Mount Webster and Mount Jackson, September 19, 2021, White Mountain National Forest

View to the South from Webster Cliffs, Mount Carrigain at Center

It's just one of those immutable laws of my hiking universe. Avoid Crawford Notch on the weekends. It has to be that way. There are just too many people. One time, a full SUV screeched to a halt as I was hiking back to my car so the dude could ask me where he and his family could see a moose. That incident pretty much sealed my Crawford Law for good. But I recently found myself missing the notch and since it was a mid-week day after Labor Day, I figured that the day of the week coupled with the end of the summer season would keep the pressure fairly light. So I headed out.

Waterfall and Pond on Webster-Jackson Trail

I arrived late by my standards (7 a.m.) but still found plenty of parking near the rail station/information center just south of the Highland Center -- A good sign towards having the trail all to myself. Indeed, the entire hike up the Webster-Jackson Trail to the summit of Webster was peaceful and quiet and I didn't encounter a single hiker. The views from the summit cliffs on Webster are fantastic, so I took a long break on an open ledge and enjoyed the sights, the sun and the absence of any wind. A perfect peak day, really.

Panorama to the West from Webster Cliffs

While relaxing, I encountered a pair of thru-hikers who appeared somewhat surprised to see someone up on the summit ridge at that time of morning. We chatted briefly and then I packed up and made my way along the Webster Cliff trail over to Jackson. I usually approach Jackson from the other side, via the high elevation bog, and was looking forward to an approach from a different direction.

Mount Jackson Summit, View to Mount Washington

Webster's atmosphere was peaceful, quiet and contemplative. Jackson was the total opposite. When I arrived there, I had the peak all to myself... for five minutes. Then, within the 10 minutes thereafter, the summit got mobbed by four groups of 4-5 people each and another group of 3 with 3 off-leash dogs that starting zipping all about the summit. Next, a gregarious, loud-talking solo hiker showed up and took it upon himself to talk to EVERYONE about his exploits doing hundreds and hundreds of hiking miles. When one of the loose dogs started sniffing my pack as if getting ready to take a leak, I quickly packed it in and got outta dodge.

A 4,000 footer in Crawford Notch... What did I expect?

Peaks: Webster and Mount Jackson
Elevation:  3,910 feet and 4,052 feet (Gain: 2,381 feet)
Distance: 6.5 miles
Route: Loop, Webster-Jackson Trail to Webster Cliff Trail to Webster-Jackson Trail 
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 70 degrees F

Black Mountain, September 18, 2021, White Mountain National Forest

Lime Kiln on Chippewa Trail to Black Mountain

As far as I can remember, I'd always wanted to hike Black Mountain. The peak is well-known for its  open ledges and nice vistas. Though it is easily accessible from our home base of Sugar Hill, the problem has always been the trail mileage. It is only 1.8 miles to the summit; 3.6 miles for a roundtrip out and back. That's just too short. Thus, I always found myself passing it up for something a little more substantive. But on a day when I got up a little later than normal and woke to a cloudy, blustery day that was clearly going to be a little unsettled in the higher elevations, I decided that it was time to give Black Mountain a go. 

View from Black Mountain Summit

Although the north approach trail to Black Mountain was closer, I circled around to the southern access point off Lime Kiln Road. This is the start of the Chippewa Trail, which is thought to be the more scenic approach to the summit with the added benefit of taking one near the remains of the lime kilns. As one might expect, the trail is steep going the entire way since it gains so much elevation over such a short distance. I took my time on the approach and enjoyed both the trail and the summit very much. The steep-short-distance-for-big-payoff nature of the hike reminded me of a neat little peak called Catamount in the Adirondacks.  The only downside was that the celebrated long-distance views were pretty much totally obscured by clouds.

Final Approach to Black Mountain Summit

Peak: Black Mountain
Elevation: 2,820 feet (Gain: 1,587 feet)
Distance: 3.6 miles roundtrip
Route: Out and back, Chippewa Trail
Conditions: Summits in the clouds, windy, 70 degrees F