Mt. Pierce and Mt. Jackson, May 28, 2013, White Mountain National Forest, Presidential Range

Mt. Jackson Summit Cairn, View of Mt. Washington

Having already hiked a good chunk of the White Mountain 4000 footer list, I had been thinking that it was about time to tackle some of the Presidentials. The recent spate of bad weather, however, made me decide against the big ones. Though the forecast was excellent, there was certainly still a chance of some residual snow and ice up there. Best to save the highest peaks for later.

Ultimately, I decided on a loop over the lower mountains of Pierce and Jackson. Most people tend to hike Pierce and its northern neighbor, Mt. Eisenhower. Instead, I decided to head south after Pierce and go over to Jackson (named for a Geological Survey employee, not a the president) before heading back down.

Crawford Path/Webster Cliff Trail connector, near Mt. Pierce Summit

I started out from the Crawford Notch parking area at 6:15 AM. At this time of year, it gets light at 5:30 AM... absolutely perfect for early morning hikers. I made very quick work of the Crawford Path, a historical, moderately-graded trail known to be the longest continually-maintained hiking path in the country. It was a pleasant ascent, and I was rewarded by solitude at the summit of Mt. Pierce with some nice views on a blue-skied morning. What a contrast to the days before.

Heading south along the Webster Cliff Trail to Mt. Jackson, I encountered an AT thru hiker catching his breath after the steep climb up from Mizpah Spring Hut where he had spent the previous evening. We chatted for a few minutes, at which point he uncapped a glass jar containing a video camera and proceeded to continue our conversation on the record. He wanted to know from where I was hiking, my route, my name, etc... From what I could gather, this was his fourth thru hike and he was compiling a sort of video diary of the experience. He was nice, but a little odd...

That describes most AT thru hikers.

Boardwalk over Alpine Bog, Mt. Jackson Summit in Distance

After the short conversational break, I started off again, passing the Mizpah Spring Hut and then crossing the high elevation bogs between the hut and Mt. Jackson. Like Pierce, I had Jackson all to myself. Amazing views of snow capped Mt. Washington. Fifteen minutes later, I started down via the Webster Jackson Trail, which connects with US 302 about 1/2 mile south of the Crawford Notch parking area. I made it back to car by 11:45 AM for a total of 5 hours and 20 minutes on the trail.

The brief road walk exposed me to one of the weirdest experiences I've had. An SUV van heading south on 302 zipped across the northbound lanes of heavy traffic into the median on my side of the road. I figured that they needed directions, so I stopped cautiously to listen as a man leaned out the window.

"Hey man, where can we see a moose?," he asked.

That's Memorial Day weekend in the Whites.

Peaks: Mt. Pierce and Mt. Jackson
Elevations: 4,312 feet, 4,052 feet (Gain: 2,850 feet)
Distance: 8.8 miles
Route: Loop, via Crawford Path to Webster Cliff Trail to Webster Jackson Trail, Road Walk
Conditions: Sunny, 60 degrees F