Crawford Notch/North Country

(Willey-20, Waumbek-21, Pierce-22, Jackson-23)

Part 1 Willey–  Or maybe www.wet-woods wanderer… Or perhaps www.where were whites? Making my way along these soggy trails on this foggy damp weekend, the title for this entry has changed so many times in my head. Thankfully in the end, the heading above summed up the past days the best. I had booked this trip months ago, not knowing what peaks I would be conquering and even as the time was upon me I didn’t have a solid plan. I don’t know how much good a plan would have done anyway. Probably as much good as a set list does for my band (we always end up abandoning the list early on, and calling out songs). It was here in Crawford Notch when I first learned to always be flexible in the mountains- adapt and overcome- and I was rewarded, given an opportunity to climb to 3442 and then 4340 when it seems like 2865 might be all I would manage that weekend. It was here where I spent so much time on the whitest wonderland season I can remember and where I fell in love with winter hiking. So I am looking forward to seeing what the area looks like under all that white stuff. As it turns out, the weather is not on my side to start things off and I might not get the chance to see the notch’s summer views this time around.

Well that doesn’t matter all that much because while the views are always amazing up here when they are present, it is not the only reason I hike. Sometimes just a walk in the wilderness is just what I need. It has been 2 weekends in row that I have been away from my home in the woods and I’m glad to be back where I belong. I am not complaining really, because I was busy doing my OTHER favorite thing – music, playing 3 Saturday gigs over 2 weekends. Still, it seems like forever since I last got my boots dirty and I vowed that over these next 3 days I would be hiking every minute I am able. So I am getting a head start driving up on a Friday evening after work. My campsite isn’t reserved until Saturday night as I thought I would have a gig tonight, but after a cancellation due to a double booking by the club owner, a seized the opportunity to turn this into a positive. So I grabbed some backpacking gear and will hike into the woods a short distance and grab a spot for the first night. By the time I got to a suitable spot it was dark, but I am no stranger to setting up camp by flashlight. I just usually have the security of knowing I am in an actual campsite and not in the middle of the woods. The trade-off is I now have a peaceful night’s sleep with no neighbors other than whatever creatures wander by my hammock. Any uneasiness this causes is offset by the fact that I am sleep deprived after a stressful workweek and rushing around packing for this trip, and I drift off in no time.

The next morning I wake early break camp and head back to my car without any breakfast so that I can get my more permanent camp spot situated at Dry River Campground and have the rest of the day to hike. The plan I’m going with today is going up the steep side of Willey. Many hikers include this as part of a triple header with Tom and Field preceding it, and avoid the steeper southern approach, which uses a series of ladders to navigate the upper sections. For myself, Tom was my intro to winter hiking and a few weeks later I tackled Field as a surprise finish to Avalon. I am all about going where I have not already been, so south heading north it is. Actually, it’s more of a V pattern starting in a SW direction on Kedron Flume Trail then turning NW on Ethan Pond Trail and up Willey Range. By the time I step onto the trail it is 10am, a rather late start by hiking standards, but this is a short hike so I will have plenty of daylight left at the end of the day. It’s a partly sunny day so far but clouds are settling in over most of the peaks in the area, so I’m not expecting much of a view but I’ll take what the trail gives me. I pass a few hikers that caution me of some upcoming steep spots near the flume, but to me this seems like a cakewalk compared to my last hike up King Ravine and the winds of Madison. Maybe I’m actually getting good at this!! Even the ladders seem more like stairs to me. Some steeper scrambles after this and before too long I am at the summit. Well actually I passed it and ended up at a lookout point where there are another couple of hikers with no packs. I comment sarcastically on the “amazing view” (NOT! We are now engulfed in fog and may as well be the only mountain in the area) and I also comment on how light they are travelling. Turns out they are actually backpacking at Ethan Pond and left their gear for a summit jaunt. After exchanging a few trail tales with the couple and pausing for a photo pose, I retrace my steps a bit to find the cairn that marks the summit where there are more non-views so I sit in the fog with my sandwich.

Even though there is nothing to see, it is still peaceful up here. A few gray jays pay a visit for some crumbs and a song. I hang out a while longer, swap out my sweat drenched shirt, and make my way back down to the lot at Willey House. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. If I am blessed with better weather I am thinking I will tackle Pierce or Jackson or Eisenhower. If not, I will find another suitable hike for whatever the day brings my way…

Part 2 Waumbek – I woke up this morning totally engulfed in more fog and a light drizzle has moved in as well. It had rained heavier overnight and there appears to be more showers in store throughout the day. Climbing Pierce or Jackson on a day like today would be a waste of some good views so I’m thinking it would be better to try something more woodsie. Waumbek in Jefferson NH is about 35 minutes from here but I think that would be my best bet. Dry River is a nice campground but I had some noisy neighbors with young kids and barking dogs that had me longing for my sleeping quarters from the night before. They eventually did settle in though and I was able to get a decent night’s sleep. I had set up the screen-house for additional shelter in this not great weather, this gave me a good kitchen out of the rain for a monster breakfast.

Waumbek is one of the shorter treks on the list and one of the most northern peaks. It barely makes it above the 4K mark and it is a wooded summit perfect for a gloomy day. I will approach from the SW via Star King Trail. Mt. Star King, on the way to my final destination, is on the 52WAV list but I think we can safely assume there will be no V today. After this, Cabot will be the only one left out of the 48 that will be this far north. I’m sure I will be back for more non 4K hiking but at least I won’t have to drive so far to complete this list.

As I make my way through this murky hardwood forest I am presented with an eerie quiet and a beauty that is not typical of the White Mountains I have become accustomed to. I have the trail to myself today it seems, and I am enjoying a nice easy stroll through the forest, shooting some pics along the way. I find myself walking through a nice mix of spruce, fur, and birch and then another foggy viewless Star King summit with its landmark fireplace chimney which I think is marks the remnants of an old shelter.

Another short trek through the woods brings me to Waumbek’s summit where I am greated by a dog’s bark and the first hikers I have seen all day. I snap a few shots of the cairn and pick out a spot to decrease the food weight in my pack. I eventually have this lunch spot to myself and take in the silence for a bit. I have read that if I continue on to the NE there are some sport to get some partial views, but not on a day like today. So I do an about face and make my way down to the trailhead.

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When I finally arrive the sun of course makes an appearance and I get a blue sky shot to finish out the day. As I do my post hike stretches a woman approaches me and asks if I have seen her missing dog. I offer to help look for him. She thanks me and informs me of a chip in his collar that will lead him home. I hope that she finds her friend and I hope Annie was right when she sang the sun’ll come out tomorrow. If not I will take a short morning hike to Ripley & Arethusa Falls and head home early. (www.Willey-Waumbek-Waterfalls?)

Part 3 Pierce/Jackson- Wwwell I wwwoke up this morning to BLUE SKIES!  Eureka!! I wwwas beginning to forget wwwhat they looked like! I have no service here at the campground, but a quick drive to the Irving station down the road and hopefully I can confirm a good forecast. If so I’ll start with Pierce for my 3^rd 4k in as many days and take it from there, possibly adding Jackson depending how things go. Driving through Crawford Notch, I notice the clouds settling into the valley once again but I see blue skies just beyond. As my signal returns, I make a quick weather check (pulling over of course) and sure enough the forecast is mostly partly to mostly sunny with afternoon scattered T-storms. So I’ll just take it one peak at a time and see how much trail the skies allow.

Just after 9am I am crossing a brook on a footbridge at the beginning of Crawford connector path which joins the main trail. Pierce is actually one that I was gonna save for winter due to its moderate grades, but some I feel like some easier slopes are just the ticket for a day 3 hike. I may repeat it in the winter anyway. I sense an all 4 seasons list coming on, or maybe even the Grid… hold on let’s not get carried away, one step at a time… for now I am on Crawford Path on my way to revisit the Presidential range. The trail runs parallel Gibbs Brook & Falls so I get my share of soothing running water sounds for the day. You would think that being a musician and having lots of me time on the trail would be a good recipe for tuning into my ipod for some listening pleasure, but in truth I like to give my ears a break and listen to the nuances of the sounds in the woods. It’s great just to tune out for a while and let the “wind on the water carry me home”-CSN.

The combination of being on a roll with a steady stream of hiking and the gentle grades, and before I realize it I have made quite a dent in the days travels. I have been going at a good clip without even realizing it, so I have a good feeling that I can beat out any Thunder boomers that move in later. It is such a great feeling to have the sun filtering through the trees and shining upon my face once again, like a long lost friend. I am excited at the thought of some views at last, so this puts an added spring in my step. I come across some AT through hikers detouring to the highland center. They tell tales of their journey from the southern states and how they were making good miles until they got here and slowed right down. With all this time in my head, it’s great to get out of it every now and then and to listen to other’s stories, and then sharing my own in return. So many inward and outward discoveries out here… if the trees could only talk, oh the things they would tell.

Later in the morning, I get a preview through a clearing, in the speechless secret-holders, of the scenes that await me up top. Over the next few miles, as the trees get thinner and shorter, and the ground goes through mossy patches and rocky stretches, I am reminded not to take the clear days for granted, as things can take a turn for the worse at any moment. Soak in the sun when it shines upon you, for it is but only a short visit. As I reach the first lookout I do exactly that, for a while and then the final stretch to the summit for some amazing sights of presidential neighbors including, amongst others, Ike, Jefferson, Clay, and Washington – none of which I have yet climbed. This makes me think about how far I have come in such a short time and wonder what will come next.

I think I have mentioned before that my goal was never to speed through this list, but I am so addicted that I just have to come up every chance I get, and before too long I am further along than I had intended or expected. It suddenly occurs to me that I am approaching 50% on this list already! As I look out from the large summit cairn to Washington, I think “How cool would it be to mark the halfway point on the Rockpile?” Let’s see I just completed #22, one more will be #23 and then Washington as #24. The only thing is I would like to bag Monroe with it, so depending what direction I decide on Monroe may end up as the half. In any case, I am not done today so Jackson-bound I am!

After a somewhat steeper descent down to Mispah Hut and a gradual slope up through the forest past the tent site, I come to a flat almost meadow-like clearing with wooden walkways that brings me to a short more rocky stretch up to Jackson’s summit. When I get there the views are even grander. This calls for a turkey sandwich and chips and a veggie hummus dip while I sit and enjoy the show.

After a few bites, a family joins me from the other direction. As we all admire the 180° canvas of colors and textures, someone takes notice of an undesirable color moving in from the southeast: a sinister black cluster creeping its way in for a closer look. Hmmm I’ve seen enough. Time to get a move on and head down ahead of the storm via Webster-Jackson Trail.  In my haste I actually take a wrong turn and end up on Webster Cliff Trail toward Webster. No big deal since there are side trails ahead that get me back on track. At first I think, “well maybe I can snag one more peak since I am heading that direction anyway”, but then the rumbles of thunder start, and grow with each step, so now it is a question of safety and when I get to the Webster Branch Trail junction I start descending with purpose, and then morph into a jog and finally I am running down the mountain trying to keep storm behind me, which is moving in fast now! At one point a really close lightning flash and loud clap of thunder scare the crap outta me and send me into the lightning position, crouched down and hunched over. But then I realize I still have a better chance of getting out of this thing and I am out of the danger zone, so I resume the chase outrunning the storm that is in hot pursuit. I proceed to wiz by a few very picturesque spots such as a pretty waterfall, but there is no time to linger. The thunder is starting to fade behind me now, and I want to keep it that way. Well I make it down safely without any incident, with a short road walk back to the car and then head back to the campground to break down camp, eat & shower, and finally start the long night drive back home. We will see you soon #24 – maybe as soon as next weekend!

Northern Presidential Range (Adams – 18 , Madison – 19)

Dedicated to Kate Matrosova: On this sub-zero Saturday before Presdent’s day in February I am left Hikeless and indoors, because there is a limit to my madness. This is even too cold for me the snow-miser! Although there are those far more adventurous and far more equipped to go out and brave the elements on a day like today and to those who are able to take it to these levels YOU HAVE MY UTMOST RESPECT AND ADMIRATION! One of these high caliber hikers took to the trails in the same area I write about here and sadly lost her life last year at this time. So I dedicate this post to Kate and to all those who are not only hikers like myself but are true mountaineers and an inspiration to us all! Having said that, my own bravery has a limit as I said earlier so I spend the day today framing my new 3D poster of the whites, planning out some options for my next hike, and reflecting on a weekend when I absolutely pushed my physical and mental limits to the max, and created without question one of the most memorable hikes ever. At the time, last July 4th, my thoughts were “Good riddens  Adams” but over time as my joints and muscles healed it became, and remains to this day, MY FAVORITE in many ways! This was such an EPIC weekend journey I had to break this entry into 2 parts (Part1 Adams, Part 2 Madison). This could become an annual revisit (like the franconia ridge loop) …If I can summon the strength every year…

Part 1 Adams– As I sit here on this overcast Independence Day (because SIT is about all I can do) in my campsite #88 at Dolly Copp Campground I ponder the EPIC hike from the day before that brought me to new heights through an awesome rugged landscape of waterfalls, caves, and steep rocky terrain. Actually I don’t know if you can use the word “hike” for this one. At times, it felt a lot more like technical rock climbing, without the ropes, rings, & carabiners, or at least what I imagine it to be. This one really pushed my physical and mental limits and left me as this useless motionless bag of bones and shadow of my former self that I am today. But even if I can’t move, I feel invincible rejuvenated and re-Born on the 4^th of July! I have just conquered a beast of a mountain and feel like there is nothing I can’t do ….starting tomorrow.

The presidential range has been looming in my mind and causing me some anxious moments lately. I know I wanted this summer to be the time to tackle at least some of them. The conditions any other time can be pretty scary and make for a daunting task to say the least. Mount Washington has more of a mental head game attached to it for me, being the highest peak with all the well documented fierce weather it encounters year round. Plus with the summit having a busy merging of hikers, auto-road travelers, cog railway passengers, shops, museums, observatories and other structures, I thought my first Presi should be something more wild from base to summit. So I decide to tackle the 2^nd highest of the NH48: Mount Adams, although I suspect elevation is probably the ONLY category this peak takes home the 2^nd place trophy for.

This would prove to be a very humbling adventure, though I was very much in awe of the task ahead of me to begin with… but Adams would confirm every apprehension I had toward it and added many more. Still, I feel the time is right for me to go forward with this, since I am probably at the top of my game physically and I’m confident that I can muster up enough mental toughness to overcome my trepidation. “There’s a time and the time is now and it’s right for me. It’s right for me and the time is now.” ~ Yes

My plan is actually to bag another peak while I am up there. Mt. Madison seems very doable to combine into the loop as long as I get an early start on this EPIC (a word I will likely use often in this post) full day journey. I chose to do this as a single day hike because I want to travel light and give myself every advantage I can. That’s not to say I have sacrificed any of the 10 essentials I usually carry in my daypack, I just don’t want the added weight of the overnight pack. Also, I must be conscious of time and distance on this trek and give myself a bailout route and a rigid turn back point. I have the feeling if there is a peak that will force me to turn back even on this perfect bluebird day, it will be Adams especially given my planned course. Go big or go home!

I have contemplated several different routes and the possibilities are endless! I ended up settling in on a loop that is sure to make this a memorable day. This loop will start me on the popular Airline trail, then branch off to Shortline trail (what’s short about it?). This will take me into the impressive King Ravine, where I can take in some scenic waterfalls, including Mossy Falls, before I begin the steep rocky climb up King Ravine trail. Another short side option is the Subway which takes you through a series of underground Ice Caves before rejoining with KR Tr. Once I connect at the ridge with Gulfside Tr, I can continue to Adams via Airline Tr, then either backtrack the same way or take Star Lake Tr to Star Lake & Madison Spring Hut. From there it is just a ½ mile up the rocky cone of Madison via Gulfside. There are a few options for decent depending on timing and how I feel. Watson Path if I want to hang around above tree line for a bit longer or down Valley Way all the way to Appalachia…

Well that was the plan anyway, but we all know what happens to them in the whites! It is quite pointless to think you are going to stick to the plan no matter what. If a pitcher only threw fastballs everyone would be batting 500, but the curveball is always a pitch away. The first off speed pitch was minor. After a 5:30 wakeup, an EPIC breakfast, and an EPIC stretch to go with this EPIC hike (notice a theme here?), I get in my dented up RAV4 that’s pushing 250K now and it is apparently not as geared up to move as I am this morning – battery dead. So of course I shrug this inside delivery off and get back in the batter’s box refusing to dust myself off. This will not be a sign of things to come for this day! I walk around to neighboring campers to get a jump. After a few strikeouts (ok enough already with the baseball analogies!) I finally find someone willing to oblige, and in no time at all I am on my way to the Appalachia trail head. I am of course greeted with a full lot but there are plenty of roadside spaces available. A few gear adjustments, chug down a Gatorade, and a quick 2^nd stretch, and I am off to begin Journey a la Epiche at 8:30 am (a bit later then I wanted but so be it).

The first 1.5 miles or so is pretty standard White Mountains hiking with typical White Mountains beauty. By now you’ve heard me go on and on about this, so I’ll spare you the descriptions because more (you guessed it) EPIC portrayals await! After Shortline and Randolph Path merge and then diverge again, I am traveling along Cold Brook which has some pretty impressive photo ops reminiscent of the Falling Waters hike that started this madness. So I just have to stop and take it in for a while. Contrary to what many may observe when accompanying me on the trail, I actually consider myself a slow hiker. My style is not to plow through at a rapid pace and miss out on my surroundings. I like to experience everything that I am in contact with and take it all in. Please understand I am not knocking the speed hikers at all. I have the greatest respect for those who are able to keep up that pace and if that is what inspires them to climb it is no less valid. We must all hike our own hike. Truthfully I do like to pick up the pace but also like to stop when the scenes are inspirational. I guess it is all relative as companions have found it hard to keep up with me at times, and I must slow it down a notch on the rare occasion I have a hiking buddy. Anyway, I digress! Let us move along the trail now (I guess my writing style matches my hiking style)… So after a pattern of hike a bit/ stop a bit, with alternating moving scenery and still beauty that I have described many times over, The Mossy Falls make their appearance becoming the pinnacle of the many water cascades and the turning point in the hike. Things are about to get interesting! I think this is good spot for an extended rest and a snack.

(Click here for video: Mossy Falls 1)

(Click here for video: Mossy Falls 2)

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Shortly after my stop at the falls I enter King Ravine Trail where the hike makes a dramatic transformation into a steeper rockier climb. After a while a north facing outlook provides my first views out of the mammoth King Ravine with the ridge that forms the Airline Trail to my right, another ridge that forms Spur Trail to my left and behind me to the South, the most impressive nearly vertical rock face I could imagine and have ever seen!!! (<– lots of these exclamation points today!!!) Mount Adams towering ahead of me, along with Sam Adams, Abigail Adams, and John Quincy Adams all standing shoulder to shoulder to shoulder as if dressed in full armor and saying “NONE SHALL PASS!”, forming a seemingly impenetrable wall between them with the kind of rugged beauty you see in Hollywood flicks of faraway lands or  have only read about. Falling from this wall are waterfalls that stretch for miles and seem to have no end! I stand there DUMBFOUNDED for what seems like an hour (but was in fact a few minutes), flabbergasted at what stands before me. This cannot be real!!! Well if this is a fantasy land I will draw my sword and climb the castle wall to sleigh the dragon!

(Click here for video: Climbing up King Ravine)

So I begin to make the climb up this wall rock by rock, boulder by boulder, cliff by cliff. What else is there to do? Turn back?? I think not!! Just take it slow and methodical, ONE… STEP… AT… A… TIME! Right hand (One Mississippi, Two Mississippi)… Left Foot (Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi)… Left Hand (Five Mississippi, Six Mississippi) Right Foot (Seven Mississippi, Eight Mississippi)… STOP, LOOK, Plan your path, continue on, Repeat… THIS… MAKES… FOR… VERY… SLOW… GOING… Thoughts enter my head of a recent documentary I saw on Discovery about the rock climbers that scaled the vertical faces of Yosemite National Park, and how  they contort their limbs to the rocks and do a sort of ballet with nature. Also, a funny little song enters my head from a childhood Christmas special (Santa Clause is Coming to Town) where the Winter Warlock transforms from Evil to Good and they sing “Put- one—step—in –front—of –the-other and- soon—you’ll –be-walking-out—the-doo—oo—oor…(etc)” And at some point I realize my trekking poles are better suited fully collapsed and hanging off my wrists in case I need them, but more often than not, my hands are better tools for grasping the notches in the rocks and pulling me upward. The poles are swinging to and fro, slamming against the rock face and taking quite a beating, but sometimes they serve a purpose where my push off point is not “grabable” and is better suited and at the right height to push off with my poles.

About a ½ mile into this slower scaling of the wall, signs for The Subway to the Ice Caves appear. I take a look down the first chasm, and decide that I don’t need any more challenges today. So I chicken out for this time around, although in hind sight the detour ended up meeting back u with the main trail after a short distance and I probably could have managed. Oh well next time. I was on a role scaling the wall STEP… BY… STEP… and I wasn’t about to interrupt that rhythm for a distraction. One thing I did notice after a while: Although my pace was considerably slower, the tops of these massive formations were becoming larger and closer, quicker than you might expect, given the rate of movement. Every so often I would stop and look back Northward at the view that was growing increasingly more and more gorgeous, and then forward and upward from side to side where the endless cascades spewed out from the wall and the ominous faces of the Adams family grew larger and larger, hovering over me, daring me to continue.  As I climbed higher and higher, cool winds were picking up stronger and stronger, as if to push me up the mountain. I can’t begin to imagine this force during the winter months. Occasionally I think there may be a time where I become brave enough to attempt completing the Winter 48, but after this I am not so sure that day will come (but who knows what the future may bring?)… For now it is a warm summer day and the wind is refreshing at first, but I have some extra layers packed if needed, (and they would be).

As I near the top of the wall I pause to add some of these layers and then FINALLY reach the top of the ridge just below JQ Adams, and get my first views to Madison and Star Lake, the Hut and the Great Gulf Wilderness. I haven’t reached the summit yet but I feel like the toughest part is behind me. I breathe a huge sigh, pause for some photo ops (that never do the scene justice), then continue rock hopping up to the summit of Adams.

(Click here for video: Top of the Ravine)

My legs and hands and back and lungs and head shoulders knees and toes and toenails and eyelashes are all aching at this point, but I have come this far and I make the final pushes until… at last… I reach… THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT ADAMS!!!!!! My first Presidential is in the books! I am 5,799 ft above sea level and on top of the world!All around are 360 degree views of the Presidential range and beyond along with the famous Mt Washington which no longer seems out of reach. In fact I now think it will seem like a cakewalk compared to what I have just put myself through. A breakthrough- My anxieties toward the Rockpile no longer exist!

  

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(Click here for video: More summit)

However this long slow trek has put me far behind schedule and I am not sure I will be able to make it over to Madison at this point and still make it down before dark. Night hiking is not the end of the world, but I prefer to have daylight, especially if I am unfamiliar with the trail. Still there is NO WAY I am going down the way I came up, so I at least have to start down toward the hut and get a more moderate trail to descend, even if I have to save Madison for another day. As I make my way down there is still a part of me that is holding on to the hopes of a 2 peak day… Or maybe there is a bunk open at the Hut? (Fat chance on this holiday weekend!). Still I am racing downward unsure exactly of what my next turn will be. By the time I get to the hut, it is 4:30 and the top of the Madison cone seems within arm’s reach. Should I run up and down with a ½ minute of summit views? Just so I can say I tried, I ask the caretakers if there are any bunks and of course there are none. So now, it’s crunch time.  What’s it gonna be? Adams was an awesome undertaking with rewards like no other, but it totally kicked my ass! Downhill can be knee jarring especially when fatigued from a long day’s journey. So I reluctantly give succumb to the reality that Madison will have to wait. So close and yet so far!

As I begin my descent down Valley way at first I am upset and overcome with disappointment in myself and pissed off at the Adams family. Now I will have to climb all the way up here again???? …But wait… Now I GET TO climb all the way up here again! Slowly I come to grips with my disappointment, and look at things in a new light. I just pushed myself to accomplish an amazing task that went beyond my previous limits and now I can take another route perhaps from the east or southeast to Madison’s summit, which will take me through unseen areas of the whites. It is only Friday and I still have Saturday and Sunday on this trip, so there is plenty of time to get some redemption. I am pretty sure I will be resting tomorrow, but I will now set my sights on Sunday for a Madison return after an early morning checkout. I soak my feet in the cool stream a ways down and continue to the base grateful for this experience.

As I approach the  base of the mountain and the Appalachia trail head, I pass a sign that warns “Try this trail only if you are in top physical condition…”

That is the understatement of the day for sure…

Part 2 Madison-  “Madison” as in Mad is the Son of God at me for coming back so soon after the message was made clear that I was an unwelcome guest up here. Or at least that’s the way it seemed as I struggled to stay upright and make my way across the rocky windy viewless summit… But it all started out just fine on another mostly sunny summer day….MOSTLY sunny.

 

This is more like it! Normal hiking up moderate mountain trails and (other than the summit) no rock climbing! Fresh off the toughest climb of my life just 2 days ago, I am back to finish what I started. Adams deprived me of a 2 peak day, putting me within arm’s reach of Madison’s summit – so close and yet so far. Today I woke with the birds, packed up camp and got an early start at some redemption. I chose Pine Link Trail to lead me up the east side of the mountain, and in the early goings, things are much better with conditions more like what I am used to. This trail must be one of the lesser used as well because I have the place to myself. Either that or everyone has hit the road early on this post-holiday Sunday. In any case, I am glad to be settling the score immediately following a disappointing finish to Friday’s hike.

The sun has returned after yesterday’s overcast and there are higher winds (I would soon learn just how high) in the forecast. There are plenty of photo ops as usual and I am reminded that I need to invest in a better camera soon, as I have to delete pics from my phone to make room for new ones.
About a mile into the trek the trail merges with trickling streams and I find myself hiking in the water for a good stretch, luckily with good waterproof boots. Today I plan to first and foremost summit Madison of course, then if possible hike down the west side to Madison Springs Hut and take a walk to the nearby Star Lake, since I rushed by this section the other day. Then I’ll follow Pine Link along the north side of the summit area boulders to rejoin the trail to the point where I can retrace my steps back to where my ride home awaits.

Throughout the course of the day, a few outlooks offer some decent views to surrounding mountain ranges, like the Carters and the Northern Presi ranges. At the last of these I get a great 180°+ view including a look up to the summit that eluded me when I last stepped on this ground just days before. Maddie looks different from this approach (I nickname her only now that I am scribbling across the page the words that portray the beauty, unpredictability, and wrath of a woman). The winds are picking up a bit now and clouds are blowing across the peak that no longer appears cone shaped. Some of the more distant clouds, quickly making their way on to the scene are appearing dark and ominous. Hmmm could be sumth’n-a- brew’n up there. It doesn’t look too menacing though –still more white than grey and a good amount of blue in the mix, but it all seems to be moving in quickly from the direction of my fresh footprints and claw prints I left along the wall of King Ravine. There is no foul weather in the forecast, so ONWARD AND UPWARD.

As I continue to push on, I witness the lands transformation around me: The trees dwarfing, the lush green plants morphing to dry sparse scrub, the wet ground mud giving way to boulders, the wind picking up, and then sure enough the sign: “Welcome to the Alpine Zone…”, where Maddie had her own little wakeup call in store for me.
Those clouds are causing some concern in the back of my mind as I drive forward with the summit within reach. I know I will be completely exposed up there, and if things turn on me I have 2 options: turn back for a second time to the protection of the forest, or hustle up and over the summit to the Hut to wait out any possible storm. No eminent threat is in view other that high winds and some off color clouds, so I am opting for the second option for now and cautiously continue onward. A sign for Watson Path soon appears. This being the most direct route, I follow it.

The trail is no longer littered with blue blazes and now only an occasional Cairn marks the way every 30 feet or so, and strangely out of place on these gray rock piles are a white topping of quartz. Then further ahead an outcropping of these white stones splashed among the sea of gray that make up the majority of the area. The wind is now getting much stronger, to the point where it is extremely difficult to stay upright. Each step I take is now more deliberate, as I hunch over and widen my stance, digging in hard with my poles in an effort to make myself a more stable object. The gusts are the strongest I have in memory and I am now in fear for my safety. I am the only one up here that I can see, although I can’t see 20 feet in front of me so there may be others for all I know. But this feeling of being alone and exposed and uncertain if a storm is on the way gives me a strange uneasiness.  Well at this point it is no easier to turn back than it is to push forward, so I struggle through the intense wind trying not to get blown off the mountain, my face contorting, my knuckles whitening, my limbs shaking, my ears popping, my heart racing, my rain jacket windbreaker flapping violently in this tempest.

When I find a spot where I think I have a decent balance, I make a mad dash for my phone to try to get some of this unbelievable force of nature on video. This proves to be a precarious task indeed, as it feels as though these fierce winds will rip the device from my two handed death grip, or worse, rip me off of the mountain, and I am only able to get a few very shaky seconds of footage.

(Click here for video: Maddie’s wrath)

As I merge with Osgood Trail and finally reach Madison’s summit, I can faintly make out another group in the distance ahead, making their way down toward the hut. This is somewhat reassuring and puts my mind a bit more at ease. I take a quick summit photo and take the same route toward the hut to get out of this wind. No lingering around and taking in any views today. More of a tag-it and bag-it kind of day for me! I feel good that I made it anyway and that I’m heading toward shelter from this exposure.
As I make my way to the saddle area between Madison and Adams, I see a few more groups heading up opposite my direction. This makes me relax even more and makes me think that some of my anxious moments were never any real cause for concern, and now I am assured that I am NOT the only one crazy enough to be up here. The wind has calmed considerably and I can now return to hiking normally as the color returns to my knuckles.

I have been starving for some time now, but stopping at the summit was not an option. So after a quick pit stop at the hut I head back out and take the side trail to Star Lake for a well-deserved lunch break. I can now settle on a rock, take it down a few notches and enjoy some of my surroundings, taking some shots across the lake toward Maddie’s cone, and behind me up toward the Adam’s family, and to the south across the great gulf more views of Washington and the auto road.

After I have had my fill of above treeline scenes, I make my way back to Pine Link which skims the north base of the cone at a more sheltered elevation. As I slowly head across the bolder field I realize that although I was never in any real danger , I now have a deeper respect and appreciation for mother nature and her brute force in the alpine zone. This was a wakeup call and a reminder of how quickly things can turn around up here. I was already aware of the dangers and unpredictable weather patterns in the area but there is something to be said for experiencing some of it first hand, even though I know this was really just a small taste. It’s no joke! The mountains demand respect, but somehow someway I LOVE IT EVEN MORE!

I slowly retrace my steps down the mountain and see the scenes unfold in reverse order on my out and back route.  Carefully lowering myself down the stream soaked trail, knee jarring foot burning step after step until at last – HOME SWEET CAR!! – complete with a change of clothes, a cooler of food and drink and a nice soft car seat where I get to spend the next 3 ½ hours on the long drive home. I am so thoroughly exhausted from my two day experience, and no, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Until next time, good night mountains – I will see you again very soon.