In and Above the Great Gulf Wilderness

Great Gulf Trail:  4.5 miles
Six Husbands Trail: 2.3 miles
Mount Jefferson Loop / Gulfside Trail: 3.1 miles
Osgood / Great Gulf Trail: 5.6 miles
Total Miles: 15.5 (5,500 elevation gain)
Click here for trail descriptions

 Trip Report:
- Day two of Diaz hiking with me in the White Mountains called for even better weather so it was off to the Great Gulf Wilderness to one of the wildest and steepest trails around, the Six Husbands Trail.
- To get to the Six Husbands Trail one has to hike 4.5 miles deep into the Great Gulf which gets wilder and more remote once passing the Bluff tentsite.  There were not many people on the trails in here, we only saw five other hikers in the morning, three heading up the Great Gulf trail all the way to Mount Washington's summit and two others on the Six Husbands Trail.
- The Six Husbands Trail was was in great shape with no blowdowns and they also added a new ladder right after the short scramble under the overhanging rock.  The section right before, during, and after the ladders is one of the best sections of hiking in the Whites, it's steep, rough, a little dicey, and very exciting.
- Once passed this section you head into the Alpine Zone and have incredible views into the Great Gulf, Jefferson Ravine, and across to the Wildcat-Carter-Moriah Range.
- The final push up to the summit into the wind drained the energy out of Diaz but he rebounded after we took a long half hour break at the summit and chatted it up with a guy who just completed his 36th - 4,000 foot summit.
- After lunch we quickly dropped down to Edmands Col, made great time over to Thunderstorm Junction, and enjoyed the stroll along the sidewalk section of the Gulfside Trail before the last short steep descent to Madison Springs Hut enjoying the perfect weather.
- At the hut we took a quick break and decided instead of heading down the Madison Gulf Trail to spend more time above treeline and head over the summit of Mount Madison and take the Osgood Trail back down to the Great Gulf Trail.
- The hike up to the summit went without a hitch and the hike down the Osgood Ridge was excellent with crystal clear 360 degree views.
- Once below treeline the hike become a mini-slog but we still made good time and made it back to camp Dodge just in time for the BBQ!
- It was an awesome two days in the White Mountains and Diaz had alot of fun and has now hiked all of the official 5,000 foot summits int he White Mountains! Can't wait to next year!

Click here for all pictures

 Ladder Steps on the Six Husbands Trail

 Scrambling up the Six Husbands Trail

 Hiking above treeline

 Mount Washington

 Thunderstorm Junction

Hiking down to Madison Springs Hut

Madison, Adams, Jefferson (#43, #44, #45)

Date of Hike: 2/16/11

Valley Way: 3.8 miles
Osgood Trail: 1.0 miles
Gulfside/Airline/Lowe's Path/Gulfside: 2.7 miles
Gulfside bypass "snow-whack"/Jefferson Loop: 1.4 miles
Randolph Path: .8 miles
Snow-whack: .7 miles
Gulfside Trail: 1.4 miles
Valley Way: 3.8 miles
Total Miles: 15.5 miles (elevation gain 6,600)
click here for trail descriptions

Trip Report:
- This winter for the most part has been sub-par as far as views go and more importantly lacking good weather for long hikes above treeline.  With a promising forecast of clear skies, temps in the twenty's, and wind chills around zero it seemed like a perfect opportunity to hike Mount Madison, Adams, and if the predicted high winds weren't to strong a chance to steal Jefferson.
- On trail at 7am, Madison summit 9:30am, Adams summit 10:40am, Jefferson summit 11:50am, "dead ended" on Randolph Path 12:30 pm, back on Gulfside Trail 1:20pm, Madison Springs Hut 2pm, finished 3:15pm.  High clouds, 100 plus miles visibility, temps in low twenty's, wind out of the southeast from 20-40 mph.
- I made good time up to Madison Springs Hut as the Valley Way was broken out and very easy to follow.  As I approached treeline I could hear the wind whipping so I layered up to prepare for the biting wind and at that point it seemed like just a Madison and Adams day.
- However as I climbed the summit cone of Madison the winds died down a little bit and were not bad at all.  Views from the summit in every direction were incredible!
- The hike up to Adams was easier than most times I remember as I was out of the wind practically until descending the summit.  Conditions were good for Crampons (styrofoam snow but some rocks) from Madison Springs Hut, to Adams, down to Thunderstorm Junction. 
- The hike along the Gulfside Trail by Adams V peak is where the wind chilled me down as I couldn't generate enough heat while descending to stay 100% warm but once I started dropping down to Edmands Col I was shielded from the wind and heated right back up.
- I decided to bypass the very steep eastern slopes on the Gulfside Trail below Mount Jefferson by going up and around and hooking back up at the Jefferson Loop Trail junction.  Amazingly there was a lone hiker who was a few tenths miles ahead of me who went up the steep eastern slopes!
- As I came to the summit of Mount Jefferson the winds started whipping again so at the summit I took pictures and headed strait back down to Edmands Col.
- From here I had two options, retrace our steps having to gain elevation back until hitting Thunderstorm Junction, or see if I could hike the Randolph Path and descend for good.
- I decided on the Randolph Path, and I followed faint tracks and were doing fine until I hit the junction for the Randolph Path and Grey Knob Trail.  I stayed on the Randolph Path for maybe fifty more feet until all the cairns disappeared and I ended up going a little to high and ended up on the Grey Knob Trail.  I found two cairns but it was a lost cause because I knew I was to high so I started to head towards the Randolph Path but then suddenly started to sink into a Spruce Trap field.  This was the beginning of a really bad situation and I knew I had to turn around because one or two more steps and it could be dangerous spruce traps and deep deep drifts I've never encountered off trail.  However the wind was now whipping from where I had just came and was "dusting" up some loose snow which would make for and awful trek back to Edmands Col.  Looking up towards the ridge directly above me and above the Gulfside Trail on the opposite side the snow was styrofoam and knew that I could angle my way up to the ridge until gaining it then come down and hook back to the Gulfside Trail .25 mile below Thunderstorm Junction.
- So I slowly climbed back up about 300 feet, it was not fun but the footing was much better and safer. Once I gained the ridge (between Storm Lake and Sam Adams I dropped back down to the Gulfside Trail and headed up a couple hundred more feet to Thunderstorm Junction.  The hike on the Gulfside to Thunderstorm was pretty weird as the wind was blowing loose snow from behind ume s made for a cool scene if you looked back.
- From Thunderstorm Junction I booked it back to the hut and went even faster down the Valley Way making it back to the car in an hour and fifteen minutes from the hut.
- The hike down was easy and straightforward, once below treeline I delayered and quickly made my way back to Appalachia.

Mount Washington

 Mount Adams

 Madison Springs Hut and J.Q. Adams

 Mount Madison

 Appalachian Trail and Mount Adams

 Great Gulf headwall and Mount Washington

Lakes of the Clouds Hut and Mount Monroe

"Steep-ing" it up the Six Husbands Trail to Mount Jefferson, Adams, and Madison

Date of Hike: 5/30/10

Great Gulf Trail: 4.5 miles
Six Husbands Trail: 2.3 miles
(Buttress Trail/ Abondoned Adams Slide Trail): .5 miles
Jefferson Loop Trail: .4 miles
Gulfside Trail: 1.4 miles
Lowe's Path/Isreal Ridge: .3 miles
Star Lake Trail: 1.0 miles
Osgood Trail: 3.8 miles
Great Gulf Trail: 1.8 miles
Total Miles: 16 miles (6,050 elevation gain)

Trip Report:
- The Six Husbands Trail is named in honor of the six successive husbands of Weetamoo, queen of the Pocasset Tribe who forced all her husbands to place old wooden ladders through the extremely steep and unnerving sections just below treeline on this trail...and one by one they all would fall off the side of the mountain so she'd have to re-marry! (I kid I kid, she pushed them off when they weren't looking!)
- On trail at 7:30am, finished at 5:15pm, temps below treeline in 60's, temps above treeline in 40's, very windy,  hazy/smokey from a Wild Fire in Ontario Canada, with high cloud coverage but good views.
- After hiking 30 plus miles the day before I was surprisingly not sore at all and made good time up the Great Gulf Trail to the Six Husband Trail junction were things got extremely interesting to say the least!
- The Six Husbands trail is rough and rugged and to add to the roughness were numerous blowdowns all along the trail that made for some slow going and a couple of gnarly falls on my A$$, stomach, and one upside down fall onto my shoulder when walking over a group of blowdowns that gave way cutting myself up pretty good...Wish I brought a chainsaw!
- Along the way the Buttress Trail diverges to the right and I took a little side trip on this trail until it took a sharp right across a large open boulder field.  Instead of taking a right I went strait up into the woods in search of the abandoned Adam Slide Trail, I hiked strait up a few hundred yards searching for any signs of an old trail that has been out-of-use since before 1970, it's extremely steep and totally overgrown with blowdowns everywhere but I found what I was looking for...an old red paint blaze on a rock signaling I was on the trail (Click here for pic)
- Back I went to the Six Husband Trail and forged through more blowdowns until the real fun began with huge boulders and steep sections that need ladders to get up the trail (Click here for pic).
- It was so much fun until the ladders stopped and I was left under an overhanging rock on a mostly wet ledge making things very dicey with a huge drop just five feet to my left!  The next 50 feet which went under then around and up this overhanging rock actually terrified me...Huntington Ravine style!
- I carefully pulled my way up and around with the majority of my weight and force in my upper body because of the wet rock surface making sure not to put much pressure on my boots because they kept slipping on the wet surfaces. Once past that 50 foot section I finally breathed normally again and knew the tough sections were behind me!
- From here I would be above treeline for the next 6 miles or so, the weather dropped and the wind was between 50-60 mph seemingly out of every direction except the east forcing me to put on my hat, gloves, and wind-breaker until coming off Jefferson's summit.  The views were pretty impressive and there were still three minor snow slopes I'd have to deal with (talus slope on the east side of Jefferson, a steep rock slope above Jefferson Ravine on the Gulfside which I avoided, and a fun section of snow on the Gulfside below a sub-peak of Adams.
- The hike down to Madison Springs Hut on the Star Lake Trail was steeper and more fun than I remembered while the hike to treeline on the Osgood Trail from Madison's summit was alot longer than I thought it would be and the wind was relentless!
- Below treeline was a struggle, not tough but all the trails in the Great Gulf Wilderness are in the middle of nowhere meaning there's a few long sections of not so thrilling walking in the woods...Nonetheless it was a really wild hike, the Six Husbands Trail is out of this world, searching for the abandoned Adams Slide Trail was a rush, and the views above treeline with high cloud cover were great!

Pictures: Click here for all pics

Ladder on the Six Husbands Trail

Mount Jefferson and Washington from Gulfside Trail

Star Lake and Mount Madison

Mount Madison and Adams

Mount Madison, Adams, Jefferson

Date of Hike: 3/28/10

Valley Way/Snyder Brook Gully: 4.0 miles
Osgood Trail: 1.0 miles
Gulfside Trail: .3 miles
Air Line: .6 miles
Lowe's Path: .3 miles
Gulfside Trail: 1.5 miles
Jefferson Loop/"Snow-Whack": 1.4 miles
Gulfside Trail: 2.4 miles
Snyder Brook Gully/Valley Way: 4.0 miles
Total Miles: 15.5 (6,500 elevation gain)

Trip Report:
- Weather Conditions called for clear skies, 100 plus miles visibility on the upper elevations so it sounded like a perfect opportunity for the first hike of the spring and a visit to the northern presidentials!
- Left RI at 3am, on trail around 6:30am, finished around 4:30pm. Temps at trailhead 11 degrees, warmed up to lower 20's above treeline, with some nasty wind (35-50 mph) out of the west/north west in the morning making for wind chills around 0 in the early morning. Winds died down to around 15 Mph in the afternoon
- Valley Way is an easy trail to hike and usually extremely boring except on this day the trail that was broken out the night before got lost and ended up in the Snyder Brook Gully making the last .5 miles pretty steep and fun! I ran into the two guys who hiked in and lost the trail the night before as they were leaving their campsite they had dug out, they were heading over the Gray Knob Cabin if they couldn't find a place above treeline between Adams and Jefferson.
- Above treeline the wind was whipping making it very cold, I went over to Madison Springs hut and got out of the wind to layer and warm up before hiking up the summit cone.
- The Osgood Trail was very steep, mostly styrofoam packed snow with a thin coating of ice, as well as "wavy" icy spots
- Carefully with my crampons on and ice axe in hand I started out to the right of the trail where it wasn't so steep until I felt comfortable/confident then cut across to the cairns and followed the trail the rest of the way
- Coming back down went pretty quickly and the views descending to the hut were excellent (Click here for video clip of heading towards hut and some views)
- Back at the hut I ran into a group of three (Big Earl, Sue, and I forgot the other guys name) doing a Madison through Monroe traverse, they couldn't have picked a better day for it!
- The hike up to Mount Adams did not seem as steep but the wind was just as bad and it was exhausting getting to the summit. At the summit I got out of the wind, warmed up and enjoyed the views (click here for video clip)
- Next I headed down towards Thunderstorm Junction and ran into a guy I met at Madison Springs Hut, he was smart as he hiked the Gulfside around Adams and then took Lowe's Path up to Adams, this is not as grueling of a hike and the footing is just snow and no boulders to navigate
- The next 1.5 miles on the Gulfside trail is a great stretch of hiking through big snow field that looks like a snowy desert with amazing views of the Mount Jefferson/Washington/Great Gulf Headwall/etc.
- Hiking up to Mount Jefferson I avoided the steep snowfields to the left and went right, I went a little to far right then booked it back left above the "steeps" which made for a longer and extremely exhausting hike up to Jefferson, the good news was the wind was now dying down.
- Hung out at Jefferson summit in the sun, had lunch, warmed up while taking in the views of the Presidential Range
- The hike back was just as fun until the section on the Gulfside past Thunderstorm Junction, the trail was not necessarily difficult but one slip and you could be sliding down hundreds of feet towards the King Ravine.  I carefully made sure I had proper footing with each step until the degree of the slope eased up near the Airline trail junction...On Sunday what I thought the day before while hiking the Gulfside trail beneath Adams unfortunately happed to a hiker (click here for article)
- When I was within 200 feet of Madison Springs Hut I stopped and looked at all the people hiking the summit cone of Madison when all of a sudden I saw a person slip and start falling down over a few boulders and down the hard packed snow and ice. I started running as fast as I could as did others at an angle to try to help him out but luckily after about 300 feet he stopped and amazingly he was ok aside from the gash above his eye. Apparently early in the day another guy slid and fell down and stopped right at the hut and he was ok. These two should play the lottery because usually you don't get off so lucky!
- After seeing that the hiker was going to be fine, the group he was with was ok, and chatting it up with Steve and Steve (great meeting you guys!) we set out out back down Snyder Brook Gully bushwhack to the Valley Way which was lots of fun and then once back on the boring Valley Way I booked it back to the car, realxed, and headed back to RI!

Pictures: Click here to view all pictures

Ice Blasted Summit Cairns on Mount Madsion

Mount Washington and the Great Gulf Wilderness

Mount Adams from Madison summit

Madison Springs Hut and Madison Summit Cone

Mount Monroe and Lakes of the Clouds Hut

 from Mount Jefferson Summit

Mount Adams from Jefferson Summit

Mount Jefferson, Clay, and Washington

from the Gulfside Trail

Mount Madison (5,367 feet)

Mount Madison from Gulfside Trail

Mount Madison is the northern most mountain in the Presidential Range offering great views into the Madison and Great Gulf Wilderness, south to Mount Washington, North into Maine, and West into Vermont from it's jagged rocky summit.  Madison Springs Hut is located just .5 miles south of the Summit in a col between the summits of Madison and Mount JQ Adams which is a sub peak of Mount Adams.  Weather above treeline on Mount Madison can be just as extreme as Mount Washington so caution should be taken while planning a hike.  Many trails that lead to Mount Madison and Adams can be accessed from the Appalachia Parking Area on Route 2 just a few miles south of the town of Gorham.

Trails I've Hiked

-Valley Way: 4.2 miles, 4,100 elevation gain (via Osgood Trail). Located at the Appalachia trailhead is the most direct and easiest route to Madison Springs hut just a half mile below the summit.  The trail doesn't offer many views since it's below treeline until a few hundred feet from the hut.  The trail has moderate grades, only gets slightly steep in a few short bursts, and has the best footing of any trails ascending the northern presidentials.  Once to the hut take the Osgood Trail (located just before and behind the hut) a half mile to the summit.  The Osgood Trail is above treeline, ascends steeply strait up at first then bends up and around the summit ridge until making it's way to the narrow summit of Mount Madison.

-Watson Path: 4.1 miles, 4,100 elevation gain (via Valley Way and The Brookside). The Watson Path affords great views while hiking above treeline to the Mount Madison's summit.  Above treeline the trails is very rough, steep, doesn't have the best footing, and usually is in direct line of the north/north westerly winds.  In bad weather conditions it is not recomended to ascend Mount Madison by using Watson Path as it can be very dangerous.  One should seriously take note of the yellow sign just before reaching treeline ***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***

-Howker Ridge Trail: 4.5 miles, 4,450 elevation gain (via Osgood Trail) This trailhead can be found on Dolly Copp Road at the Randolph East parking area.  This trail can also be accessed from Appalacia via Maple Walk and Sylvan Way adding another 1.0 mile to the trip.  The Howker Ridge Trail has decent to rough footing in different parts of the trail, while only moderately steep it does have a few up and downs as it ascends along the ridge and it's four tiny peaks called the "Howks."  The Howker Ridge Trail has some pretty excellent views from higher elevations and is lightly traveled compared to Watson Path and Valley Way.

-Osgood Trail: 5.1 miles to Madison Summit, 5.6 miles to Madison Springs Hut, 4,050 elevation gain (via Great Gulf Trail) The Osgood Trail is part of the Appalachain Trail from the Osgood Cutoff to it's terminus at the Madison Spring Hut.  The trail is well blazed and maintained the whole way and has moderate to steep grades with some rough footing.  The Osgood Trail runs above treeline for the last 1.7 miles and caution should be taken if weather conditions are bad as high winds pounds the exposed trail.

Daniel Webster-Scout Trail: 4.1 miles, elevation gain 4,100 feet via the Osgood Trail. The Daniel Webster-Scout Trail (3.5 miles , 3,600 feet) ascends to the northern ridge of Mount Madison. Below treeline the trail starts off with easy grades with good footing, then changes to moderate grades with ok footing, and once above treeline the footing becomes the usual awful rock hopping as the grades become steeper. The trail above treeline is difficult to follow as blazes above treeline are faint and the cairns are very small. This trail could become dangerous in bad weather/low visibility due to exposure and lake of trail markings. Views above treeline are excellent on a good weather day. The Daniel Webster-Scout Trail ends at Osgood Junction 0.6 miles below the summit of Mount Madison.

Trip Reports:

November 11th, 2016: Presidential Range Traverse, North to South

August 24th, 2016: Up Valley Way, Brookside, & Watson Path, down Osgood Trail, up Gulfside Trail, down Lowe's Path, Randolph Path, Amphibrach, and The Link

August 20th, 2016: Weekend Warrior Loop

June 24th, 2016: Up Pine Link & Howker Ridge, down Osgood Trail & Valley Way

June 18th, 2016: Presidential Range Traverse vs Great Range Challenge

June 16th, 2016: Presidential Range Traverse, North to South (No Report)


May 29th, 2016: Up Airline, down Star Lake Trail, up Osgood Trail, down Watson Path, across Pine Link, up Airline Cutoff, down Airline, down Upper Bruin, Valley Way, Lower Bruin, Brookside, Fallsway

January 7th, 2016: Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Star Lake Trail, Lowe's Path, Gulfside Trail, Mount Jefferson Loop, Randolph Path, Amphibrach, The Link, Presi Rail Trail

October 19th, 2015: Up Howker Ridge, Pine Link, and Watson Path, down Osgood Trail, Valley Way, and Randolph Path

September 26th, 2015: Presidential Range Traverse Run (North to South)

August 2nd, 2015: Up Pine Link Trail, Howker Ridge Trail, Osgood Trail, across Gulfside Trail, up and down Jefferson Loop, across Gulfside Trail, up and down Clay Loop, up Gulfside Trail, down Crawford Path, Southside, Tuckerman Crossover, Camel Trail, Davis Path, Glen Boulder Trail, Direttissima

April 19th, 2015:  Up Airline, down Gulfside, up Osgood Trail, down Watson Path and Valley Way

March 10th, 2015:  Up Valley Way, Up and down Osgood Trail, Up and down Gulfside and Airline trails, down Valley Way

December 15th, 2014: Presidential Range Traverse, North to South

June 15th, 2014: Presidential Range Traverse, North to South

October 12th, 2013: Presidential Range Traverse

August 10th, 2013: MMD 50K

July 21st, 2013: Double Presidential Range Traverse

March 9th, 2013: Presidential Range Traverse

February 26th, 2013: Up and down Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside Trail,and Airline

May 20th, 2012: Double Presidential Traverse

May 19th, 2012: Madison through Isolation Loop

September 10th, 2011: Up Great Gulf and Six Husbands Trail to Jefferson, across Gulfside Trail, up Osgood Trail over summit of Madison and back down and out via Great Gulf Trail

July 30th, 2011: MMD - More and More Difficult: "Pinkham Notch Loop" Dolly Copp Road, Route 16, Up North Branch of Imp Trail, across Carter-Moriah and Wildcat Ridge, down Polecat Ski Trail, up-over-down Lila's Ledge to Old Jackson Road, Up Tuckerman Ravine and Lion Head to Washington, across Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison via Gulfside, Clay Loop, Jefferson Loop, Isreal Ridge/Lowe's Path, and Osgood Trail, down Daniel Webster-Scout Trail, road walk back to Barnes Field

June 27th, 2011: Double Presidential Traverse

February 16th, 2011: Up and down Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Airline, Gulfside Trail, Mount Jefferson Loop Trail

November 13th, 2010: Up Watson Path, across Gulfside Trail, down Castle Trail

June 19th, 2010: Presidential Traverse (North to South)

May 30th, 2010: Up Great Gulf and Six Husbands Trail to Jefferson, across Gulfside Trail to Adams, down Star Lake Trail, Osgood Trail over summit of Madison and back down and out via Great Gulf Trail

March 27th, 2010: Up Valley Way, up and down Madison via Osgood Trail, up and down Adams via Airline & Lowe's Path, across Gulfside Trail, up Jefferson Loop Trail and back

November 7th, 2009: Up Valley Way and Osgood Trail, down Randolph Path

September 19th, 2009: Up Castle Trail, across Gulfside Trail, to Madison Summit via Star Lake Trail and up Osgood Trail, down Howker Ridge Trail

August 8th, 2009: Presidential Traverse (South to North)

June 28th, 2008: Presidential Traverse (North to South)