Hiking in the White Mountains: August 2012

Date of Hike: 8/24/12

Tuckerman Ravine Trail: 1.3 miles	Huntington Ravine Trail: 2.1 miles	Alpine Garden: 0.9 miles
Lion Head Trail: 1.6 miles	Tuckerman Ravine Trail: 2.3 miles	8.2 miles (3,500 elevation gain)

Trip Report

- So with a little persuasion I decided to bring back the trip report write up, and I figured that a hike up the Huntington Ravine would be a perfect way to get back into it.

- Huntington Ravine Trail is my favorite trail, it's rough, steep, has some difficult scrambles that can be intimidating along with some expansive and Gothic type views!
- The trail branches off from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail and you slowly make your way through the woods to the floor of the ravine. It is a pretty cool sight as the massive headwall of the ravine comes into view as you make your way to the bottom of it.

- The weather was perfect, it was not humid and I had sun and high clouds with excellent views the whole day.

- The really fun part of the hike starts just below what is called 'The Fan,' the fan is a huge open boulder field below the headwall that spreads out like one of those old hand fans. However before making it to the fan I had to navigate around, over, and in between some huge boulders in the scrub.

- When I popped out onto the fan I was rewarded with impressive and intimidating views of Pinnacle and Central Gully. I pointed out to Alton where the trail would take us and how there would be some scrambling up rocks to be done. I had fun making our way across the fan hopping and climbing from boulder to boulder before heading back into the scrub and up to the first scramble.

- I then left the scrub for the last time just as I made it to the bottom of the first scramble where I took a break and watched and listened to a couple of rock climbers across the way.

- Now it was time to begin the best part of the trail, there are a couple of steep rock scrambles with the first one being the most intimidating. About half way up the first scramble the rock slab becomes pretty steep and tricky for non-rock climbers, you have the option of walking upright on exposed slab or lifting your way up a 'crack' using your hands and feet, I went slowly up the crack and Alton zoomed up the exposed slab section. It was a lot of fun and I found it a lot less nerve-racking than when I hiked it solo the past couple of times.

- The rest of the scrambles are shorter and easier and once past the scrambles there is a fun little chimney before the trail becomes a 'regular' trail again. As I ascended up the steep scrambles and the chimney I would take breaks to enjoy the magnificent views.

- When I made it to the top of the ravine I ran into younger hikers who had came out of the ravine, it was their first hike up Mount Washington, pretty impressive to do that trail on their first Washington journey.

- Alton and I decided to skip the summit and just walk along the beautiful Alpine Garden Trail before dropping down the Lion Head Trail. The Alpine Garden Trail is one of my favorites, there were a couple of late summer flowers to look at along the way and the views and weather was perfect for our descent to treeline on the Lion Head Trail.

- The final walk out along the Tuckerman Ravine Trail was the same as always, it seems a lot longer at the end of the day and every hiker I passed had the "will this ever end" look on their face.

- It was a great day in Huntington Ravine, the trail never gets old and the massive boulders and rock walls are always impressive making for an exciting experience!