Life is full of times when we are on a high and others where we need to reach down deep, figure some things out, and drive ourselves back to toward those high points. We all manage these times in varying ways, some constructive and some more destructive. For me, getting away into nature has always been a great way to reset and consider the challenges and opportunities that lie before me. This trip through the White Mountains was one of those occasions.
For this trip, I wanted to revisit some old familiar trails, hit some peaks, and challenge myself along the way. As I have many times before, I would spend the night sleeping in my car in the parking lot of the Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch and set off in the morning. I grabbed breakfast at the Joe Dodge Lodge, storing some of the calories that I would need for the day and falling victim to the curse of the buffet by eating somewhat more than was absolutely necessary. Now with a full (too full?) stomach, it was time to head out.
Tuckerman Ravine Trail
One of the first trails that I ever hiked in the White Mountain was the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. My dad had taken us up this trail on several occasions to spend the night in the Hermit Lake Shelters at the base of Tuckerman Ravine. You can’t help but smile and feel nostalgic as you walk up to the trailhead out the back of the Joe Dodge Lodge. This 2.4-mile hike is full of wonderful sights like the Crystal Cascades, wooden bridges crossing mountain streams, and familiar switchbacks. There are wonderfully wide sections with fair inclines interspersed with steeper, boulder-filled stretches for the hiker to navigate. The US Forest Service posts a stark reminder for those setting off on this trail to keep an eye on the weather and to be sure of your physical fitness level as you set off. I kept a sharp eye on the weather and would learn a little bit about my fitness level along the way.
Hermit Lake
The hike up to the Hermit Lake Shelters had been a wake-up call for muscles more accustomed to a computer chair than the granite-filled paths of the white mountains. The deck wrapping around the Caretakers’ Cabin was the perfect place to enjoy a snack and a rest under the wall of the ravine. It was a beautiful day in the Whites and the sun is shining down on the multitudes taking the same opportunity to rest and refuel before tackling the 1.7-mile trip up to the Mt Washington summit or wherever their travels may be taking them on this day.
The five Hermit Lake Shelters (it always seemed like more when I was young) are three-sided structures with open fronts and storage shelves on the back. I have spent more than one night sleeping on those back shelves when the shelters had reached capacity. Of course, in winter these are filled with skis and poles for the adventurous skiers that take on the ravine in winter. There are also three four-sided shelters and three tent platforms that provide additional lodging at this very popular basecamp. It has been a long time since I spent the night and must get another one on the calendar.
Having enjoyed and recharged, it was time to push for the summit. I went a little way down the trail to the old, green hand pump (2016-07-01 White Mountains Hike 9935 – 05.m4v) to refill my Camelback for the trek to the top. There are several places to top off your water in the Whites, but this particular well has always had the best water. It is always so refreshing and delicious that I look forward to the opportunity to fill up here whenever I pass this way. Perhaps it is the water running down the ravine to this spot or just good mountain water, but given the chance, I recommend that you stop for a drink.
The Tuckerman Ravine Headwall
If the hike up to Hermit Lake was a wake-up call to long-dormant muscles, the first mile of the climb from Hermit Lake to the Alpine Garden Trail Junction doused it with cold water and slapped it hard in the face. While the elevation gain over the 2.4 miles up to Hermit Lake was 1,800 feet, the trip up to the rim of the ravine will demand another 1,500 feet over the next mile. Sections of it are hand and foot climbing, and much of it has a precipitous drop off the side of the trail. Years earlier with my brother on this same path, another brother team had lost one of their own over that precipice resulting in a fall to his death. The Whites demand respect and are unforgiving of those that are unlucky or unprepared.
The climb has several beautiful waterfalls and endless vistas to fill the rest stops along the way. The track narrows to a single track in a few places requiring hikers to become traffic cops as ascending hikers meet those on the way down. We disguise these welcome respites as a courtesy to hikers coming the other way but are always welcome for the rest.
My plan for the night is to make it down to Mizpah Hut which is still 7.6 miles away as I come to the Alpine Gardens Trail Junction. Another .15 miles will bring me to a spot where four main trails on this side of the 6,288 summit of Mt Washington converge; Tuckerman Ravine Trail, South-Side Trail, Tuckerman Crossover, and the Lawn Cut-Off. I had a decision to make here. Continue to the summit of Mt Washington and then retrace my steps on the way down to Mizpah Hut or turn for Mizpah not and summit the next day on the way back. It is hard to beat the temptation when the summit is so close, and I caved to this siren song. In hindsight, it was the wrong decision. I made for the summit.
The Mount Washington Summit
The trip to the summit is a rock-strewn journey above the tree line with uninterrupted views in all directions. The sun isn’t always as welcoming as it was on this day, but I have been lucky. Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft (1,916.6 m) and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. It is also famous for having recorded the highest wind ever recorded in the world at 231 miles per hour. I was still keeping my eye on the weather as it had done one of its infamous flip flops on me back in 1997 that sent me scurrying off the ridge in search of cover.
It is also the perfect place to stop for lunch and since it was just after 12:00 I did just that. Grabbing a greasy burger and fries at the concession stand inside the Mount Washington Summit Visitor Center, taking in the view, and taking a, too long, break from the climb would all come back to haunt me before the night was out. It was after 2:00 pm by the time I headed out for the 7.4 miles that remained between me and my bed for the night.
Mt Washington Summit to Mizpah Hut
You must be a regular in the White Mountains to enjoy the trek down from the summit of Mt. Washington to the Lakes of the Clouds hut. It is 1.5 miles of rock-hopping where you ponder the shoe selection that you made regardless of which shoe you are wearing. Luckily, soaking your foot in one of the two lakes near the hut is just what the doctor ordered. You must stick your head in the Lakes of the Clouds hut if you pass that way. It is the most popular, and potentially the most famous of the AMT Hut System. Even in July, there is hot chocolate and snacks for the hikers passing through.
I had this little voice in the back of my head that was persistently asking me to look at my watch. It was just before 3:00 in the afternoon and I still had six miles to cover before dinner, and dinner at the huts is a scheduled affair. Miss it and you are out of luck!
The Crawford Path is considered to be the United States’ oldest continuously maintained hiking trail and my personal favorite on the Whites. I have traveled it several times which leaves me no excuses. I listen to the voice and check my watch. Time to get moving.
I would be crossing near or over the summits of Mt. Pierce, Mt. Eisenhower, and Mt. Monroe along the way. As I dipped in and out of the tree line along the way I had a great view of the Mt. Washington Hotel (now the Omni Mount Washington Resort) teasing me with its luxurious accommodations. Tonight, I would sleep on a wooden bunk, with a thin mattress, a well-used pillow, and a couple of surplus US Army blankets both listening and contributing to the symphony of snoring hikers. Luxury was so close, buy out of reach.
There are rules to hiking, I had broken a couple of the golden ones. Probably because I knew the trail so well, I had left a few of the essentials behind and only carried a day pack. I did not have a headlamp, enough extra layers, or extra food to carry me through in the event of misfortune. In the mountains, the sun sets quickly.
Going through my camera, I have no photos between Lakes of the Clouds and Mizpah Hut. Clearly, my priorities had changed. It was time to move the miles ahead of me into the miles behind me category. There are some beautiful stretches along this path; some wooden ladders and switchbacks where the trail is shored up against erosion. I know this from other hikes since they were all a blur on this one. Dinner in the AMC Huts is served by the Croo at 6:00 pm sharp and is conducted family-style at communal tables where you have the most wonderful conversations with other hikers staying at the hut. My watch ticked past 6:00 while still on the trail.
I arrived at the Mizpah Hut at 7:30, tired, hungry, and looking at bare tables in the common room. Breakfast was twelve hours away. I made my way over to the desk to see if my reservation as still good. The huts fill up fast and there is a point in time where your spot may be given over to hikers that do not have a reservation.
I want to take a moment to reflect on the AMC Hut Croo. They are different hut to hut and year to year, but they are some of the best people you will encounter while hiking the White Mountains. I am not just saying this because they rolled out a giant dinner well past the scheduled dinnertime, but it will always be one of the highlights of hiking in the whites. They filled the table with soup, salad, beef in mushroom sauce, pasta, peas, bread, hot chocolate, and gallons of water. I could not have been any happier.
Mizpah Hut to back to Mt Washington Summit
I was not too full to wake up in the morning and break my fast with scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, more hot chocolate, and another few gallons of water.
I had the time on the hike back to Mt Washington to savor another beautiful day atop the whites. The path out of the Mizpah Hut is steep with giant granite stones setting the stage for the climb back to Mt. Washington. As I retrace my path from the prior afternoon, I take in even more vistas and beautiful forests. The trail is well marked with signs and blazes below the tree line and hiking cairns once you emerge from the tree line. I get to follow the famous white blazes as I traverse a small section of the famous Appalachian Trail. My thoughts stray to thoughts of making that 2,181-mile trek from Georgia to Mt Katahdin. The bucket list still has some room.
My original plan did not have me returning to the summit of Mt Washington but my knees entered a non-veto vote. My physical fitness level was in direct competition with my ego in a desperate debate about the rugged and extended downslope ahead of us. I had never used trekking poles in the past. Perhaps a throwback to my days in the Army and needing to keep my hands unencumbered. Whatever the reason I spent an amazingly little amount of money acquiring a new set of, New Hampshire-branded trekking poles for the descent.
Revisiting the trail back through Hermit Lake and down the Joe Dodge lodge in reverse taught me the value of trekking poles and old knees. It was nice to come around the corner at the trailhead and walk into the Joe Dodge Lodge. After getting some change, and buying a small bar of soap, I went to the pay-showers on the bottom floor of the lodge and returned to civilization.
Oh, and all of those things that I had on my mind that brought me to the mountains for therapy? I couldn’t seem to remember what they were.