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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
