looked big from the north but when you get to the top you realize it is just a puny bump!! I viewed the Cog railway with great excitement as I got ever closer to the rails. One train was going up and one down. As I ascended Washington I entered into the days “permafog” I encountered a lot of coal on the trail from the cog. When I reached Washington my camera threatened “dead battery” so I only took one picture (this made me very angry btw).
In the summit building I bought two of the best tasting pieces of pizza I have ever eaten in my life (not cause they were good, it was cause they were warm!). I did some talc-ing and some mole-skinning on my feet and decided to go for Monroe. I took Crawford trail down to lake of the clouds hut and slowly ascended Monroe which had 2 American flags.
As I descended I noticed rain clouds to the west so I made my escape for Tuckerman ravine. As I entered the fog on the crossover trail it began sprinkling. This did not make me one bit happy. I navigated the fog to Tuckerman Junction and began the sharp descent. As soon as I got to the top of the headwall it happened… A sudden downpour occurred. There I was on the worst trail in the world to be descending wet. I met some people I met earlier on my way down and chatted with them briefly. As soon as I reached the base of the wall the rain stopped. I proceeded to the shelter where I wrung out my clothes. Ultimately I reached Pinkham lodge trailhead and therefore my bike. I rode between trailheads on 16 back to my car as quickly as I could because on the mountains I could see more rain coming.
The second I get to my car (not a second before, not a second after, but the second) the downpour of biblical proportions starts. I disassemble my bike and throw it in my car. A lightning storm blows in and hits the presidentials with great fierceness and volume (a strike every few seconds sustained for several minutes.) I got a nice front row seat to views of some pretty amazing bolts. Boy was I glad I was in my car in a valley and not on the mountains, I really lucked out.
DAY 2
I started my day at 7AM by climbing the Webster-Jackson trail at Crawford notch. I ate leftover Chinese food from the night before for breakfast so I had an intense stomach ache for about an hour. I reached Jackson summit and was greeted by some real nice views of the notch, the presidentials and pretty much everything. The trail between Jackson and Pierce was loaded with mud! The trail was considerably more crowded than the northern traverse. I filled my water bottle at Mitzpah hut and did the final grind up pierce. Lots of good views, Washington was cloud obscured unfortunately. The Cog was in full swing and I could hear its whistle clearly. I did the final leg of my quest through the mud infested Crawford trail. The grind up Eisenhower was torture after all of the hiking done in the last 2 days. As soon as I get to the top clouds come in. I have a bit to eat in the freezing windy cold and leave. Sure enough as soon as I get off the mountain the clouds vanish. At least I got some mountain side shots!
I took Crawford path all the way back to my car. The closer I got to my car the more excited and quicker I moved. The last 500 feet were done in a sore foot tired run which will not soon be forgotten.
-----
So there it is. My two day approach of the Presidential range. The only part I missed was the section between Monroe and Eisenhower, but I am not going to lose any sleep over that. I figure the total vertical gain was 13,250 ft and total mileage was in the neighborhood of 26 miles. If the weather were nice and if I had two cars I think I could have done the whole range from top to bottom in one day. But another day!!
Thanks for reading,
Marc
Maybe I'll get two next time hehehe 
