Double Presidential Range Traverse

Date of Hike: 6/27/11

Crawford Path 3.1	Webster Cliff 0.2	Crawford Path 1.2	Eisenhower Loop 0.8	Crawford Path 1.4
Monroe Loop 0.7	Crawford Path 1.6	Gulfside 1.1	Clay Loop 1.2	Gulfside 0.7
Jefferson Loop 0.7	Gulfside 1.4	Lowe's Path 0.3	Airline 0.6	Gulfside 0.4
Osgood 1.0	Gulfside 0.9	Lowe's Path 0.6	Gulfside 1.4	Jefferson Loop 0.7
Gulfside 0.7	Clay Loop 1.2	Gulfside 1.1	Crawford Path 1.6	Monroe Loop 0.7
Crawford Path 1.4	Eisenhower Loop 0.8	Crawford Path 1.2	Webster Cliff 0.2	Crawford Path 3.1
.	Total Miles 32.0	Elevation Gain	12,250 feet	.

- I told my old man if the weather was promising on Monday I was going to hike from Mount Pierce to Madison then turn around and do it again...his response "Don't be an idiot!" so with his blessing it was off to punish my body over the rough and rugged Presidential Range while taking in the views above treeline for twenty five strait miles!
- Detailed information below Pictures (Click here for all pictures)
- Click here for video from Mount Franklin, and click here for video from Mount Monroe

 Mount Pierce summit at dawn

 Mount Eisenhower summit in the fog

 Sun trying to burn through along the Crawford Path

 Clouds lifting off Mount Monroe from Mount Franklin

 Last of the clouds passing by above 5,000 feet

 Undercast below the Presidential Range

 Looking back towards Mount Franklin with Eisenhower still in the clouds

 Lakes of the Clouds and Mount Monroe

 Northern Presidential Range from Observatory

 Mount Jefferson Summit

 Mount Adams from Mount Jefferson Loop Trail

 Madison Springs Hut and Mount Madison

 Monticello Lawn from Mount Jefferson Loop Trail

 Cog Railroad

 Mount Monroe from Mount Franklin

 Crawford Path

 Mount Eisenhower Summit

Presidential Range

Trip Report:

- On trail at 3:30am, Pierce 5:00 am, Eisenhower 5:45am, Franklin 6:25am, Monroe 6:45am, Washington 7:45am, Clay 8:35am, Jefferson 9:25am, Adams 10:30am, Madison 11:20am, Adams 12:25pm, Jefferson 1:25pm, Clay 2:15pm, Washington 3:00pm, Monroe 4:10pm, Franklin 4:30pm, Eisenhower 5:10pm, Pierce 5:50, Finished 6:15pm

- Temps were in the 60's below treeline before dawn, high 40's above treeline with high winds 30 plus mph until ascending Washington when winds died down.  Temps rest of the day in 60's with light to variable wind with excellent visibility although hazy.

- Started out in t-shirt until treeline.  Then put on long sleeves, wind breaker, hat and gloves from Eisenhower Loop until Clay Loop.  T-shirt the rest of the day and lots of sun block.

- Thick fog and clouds until 6:30am when everything cleared off while standing on Mount Franklin.

- High winds from Eisenhower to Monroe summit but then quickly died down to nothing by mid morning.
- Passed Lakes of the Clouds Hut during breakfast, all the rocks outside the building had boots, socks, shirts, etc. laid across them to dry in the sun.

- Had the summit of Mount Washington to myself, only a cat was roaming around...In case you were wondering they do not serve hot dogs in the morning!

- Ran into first hiker of the day at Mount Jefferson summit, young guy doing his first North to South Presi Traverse to Pierce, he was having a blast and was kicking ass!

- Took a nasty fall on Gulfside Trail just past Adams V summit. Broke my camera (which I always hold in my left hand while hiking), had to use "apple phone" camera rest of the way.

- Started running into hikers near Thunderstorm Junction, would see well over one hundred the rest of the day.  A few that stick out was a guy who had a great hike up the Airline and loved the smell of the pine needles in the early morning below treeline and a nice lady who I met as I started my trip back south who had a nice hike up Adams and wished me luck on my Double Presi Traverse.
- Once I hit Madison Summit I had lunch and looked across to Washington, needless to say a very long walk back to my car!
- Madison Springs Hut looks very nice inside after renovations, and had free Pumpkin Pancakes!

- Took Gulfside to Thunderstorm Junction and then decided to head back up to Adams and re-tag all the summits on the way out, hey you only live once!  Eventhough a little longer it's much easier on the feet to head up Adams this way than up from the Airline junction.

- Nasty Swarming uber-wasps on Jefferson, Clay, Monroe, and Eisenhower on the way back out, they really liked my sun block and tried attacking me, I killed two, no stings, but had to run off Jefferson, Clay, and Monroe summit area!

- Final slog up to Washington I went along the tracks to save my feet. At summit I had a hot dog, PB&Strawberry Jamwich while chugging 32 ounces of Gatorade...got some really strange looks from the tourists.

- Amazing views all along the Southern Presidentials, especially the small hump to the almost level section just past Mount Franklin, it's pleasant on the feet, no one is ever on the trail compared to other spots, and it's beautiful in every direction!
- The section between Eisenhower and Pierce went easier than I thought it would eventhough I was dog-tired.

- Started talking to myself the last mile and a half but still not as bad as finishing the Pemi Loop along the Lincoln Woods/Wilderness Trail!

- Back at the car I just sat down on the pavement, then laid down and stared up at the blue sky, lots of cars in the parking lot but no one around, awesome ending to an epic hike! 

- For the hike I drank about 6L of water, 64 ounces of Gatorade, ate about 10 granola bars, 4 snickers bars, 2 PB&J sandwiches, and a hot dog!
- I think I'm ready for the "24 Hour H2H" (24 Hour Hut to Hut traverse!)