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| Panorama from the shoulder of Mt. Washington |
It seriously befuddles me that Mt. Washington made it all the way to the final two in a recent
Boston Globe survey of the best hikes in the White Mountains.
Who wants their wilderness experience to culminate in a train station, an auto road, hoards of tourists, and a snack bar? Sure, it's the highest of all the 4,000 footers. But for me, biggest by no means equals best.
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| Early AM view of Mt. Washington, from Base Station Road |
I tackled Mt. Washington as a solo loop hike. Since K and I were staying at
our usual place at Streeter Pond in Sugar Hill, I decided to go up the peak from the west side - via the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail. Finding few cars in the parking lot, I hit the trail at 6:30 AM sharp and quickly encountered two hikers unable to locate the trail after it crosses Franklin Brook. I pointed them in the right direction and left them in the dust, wondering if they'd have more trouble along what turned out to be a poorly-blazed trail... Fortunately, the early hour meant that I would not encounter another person until reaching Lakes of the Clouds Hut two hours later.
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| The view back down Ammonoosuc Ravine |
Despite a lack of enthusiasm for what I knew would be an anticlimactic summit experience, I truly enjoyed the trail. After a rocky but fairly gradual climb to Gem Pool, the trail rises quite steeply along rocky slabs and beautiful, cascading streams. Just out of tree line, Lakes of the Clouds Hut provided a good place for a ten-minute break to chat with some late-rising hut goers before pushing on to the summit. I recalled a previous visit to this very spot just below Mt. Washington, when sudden, horrible weather
prevented a summit attempt.
This time around, however, the weather proved absolutely perfect. Party Cloudy skies, no precipitation, warm temperatures, and little more than a slight breeze... uncommon on top of the mountain with the highest observed wind speeds on the face of the earth. I spent the next hour rock hopping up the Crawford Path to the summit and found what I expected...
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| Party on the Summit |
I inadvertently photo bombed a few tourists in order to make a quick, obligatory touch of the summit cairn and then camped out just outside of the Tip Top House museum to eat a late breakfast and rest up for the descent. I took the Gulfside Trail across the Cog Railway tracks, skipped the chance to top nearby Mt. Clay, and descended to the parking area via the Jewell Trail, making it back at 1:30. More gradual than the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail but far less interesting, the easy grade provided kind relief for my worn and weary legs.
Mount Washington is a beast.
Peak: Mount Washington
Elevation: 6,288 feet (Gain: 3,900 feet)
Distance: 9.6 miles
Route: Loop, Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail to Crawford Path to Gulfside Trail to Jewell Trail
Conditions: Party Cloudy, 75 degrees F
