Mount Esther, June 29, 2013, Adirondack Park

Summit Marker on Mount Esther

By coincidence, my brother (and recurring peak bagging partner) and his family were staying in the ADK at the same time as us. Once a year, they visit a pond-side house on the edge of the St. Regis Canoe Wilderness. I had visited before and knew it was a pretty neat place. On the property, a rustic outdoor sauna sits near a long dock leading out into the lake. The normal relaxation routine, for hours on end, is to heat up and jump in.

My brother and I decided to meet up in the early AM, grab a 4,000 footer, and then get everyone together for a full afternoon of relaxing by the pond. We tackled Mount Esther, one of two lone peaks near Wilmington, NY, away from the weekend madness of Heart Lake. We picked it for two reasons. One, the hopes of seeing fewer people. More importantly, we wanted to be sure to get up and back before afternoon thunderstorms ruined our chances for the sauna-pond routine. At about 9 miles round trip, we figured we would be up and back by noon.

Wilmington Trail Head

We started out at 6:40 AM sharp, and happily found ourselves to be the first to arrive in the parking area at the Wilmington Reservoir trail head. The Wilmington Trail starts out as a gradual climb through fairly dense woods and then starts up via switchbacks to the summit of Marble Mountain. Next, the trail steepens as it ascends Lookout Mountain, past an interesting old rectangular structure that was apparently once used to store toboggans. Soon afterwards, a cairn and sign points west to a 1.2 mile long unmaintained spur trail up to the viewless summit of Mount Esther. The only peak of the 48er list to be named for a female, the mountain's namesake is 15-year-old Esther McComb. She got lost in 1859 during an ascent of nearby Whiteface Mountain and was the first to reach its summit.

Final Approach to Mount Esther

We ate an early lunch at the top and then headed down. At the cairn, we thought about going up Whiteface as well - another peak on the 48er list. We had already made most of the elevation and chatted about the potential future frustration of leaving a peak behind only to one day have to do it again.

Forget it. The pond is calling.

Peak: Mount Esther
Elevation: 4,240 feet
Distance: Up and back, 9.2 miles round trip
Conditions: Partly sunny, 80 degrees F
Notable Fauna: White-throated sparrow

Phelps Mountain, June 28, 2013, Adirondack Park

Summit of Phelps Mountain, Rain Clouds on the Way

After a several days of tremendous rainstorms up and down the East Coast, K and I figured that there would be lots of water up in the ADK. Indeed. As we drove into the High Peaks on Route 73, the north fork of the Boquet River was spilling its banks into the highway and water was cascading off of the mountains in places that are normally bone dry. It wasn't raining any longer, but the amount of rain that came out of the atmosphere was still finding its way down and out of the hills.

We therefore made sure to choose a hike WITHOUT any stream crossings, and decided on Phelps Mountain - a peak on the 46er list.

We started out from the Adirondack Loj around 8:30 AM. The place was jammed with hikers setting out into the High Peaks. Fortunately, however, the crowds thinned out once we got into the back country. By the time we reached Marcy Dam, we were having pretty good stretches of solitude. Also fortunate for us was the fact that they put a "high water" bridge in along the trail. Without it, the steam crossing would have been too much to handle.

Boardwalk on Trail 61 to Marcy Dam

After Marcy Dam, the Van Hoevenberg Trail (#61) starts a moderate climb along Phelps Brook before reaching a split with Trail 62  to the summit. The summit trail is steep in parts, including a few hand-over-hand, root-grabbing sections. The reward for the long slog is rocky summit with broad 180 degree views over to Mt. Marcy, the highest of the High Peaks. No time for relaxing with our lunch on the summit. A huge black cloud was poised ominously on Marcy. More rain on the way.

We stopped a short distance down the summit trail to eat, and that's when the rain came. Fortunately, we had full rain gear in the pack and needed it the whole way back. We stayed fairly dry despite the on and off, sometimes soaking, rain squalls... but most people that we encountered looked pretty miserable in their sopping wet shorts and t-shirts. 

To each his own.

Peak: Phelps Mountain
Elevation: 4,161 feet
Distance: Up-and-back, 8.8 miles round trip
Conditions: Party sunny in AM; rain in PM, 70 degrees F

Trail to Phelps Mountain, from Van Hoevenberg Trail 61

Mts. Osceola and East Osceola, June 2, 2013, White Mountain National Forest

At the Mt. Osceola Summit, Looking East to Tripyramids in Distance

Hail to the Chiefs.

Despite being exhausted from a week of hiking, I felt the urge to go up a few more mountains before heading back to our workaday lives in the Mid-Atlantic. I decided that the Osceolas, named for a great Seminole Indian chieftain, would be a good way to get two more peaks on this trip, elevating the week's total to eight and putting me over the halfway point on the route to the 4,000 footer club. I knew that my trail of choice would be a tough hike - the White Mountain Guide, in fact, calls it "one of the steepest and roughest in the mountains."

There are two routes up the Osceolas. The easy one is from Tripoli Road, which gradually takes hikers to the main peak first and then down and up to East Osceola. Since we were staying near North Conway, on the other side of the WMNF, going to Tripoli Road would add substantial drive time in the morning. So I decided to go up from the Greeley Ponds Trail located right off the Kancamagus Highway instead.

Scree field, view from East Osceola

The hike along Greeley Ponds Trail and into Mad River Notch is pleasant and quite easy. Shortly after the turn off on the Mt. Osceola Trail, however, everything turns nasty. I can't even remember the last time that I undertook such a steep, unrelenting ascent. I had to stow my hiking poles, relying on two free hands to clamber up the rocks. The situation was made worse by the heat and humidity, which was revealing itself as early as 6:30 AM. The pay off at the top of this grueling climb is minimal... East Osceola's summit is little more than an unassuming cairn on a ridge trail totally surrounded by trees.

Summit of East Osceola

I pressed on towards the main peak, but it too is a tough go. A steep descent into the col between the two peaks presages a climb up a vertical rock chimney leading to the Osceola summit. This time, however, I was rewarded with what many call the most dramatic and all-encompassing vista in the White Mountains. I got to the summit at 8:30 AM and spent a full 1/2 hour relaxing and admiring the view. No other hikers arrived.

Looking Up to Mt. Osceola, on Mt. Osceola Trail

Needless to say, the descent proved equally challenging, so much so that I had to stop to rest and recover my strength several times before finally making it all the down. At one point, I spent quite a long time admiring a dark-eyed Junco that landed nearby... the bird-watching gave me the added rest needed to finish off what was a really difficult challenge.

For most 4,000 footers, I can truly say that I would love to climb them a second time.

Not true of the Osceolas from Greeley Ponds.

Peaks: Mt. Osceola and East Osceola
Elevation: 4,340 feet and 4,156 feet (Gain: 3,116 feet)
Distance: 7.6 miles
Route: Up and Back, via Greeley Ponds Trail, Mount Osceola Trail  
Conditions: Mostly Sunny, 85% relative humidity, 90 degrees F

Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey, May 31, 2013, White Mountain National Forest

Mt. Field, View from Mt. Tom Summit

With temperatures warming and a forecast of near 90 degrees, I was determined to get out early and pocket the "big three" due west of Highland Center in Crawford Notch. An early start would allow me to get back and enjoy a full afternoon cooling off with K in the East Branch of the Saco River. Many people like to do a loop hike over Mt. Tom and Mt. Field. I decided to add Mt. Willey as well, making the hike into a combination of a loop and an out-and-back for a total of 10 miles.

The Willey Range is not so  much noted for its views or its terrain, but for its history. In 1826, a rainstorm following a hot, dry summer caused a massive slide on Mt. Willey which came down on top of an entire family of New Hampshire settlers -- the Willey family. Nine people perished in an event that captured the public attention of its day and is still recalled more than a hundred years later.

Self-portrait with summit cairn

I started out on the trail at 7:05 AM,  a good hour later than usual, and passed by a few hikers setting up their gear and having breakfast at the rail station/gift shop in front of the trail head. I made quick time going up the Avalon Trail to the A-Z Trail, and then an up and back to the summit of Mt. Tom, which has some partial views. I didn't see anyone until returning back down and starting out on the Willey Range trail. I wasn't in the mood for conversation - my mind was already set on an afternoon in the river - so I pressed up and over the biggest of the three, Mt. Field, and then on to Willey. Although neither have remarkable summits, the ridge-line hike is quite enjoyable.

Large Blowdown Patch on Willey Range Trail

On the return, I branched off the Willey Range trail at the summit of Field and took the Avalon Trail down. It meanders into the valley, steeply at some points, and passes by the lower summit of Mt. Avalon. As I approached the turn off for the short trail to Mt. Avalon, I could hear the sounds of a huge youth group on its summit. Needless to say, I decided to skip the party up there and kept going.

Made it back to the car at 12:50... 5 hours and 45 minutes on the trail...

Time to hit the river.

Peaks: Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, Mt. Willey
Elevations: 4,051, 4,340, 4,285 feet (Gain: 3,550 feet)
Distance: 10 miles round trip
Route: Loop, via Avalon Trail to A-Z Trail to Willey Range Trail to Avalon Trail
Conditions: Sunny, 85 degrees F

Hedgehog Mountain, May 30, 2013, White Mountain National Forest, Sandwich Range Wilderness

K on Hedgehog Ledges

In the White Mountain National Forest, the mountains that are designated on the 4,000 footer list seem to capture the most attention... and therefore the most trail traffic. Hoping for a more solitary day in the backcountry, K and I decided on a smaller mountain with a rather benign name...  Hedgehog Mountain.

Dwarfed by its neighbors in the Sandwich Range Wilderness, Hedgehog kind of resembles its animal kingdom namesake with its rounded arching top visible from the Kancamagus Highway. The UNH trail head - named for the University of New Hampshire group that cut the trail - departures from the proximity of a popular campground.

View of Mt. Passaconaway and Hegdgehog Summit from Lower Ledges

Needless to say, we wouldn't even consider taking this trail on a weekend or a holiday.

But our midweek hike on the UNH trail featured total isolation. More importantly, the trail turned out to be pretty darn awesome. A gradual climb through pleasant woods gives way to some steeper scrambles over roots and rocks to a series of wide open rock ledges due south-east of the main summit. We broke for lunch on these ledges to admire the view, actually thinking that we'd made it to the summit.... which in reality required another hour of uphill hiking. The main ledge was equally impressive. All in all, the low elevation hike was still a challenge but the rewards were great.

Highly recommended as one of my favorite half-day hikes in the Whites.

Peak: Hedgehog Mountain
Elevation: 2,532 feet  
Distance: 4.8 miles roundtrip, loop trail
Conditions: Sunny, 86 degrees F

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

Mount Hale, May 27, 2013, White Mountain National Forest

Summit Snow and Slush on Mt. Hale Summit

Last November, Winter came to White Mountains the very same weekend that my brother and I were there to hike the Kinsmans. Six months later, the last wintry gasp of that season came to town on the Spring weekend that K and I had plans for her first 4,000 footer. We wanted to make an overnight stay at Greenleaf Hut and then go up Lafayette and Lincoln. The unexpected snow and ice above tree line, however, forced us to go to plan B. We would wait a day and tackle Mount Hale, which many label one of the "easiest" of the 4,000 footers.

As it turned out, there was nothing easy about it.

Spring at the Trail Head

K and I started fairly early, but still found the parking lot on Zealand Road near capacity. It was warm and pleasant at the trail head, but knowing the forecast we packed winter gear for the top. The Hale Brook trail starts off as a gradual ascent, but quickly turns into a series of switchbacks and loose rock. Because of the weekend's bad weather and subsequent warm-up, the brook was raging - so much so that it took an upstream bushwhack to find a safe place to cross.

After the crossing, the route became a total mess with running water cascading over the rocky trail. Then, as we got closer to the summit, temperatures plummeted and the water gave way to snow and slush. 

Winter at the Summit

Upon arrival, we ate a quick lunch at the viewless summit which is marked by a large cairn. The warm clothing came in handy since it felt - and looked - like full-on winter at the top. We had the top pretty much to ourselves. Most of the other hikers wore shorts and summer clothing and had to high tail it back down pretty quickly. We took our time, thanks to  an unhealthy addiction to online purchases at Ibex.

Gray Jay Friend - Watch Your Lunch!

In the end, the descent, because of the slush, was even slower than the ascent. All told, we were on the trail for double the amount of time that we had allocated.

Easy, my arse.

Peak: Mount Hale
Elevation: 4,054 feet
Distance: 4.4 miles (Gain: 2,300 feet)
Route: Up and back, via Hale Brook Trail
Conditions: Partly cloudy, 60 degrees F at the base, 32 degrees F at the summit
Notable flora/fauna: Gray jays, fiddlehead ferns

East Pond and Little East Pond, May 26, 2013, White Mountain National Forest

Little East Pond, view from the south towards Scar Ridge

Still bummed out over our need to cancel an overnight stay at Greenleaf due to the bad weather, we decided that the sloppy conditions warranted an easy day. We opted for the short, 5 miles loop to Little East Pond and East Pond. A perfect chance to test out our recently-procured Precip jackets from Marmot.

From the trail head at Tripoli Road, we decided on a clockwise route that would take us to Little East first. At the start, we experienced little more than a light dusting of snow and some spitting rain.

But once we reached the higher elevation trail that connects the two ponds, we found more snowfall, wintry mix precipitation, and icy patches on the trail.

The only folks who we encountered on the trail were hanging out on the southern bank of East Pond when we arrived. We avoided them by finding a secluded spot on the west shore for a snack break before returning to the car. The parking area - totally empty when we arrived - had since filled up and we chatted with a guy who also lamented the bad weather as spoiling his plans for the high peaks. The loop hike, despite the weather, was a pleasant route. I'd avoid it on weekends, however, since Tripoli Road has a host of camping sights and the trail would most likely get jammed.

Destination: Little East Pond and East Pond
Elevation: 1,000 feet gain
Distance: 5 miles
Route: Loop via Little East Pond Trail, East Pond Loop Trail and East Pond Trail
Conditions: Wintry mix, 35-40 degrees F