Presidential range, 2009

Journal
Aug 17-21, 2009
White Mountains, NH
Irene and Gary

Mom & Dad dropped us off at the beginning of the Davis Path, after having left Peter's car on Hwy 2 west of Gorham. The sun had already set, so in nearly pitch dark we crossed the Saco river, and found a campsite.

Tuesday morning we enjoyed cranberry nut muffins, made with some of the hickory nuts we'd harvested last fall. Then up the trail to Crawford peak. As we near the top we find blueberries beside the trail. We eat many and half fill a camping bowl. So very good!

After the long pull up Crawford, the trail gentles out somewhat and we pass by Resolution and climb Stairs Mtn. But after Crawford the blueberries were few and far between. The temperature and humidity are both very high and our shirts are soaked. Stairs gives us a wonderful view to the southeast on a bare rock ledge with some nice camping possibilities in the woods behind us. Its a long hike over small summits to Davis peak where the views are spectacular. Its a broadly rounded dome, but the trees are all stunted and we can see 360 degrees, to Stairs, Resolution, and Crawford behind us, and ahead over Isolation and to the Presidential range. To the East are the Carter peaks and Wildcat, and there are ranges beyond in all directions fading to purple. The guide book (1966, the same one we carried when I was a kid) tells of a spring just of the summit but it is dry.

Next is Isolation, where we take a short spur trail to our first 4000 footer. The sun is getting low by now, as is our water supply. At the intersection with the Isolation trail is sign for a tent site. Its a nice site but dry. The map suggests there's a creek to the north and downhill, so we head out in the fading light and I bushwhack to a small trickle. Back at camp I make the fixings for tacos while Irene rigs her hammock. The skies are dark by the time we finish dinner, and we're soon asleep after a long hot day.

Wednesday breaks with lots of wind swaying the trees above us. After a simple breakfast of granola we hit the trail. There is a nice spring up the trail, and soon we are above timberline. Wow! Mountains and more mountains fill our view to the south, east and west, with cloud-capped Washington dominating the north. Without the protection of the trees, the wind shows its full strength. Its hard to walk. We take breaks when we get protection behind rocks or small groves of stunted trees. Well, ok. I take a break while Irene shucks her pack and scampers up a boulder or two. The wind rippling the alpine grasses reminds Irene of Rohan.

The Davis path meets the Glen Boulder trail and Boot Spur trails, then arcs to the west around the head of Oakes gulf. We take the Camel trail to Lakes of the Clouds hut, and meet our first people since yesterday morning! We've been alone on the trail since Desolation peak. After a long break at the hut, we scamper up Mt Munroe for a fabulous and windy view.

The peak of Washington is obscured with intermittent clouds and we waffle over bagging it or not. We do. And its cloudy and windy and full of people who rode the train up or drove their car. We briefly enter the gift shop and scoff at the trinkets and chat with the bored checkout clerk.

There's a cog railroad engine and car waiting to descend. This one is diesel powered. When I was last here (1970s) they were all steam. We spoke with an employee who told us they still run the old steamers too.

At the Tip Top house we learn that the winds now are about 30mph. This morning (as we were hiking around the head of Oakes gulf) it was averaging 50 at the summit. The peak recorded today was just over 70. No wonder we found it hard to walk amid the jumbled stones that serve as a trail. We also learn of Marty the cat. For many years one of the employees at the weather observatory, named Marty, gave the current conditions at the peak on channel 8 TV. He was quite a character and had a thick down east accent.

Time to head down the hill. We're following the Gulfside trail to Clay, Jefferson, and beyond. This is also the AT. We follow the cairns through the fog, and cross the railroad tracks. There's a pile of rocks nearby so we hunker down behind it for a snack and to wait. The wait is not long, and soon the sound of an engine joins the sound of wind. After a few minutes the car and engine appear out of the clouds, chug by, and disappear again up the hill. We take pictures of it while the passengers take pictures of us. The fog thickens, and we can only see one cairn ahead of us. The scudding mist turns to blowing rain, and we are soon soaked despite any efforts at protection. The path becomes a creek. At Jewel trail we head down, hoping to reach treeline and a place to pitch a tent. But Irene is getting chilled, so when we encounter a reasonably wide and level spot in the middle of the trail, but still above timberline, we decide to call it home for the night. The rain has stopped and the wind abated some, but nightfall is only a few hours away. So we pitch the tent and change into dryer clothes, and cook lentil soup. Two hikers go by and are sympathetic to our situation.

The rains stay away all night, and by morning the wind is a gentle breeze. We greet a beautiful morning with clear skies and a great view to the north beyond Mansfield station. There's fog down in the valleys way down where people live. First there is a spot of orange sunlight on the tip of a far peak. Then one by one the other peaks greet the sun. We're on a northern slope below a big mountain, so we don't see the sun until we've hiked back up Jewel trail, rejoined Gulfside, and hiked a ways.

We summit Jefferson and chat with another couple there. The woman is quite a chatterbox, while her husband barely says a word. Then down through Edmunds Col. We take a long break in a meadow beyond the col for a snack and to spread out our wet gear – tent, sleeping bags, clothing, and let it dry in the light wind, bright sun and dry air.

Most of the hikers we meet are going between Lakes and Madison, the two huts along this ridge. Some have come from farther huts. Their packs are light. At Peabody spring we meet a group who started in Georgia and are headed for Mt Katadin in Maine. All the men sport full beards, prompting Irene to comment that “there are dwarfs in the mountains!” To complete the image, the shortest one conjures up a tune on his recorder during a rest stop.

We drop our packs again and scamper up Adams with just a bottle of water and a granola bar. At the peak are two men hiking together and a solo man. The solo sees us sharing one granola bar and offers us more food, thinking we'd come all this way with just that. The peak both here and at Jefferson are a jumble of jagged boulders all covered in lichen. From here we push on toward Madison hut where we take another long break. The staff has just changed from the summer crew to fall, and an expert is teaching them the power system – solar cells, solar hot water pre-heater, wind generator, batteries, propane in the kitchen, etc. Back at Lakes they were holding class in first aid and rescue.

We have our choice of trails down from here, and we choose the Watson path. But first we hike the Pine Link to join the Watson, with plans to detour up Mt. Madison at the intersection. Irene's ankle has been bothering her – she sprained it a few weeks ago – and the Pine Link proves to be too much. Several of these trails above timberline are little more than a row of cairns through a boulder field on the side of the mountain, and Pine Link is the worst of them. We progress through half a mile hopping from rock to rock, picking our way past refrigerator-sized to volkswagon-size gneisses and schists. The peak will have to wait for another day, another hike. Instead we head down. First through another boulder field, then very steeply down through the black spruce forest. We loose almost 2000 feet of elevation in a little more than a mile. As we descend the temperature climbs, and we are again bathed in sweat when we reach Snyder brook, where we shuck our boots and wade right in. Cold! Just below the stream crossing is a lovely campsite on the creek. Ours for the night, and a second dinner of tacos and flan. This is the first campsite where we've had enough water to wash with. What a luxury! And to make it better, there's no bugs, and a long cascade for audio ambiance.

Scones for breakfast after sleeping under the stars beside the brook. Just a few miles today, and all downhill through the valley. Closer to the end is a series of waterfalls and cascades. One of them has a nice smooth mossy chute into a deep pool. Perfect! We drop our packs again, remove boots and prepare for fun. Wheee! Down the slope and into the pool. Very refreshing. The path we chose may have been difficult, but like the beginning, we've had the hike to ourselves since leaving the hut.

In another mile we reach the car. Its about 9:30 in the morning. There's a peach in the cooler – delish!