Gina and I drove up to New Hampshire on Friday night and slept in the back of my Pathfinder in the parking lot of Appalachia which accesses the trailhead Valley Way. I would start the hike at 4.40 AM - just as it starts to get light out. This picture was about an hour and half into the hike (just past 6 AM).
The approach to Madison Hut. 3.8 miles into the hike (3,500 feet of elevation gain).
Madison Hut - 6.30 AM.
The view of Mt. Adams (elev. 5,799 ft) from Mt. Madison (elev. 5,366). These are the 2nd and 5th highest peaks in New England. Picture taken at about 6.45 AM. That's my shadow, by the way.
Mountain Pond between Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams.
From Mt. Adams, you can see Mt. Washington (upper left), Mt. Clay (middle) and Mt. Jefferson (right). There are still a few snow patches, although not as many as last year at this time.
Looking back at Mt. Madison from Mt. Adams. (This is about an hour hike).
The first snow patch I'd come to! At this point I'd met up with two hikers (Greg/Dan) and had hiked with them from Mt. Adams until Mt. Clay.
Mt. Washington (elev. 6,288 ft.) to the left with Mt. Jefferson (elev. 5,716 ft.) to the right.
Deep snowpack still on Mt. Jefferson - this snow will be here through mid-summer (it was still 4+ feet thick).
Looking back at what I've hiked so far. It's almost 9.30 AM - I've been hiking for just under 5 hours.
Reaching the top of Mt. Washington (11.15 AM) - the last few hundred feet are hiked along the Cog Railway tracks. It is a coal burning train that goes up the mountain that has been running for probably close to 100 yrs. Mt. Washington is generally considered the halfway point of the Presidential Traverse. At this point I've gone just over 11 miles with about 7,000 feet of elevation gain. Most of the elevation is out of the way, but I still have 12+ miles to hike (with about 2,000+ feet of elev.).
Today was the day of the Mt. Washington Road Race - a 7.6 mile foot race up Mt. Washington Auto Road with 4,650 feet of elevation gain for an average grade of 11.5%! The guy that finished 2nd this year (who is a previous winner) ran high school cross country in my conference in high school (Lyman Memorial in Lebonon, CT). Winning time - 1 hour, 22 sec.
A look back at Mt. Washington from outside the Lake of the Clouds Hut. At this point I am hiking with Chris - who I'd started hiking with at Mt. Clay. A very experienced hiker who is also hiking solo - and at a pace I like!
Looking at Mt. Monroe (elev. 5,372 ft.) from Lake of the Clouds. There are always rain catchers and funny weather apparatus set up here.
Be warned. The area ahead has the worst weather in America. Many have died there from exposure, even in the summer. Turn back now if the weather is bad. It was 65 and sunny, just about as nice as it ever gets on Mt. Washington.
Looking back from Mt. Monroe (12.45 pm).
Hikers below on the Crawford Path - bypassing Mt. Monroe.
A hiker digging into his bag on Mt. Monroe.
Looking ahead to next peaks - Mt. Franklin (5,001 ft.), Mt. Eisenhower (4,760 ft.), Mt. Pierce (4,312 ft.), Mt. Jackson (4,052 ft.) and Mt. Webster (3,910 ft.).
Looking back at Mt. Washington with Mt. Monroe in the foreground.
A nice flat section.
Mt. Eisenhower (upper right).
Mt. Washington (upper left) looks far away for something that we were at only two hours ago. We're making good time. At this point, the legs are starting to get tired on the accents and the sun is taking a lot out of me - it's 2 PM.
A look back at Eisenhower. We like Ike.
We (still hiking with Chris) roll into the Mizpah Hut just before 3 PM. A nice 10 minute break out of the sun with a water fill-up. I get a text message from Gina saying that she was here at 2 PM and is now making her way back to Mt. Jackson. (She made it all the way to Eisenhower!)
Chris leading the way to Mt. Jackson.
Looking to the west.
At this point (4 PM), Mt. Washington looks very far away.
Chris making friends with the locals.
The view of Rt. 302 from atop Mt. Webster. This was our last peak. It's 4.30 PM, only a couple of miles (1 hour) left before we're finished. Legs are exhausted - probably more so than the Maine Marathon (but less so than the Jay Peak Marathons).
Looking north from Mt. Webster.
Silver Cascade, about 1.3 miles to go. I would have jumped in here had I remembered a pair of clean underwear to change into.
The home stretch.
The last views - overlooking Rt. 302.
Chris getting one last picture.
As we got down to the parking lot, Gina was passed out in the back of the car - she had finished only minutes before us. Then, I see a fox that had been hanging around the road. Chris spotted him on the way down and Gina tells me later that she saw him on the way up. He looks like he's developed a taste for potato salad, and isn't very scared of me.
Total Trip: 4.40 AM to 5.30 PM. About 24 miles, with 9,000+ feet of elevation gain. Tired legs, sore back, sun-burned arms. No blisters though. Sunday was a rest day and I'll be back to marathon training on Monday - 8 miles w/ 4 miles at 15k pace. Can't wait.
