I left Hanover very early this morning, hoping that the thick fog and low temperatures (40s) weren’t an indicator of the conditions in the Whites. Used I-91 (lots of turkeys near the road) to reach VT/NH-25 and then used River Road, NH-10, NH-116, back roads, NH-141, US-3 and US-302 to reach Crawford Notch. Fortunately, by the time I arrived, I was treated to some spectacular views of the Presidential Range. Unlike last weekend, there weren’t any clouds! I parked near Crawford House (Railroad Station) and started into the woods (0845) on the Crawford Path, the oldest continuously traveled footpath in the U.S. Unlike many of the other access trails I’ve used in the WMNF, this one was rather gradual and easy to walk. A LOT of downhill hikers passed me - they’d all stayed overnight in the Mizpah Hut - but I only saw a few other people climbing to the ridge. At the sign for the Mizpah Cut-Off, I took the left hand side of the fork and this took me to the north side of Mount Pierce when I reached (after ~2.7 miles) the AT. I could see all the peaks to the north: Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe, Washington, Clay and Jefferson - wow! Reluctantly, I turned right (SOBO) and immediately climbed Pierce (4.3K’). I got even better views there but the wind drove me off of the “bald” pretty quickly (I was wearing a long sleeved shirt but was trying to avoid breaking out my coat). Back in the trees for the next few miles, I had to carefully navigate steep rocks and slog through lots of mud. There were a lot of people on the ridge - mostly day hikers with her little gear (shudder). When I reached the AMC Hut (very fancy and modern), I took a snack break and chatted with some other hikers. Eventually, I got back on the AT (AKA Webster Cliff Trail). Since I wasn’t doing a lot of distance, I really took my time and enjoyed the walk. As a result, the mud, roots and rocks didn’t tire me out as much as usual and I made it to the top of Jackson before I realized my AT section was done. I took the Webster-Jackson Trail (~2.7 miles) back down to my car - this was the second time I used this side trail and I’m still not a fan… Other than all the same gripes I had last time, there isn’t much to mention except that the foliage was pretty and I got to hear the whistle of the Railway in the valley below (wish I could have seen the actual train). I passed lots of day hikers (uphill and downhill) but was really only focused on getting back to my car, which I accomplished by 1430 (after about 9 miles). Took US-302 (through Bethlehem and Woodsville) all the way back to I-91 and arrived home by 1600. Felt pretty good after my loop (*much* better than the one I tried from Franconia Notch). The temps had warmed into the 60s and there weren’t any clouds at all - a beautiful day in the Whites! Hope I can take advantage of a few more days like this before the snow... AT Today = 2.6 miles / Grand Total AT = 1867.6 miles / NH 4000 Footer #10 of 48
