Date of Hike: 5/29/16
Airline: 4.0 miles / Star Lake Trail: 0.9 miles / Osgood Trail: 0.4 miles / Watson Path: 0.2 miles / Pine Link: 0.5 miles / Airline Cutoff: 0.4 miles / Upper Bruin: 0.2 miles / Valley Way: 0.5 miles / Lower Bruin: 0.2 miles / Brookside: 1.4 miles / Fallsway: 0.8 miles
Total Miles: 10.0 (5,118 feet elevation gained) Garmin Forerunner 910 XT
Airline: 4.0 miles / Star Lake Trail: 0.9 miles / Osgood Trail: 0.4 miles / Watson Path: 0.2 miles / Pine Link: 0.5 miles / Airline Cutoff: 0.4 miles / Upper Bruin: 0.2 miles / Valley Way: 0.5 miles / Lower Bruin: 0.2 miles / Brookside: 1.4 miles / Fallsway: 0.8 miles
Total Miles: 10.0 (5,118 feet elevation gained) Garmin Forerunner 910 XT
Route for the day
Hiking up the Airline, the first mile has gradual grades over decent footing, from there the path gets steeper and rougher
Just after 2.5 miles the Airline pops out above treeline along Durand Ridge
Hiking along Durand Ridge with JQ Adams in view
Looking down at Mount Madison from the summit of Mount Adams
Descending the Star Lake Trail
Star Lake and the summit cone of Mount Madison
Madison Springs Hut
Hiking up the Osgood Trail looking south at Mount Adams
Osgood Ridge and undercast creeping in over the Carter-Wildcat Range, as seen from Mount Madison
Undercast rolling in
Mount Washington, it was hazy out so views today weren't the greatest but still wonderful
Looking north into Maine from the Watson Path
The rugged boulder field of the Watson Path, very unforgiving footing above treeline along this trail
Heading back to Madison Springs Hut on the Pine Link Trail
Descending back down Durand Ridge along the Airline Trail
Back in the woods I hike along a mix of good to not so good footing
The Brookside trail snakes along the Snyder Brook for all of its length
Heading down the Brookside and Fallsway past Sal's Rock
Heading by Upper and Lower Salroc Falls
Tama Falls (left), Gorden Falls (right)
Signs spotted from Appalachia to Mount Adams
Signs Spotted from Madison Spring Hut to Valley Way
Signs Spotted along Brookside and Fallsway
What a great way to mix it up - looks like fun. Would Watson be a better ascent? I'd imagine it's as rough as the upper part of Daniel Webster.
ReplyDeleteHi Timothy, glad you liked the report! I've been up and down both trails a couple of times and I find Watson Path just a little rougher for footing than Daniel Webster, and more exposed to wind. It's nasty either way, up or down, but probably a little easier to stay balanced going up than going down over those odd shaped boulders that sometimes move around!
DeleteThanks for the report! Headed there this weekend - how long did this route take & what time did you leave in the morning? I attempted Airline a couple of weeks ago and had to turn around due to ice and a late start (11am). Any advice?
ReplyDeleteTook me about 1 hour and 40 minutes, but I was really pushing the pace. If I was going slow and stopping it would probably take 2 hours and 30 minutes.
DeleteI left around 11:30AM. No ice anywhere on the trails anymore. Usually I get early starts, around 8AM but I'm familiar with these trails, live around the corner, and the weather was perfect! Hope you have a great hike this weekend.:)