Date of Hike: 7/28/24
Webster Cliff Trail: 6.4 miles / Mount Clinton Trail: 3.0 miles / Dry River Trail: 2.4 miles / Sacco River Trail: 1.6 miles / Webster Cliff Trail: 0.3 miles
Total Miles: 13.7 miles (4,050' Elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- After a double Washington and duel 300th summit of Washington for Todd and I on Friday, it was time to take a break from rock hopping up and down the rockpile and head back to some of the lighter used trails with Sarge.
- Our route for the morning was to start on the Appalachian Trail at the Route 302 crossing and follow that to Mizpah Spring Hut before dropping down into the Dry River Wilderness along the seldom used Mount Clinton Trail to the Dry River where we'd hook onto the Dry River Trail and then the Sacco River Trail to loop back to the start.
- Webster Cliff Trail (A.T.) wastes no time turning into a rock staircase, it ascends almost 2,000 feet in 1.8 miles to the first open ledge. The gnarly and steep hike up is worth it as one traverses the next 1.5 miles to Mount Webster's summit by passing open ledges with great views of Crawford Notch.
Sarge, looking thrilled, at the old A.T. sign on 302. I will miss this one when it's replaced.
Webster Cliff Trail, it's a steep staircase in spots
Sarge catching his breath at the first open ledge with Mount Willey in the background
Sarge on along Webster's cliffs
Sarge looking down into Crawford Notch
Taking in the views from Mount Webster's summit
- Next up was the easy hike over Mount Jackson and down to Mizpah Spring Hut. By this time Sarge was muddy and enjoying being up high where it was cooler and not as humid. As we approached the hut we ran into a dozen hikers but from the hut until the end of the hike we would only see one more person, a backpacker who spent the night camping along the Dry River.
One of the few non muddy sections between Webster and Jackson. Sarge already in full mud mode
Dirty Dood on Mount Jackson!
The famous alpine bog just north of Mount Jackson
Sarge sporting some knee high brown boots
Mizpah Spring Hut
- Now it was time for the highlight of the loop, dropping down into the Dry River Wilderness via the Mount Clinton Trail. The trail is a mix of a beautiful soft footing tunnel to a muddy and washed-out semi disaster. Most of the trail descending is easy to follow, only a couple of spots where you have to pay attention closely; one is where there is a huge mud pit, it looks like the trail continues straight but it actually bends to the right up a tiny embankment before straightening out again. The second one is the following water crossing a few minutes later, it's a decent drop down to the brook and the trail on the other side is not easily distinguished as it heads back up the embankment before straightening out again. The third one is always a head scratcher to me, just before the last crossing of Mount Clinton Brook the trail travels along a nice old logging road before veering off down a steep embankment to cross the brook, however the logging road continues straight before petering out, and the turn off the old logging road is barely noticeable, half the time I miss it. The good news is that the drop down to the brook via a short bushwhack is less steep and you're at the water crossing in short order. Finally, is the crossing of the Dry River, the Mount Clinton Trail falls into the river as an old section that parallelled the river has been washed away over the past dozen years. Basically, you have to find the best way of dropping into the river and then walking the river for a few hundred feet before crossing it for good and hooking onto the Dry River Trail. Usually there are a few cairns here and there to help navigate, but do not expect these to be there after any big storm.
Sarge entering the Dry River Wilderness
Nice flowing trail to washed out and rocky
Sarge cooling off at one of the seven brook crossings
Old logging road just before the last brook crossing along the Mount Clinton Trail, and Sarge on a nice flat section of the Dry River Trail later on
Sarge standing where the Mount Clinton trail abruptly falls 10+ feet into the Dry River. We double backed about a hundred feet and found a safe place to drop into the river, or you could parallel the river in the woods heading downstream and drop in where there is not cliff.
Water levels really low so we roam around the river before finally crossing
- Once on the Dry River Trail we made our way past the suspension bridge and to a swimming hole we used to visit near the wilderness boundary, however it is no longer there after the December storm re-arranged the river. We did find an old piece of rail which was a cool find and a nice way to end the day!
Happy to see the suspension bridge still standing after last December's storm
Sarge finds an old rail near a swimming hole that no longer exists
From Friday, Todd and I both summitting Washington for the 300th time!
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