Mount Adams, July 31, 2015, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest

King Ravine, at the "Wait, the trail goes up there?" way mark

Mt. Washington wrecked me. My plan was to go back to the Presidential Range two days later to summit Adams, bringing my list of 4,000 footers up to 45. But one day of rest wasn't enough. It was four days before I had the energy to get it together. In the end, the wait was a wise decision. I needed every ounce of that recovered energy for the grueling vertical climb that is King Ravine.

I hit the trail early, 6:15 AM, from the Appalachia parking area off of Route 2. Fortunately, the early hour meant plenty of parking in what is always a jammed lot later in the day. 90% of people go up Adams on the Air Line Trail, but I put my faith in Steven Smith and Mike Dickerman, who write that a loop hike through King Ravine and a descent on Air Line is the best way to hit it. As usual, they were right on the money.

Halfway up the Ravine, looking back toward the way mark 

I traveled along the Air Line and Short Line trails with plenty of gear but decided on just two small water bottles to keep my weight down. Mossy Fall, just below King Ravine, and Madison Spring Hut, just below Adams, would provide the chance to refill at key points along the 9-mile route. King Ravine turned out to be an amazing, solitary place, where the trail weaves over and under huge boulder piles and then straight up the U-shaped, glacial wall of the ravine. The 1,100 feet of elevation gain over a short 1/2 mile of distance meant stowing the trekking poles and hand-over-hand climbing the whole way.

View of Mt. Madison

At the top, a point called the "Gateway," the trail reconnects with Air Line and rewards the climber with a striking view of Mt. Madison. I had great views along the ridge, but the final summit push around 10 AM took me into the clouds. The summit experience on Adams, therefore, was one of chilly, high winds and zero visibility.

Summit, Mt. Adams

I had hoped for a nice break on the summit but had to quickly head down below the clouds and over to Madison Spring Hut, where I ate an early lunch and prepared for the descent. I debated taking Valley Way, which I had done before, but stuck with the plan and descended via Air Line. The views west into the King Ravine from Durand Ridge and the so-called Knife Edge were tremendous, but the trail then descends quite steeply with lots of rock hopping. Valley Way would have been the easier choice.

Air Line Descent Route

I also had to negotiate my way around lots of parties just now making their Adams ascent via this most popular of trails to the summit.

I felt like saying, "You should have taken King Ravine."

Peak: Mount Adams
Elevation: 5,799 feet (Gain: 4,653 feet)
Distance: 9.2 miles
Route: Loop: Lower Air Line to Short Line to King Ravine Trail to Upper Airline to Gulfside Tail to Air Line Connector to Air Line
Conditions: Partly Sunny, 70 degrees F

Mount Washington, July 27, 2015, Presidential Range, White Mountain National Forest

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.

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.

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...

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