Shoulder Season Sarge

During the first three weeks of November, Sarge and I took advantage of the dry and unseasonably warm weather and got out as much as possible, including three more rockpile romps on his march to 100, and knocking off twenty of twenty-five November G3 peaks for myself. 

First up was a Saturday, November 2nd trip to Mount Carrigan. We started at first light before all the weekend warriors came rolling in so we had Sawyer River Road, closed from washouts of the December 2023 storm, and Signal Ridge Trail all to ourselves until halfway back down the mountain. Other than a little rime ice on the summit tower it was smooth sailing, unfortunately Signal Ridge and the summit was in the clouds, so no views were to be had which is a bummer since the summit tower has one of the best views in the White Mountains.

Sarge on an old skidder road which is off trail that cuts off a switchback about halfway up the mountain. Sarge on the summit tower

Sarge and I pushed the pace on Carrigain, finishing the 14-mile 4000' elevation gain in just over three hours so he got Sunday off while I headed to Lincoln to run Owl's Head. Another early start and trails all to myself following the standard route of Lincoln Woods, Black Pond, BP Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook, Brutus Bushwhack and Owl's Head Path. It was cold but comfortable and I was in cruise control enjoying my time alone in the wilderness not seeing a soul until almost back to the Black Pond Bushwhack. All in all it was a terrific morning covering the 16-mile 3250' elevation gain in just over three and a half hours.

Owl's Head as seen from Black Pond Trail

Monday, November 3rd Sarge and I started the week off with a pre-work rock hop up the Rockpile via the Sherburne Ski Trail and Tuckerman Ravine Trail. We started at 6AM and trail conditions were tame and easy with the temperature hovering around thirty degrees with barely any wind. As we passed HoJo's (Hermit Lake) Andrew Drummond caught up to us and we headed up to the summit and back down to the lip together before he speeded off and Sarge and I throttled down enjoying what would be our final Tuckerman Ravine Trail summit of the year!

Sarge heads up the John Sherburne Ski Trail under cotton candy clouds.

Tuckerman Ravine and the now frozen "Falls of a Thousand Streams" lining the headwall

Wednesday, November 6th we headed to Crawford Notch for a full-on Summertime greasy footing hike of Field, Willey, and Tom. We started at first light in a t-shirt and shorts as the temperature was in the mid-sixties and it did not cool off as we gained elevation. It was slow going as the unseasonable humidity made the rocks slippery, it was a good morning to work on staying upright which both of us were able to do!

Warm and humid morning in the Willey Range. Sarge waiting patiently in a small clearing just past Mount Avalon and Sarge taking in the views of Crawford Notch from the Mount Willey Outlook

Saturday, November 9th Sarge and I hiked a loop of Mount Passaconaway and Whiteface via Oliverian Brook Trail, Passaconaway Cutoff, Square Ledge Trail, Walden Trail, Dicey's Mill Trail, Rollins Trail, Kate Sleeper Trail, Downes Brook Trail, and X-Country ski trails. A nice 15 mile 4,000' elevation gained route over mostly easy to moderate grades. We got a later than usual start, 9am, to allow for the high winds to die down up high. Unlike the approach from Ferncroft the trails from the Kanc are lightly used and we didn't see anyone until just below the summit of Passaconaway and a few more along Rollins Trail on our way to Whiteface. It was cold but comfortable up high and mild down low as Sarge set a good pace for the day and we completed the loop in three and a half hours. 

Sarge standing at the Sandwich Wilderness Boundary on Downes Brook Trail and running in the sun along the cross-country ski trails

Sunday, November 10th we headed to Mount Moosilauke for what was to be a group hike for my friend Ashley's birthday, but everyone dropped out, so it was just the Dood and me. Everyone missed out because it was a stunning morning on Mount Moosilauke. Views from the summit were crystal clear and we could spot the mountains of the Adirondacks in New York. Well worth the long drive from Gorham to have an easy no wind day on the usually windy Moosilauke over bone dry trails!

Sarge on the final approach to Mount Moosilauke's summit

Sarge on South Peak

Wednesday, November 13th, it was back to our usual first light starts as we hiked the Kinsmans from Easton via Mount Kinsman Trail and Kinsman Ridge Trail, 10 miles, 4,000' elevation gained. It was our first hike where we had to tap dance around some ice on both sounds of North Kinsman's summit cone but other than that it was another no traction November morning moving at a good clip along the trails with some decent views from the summits. It was cold above 4K early in the morning but comfortable down low where we ran into a few friendly locals who hike up to Bald Mountain routinely. 

Sarge on South Kinsman's throne cairn. From this vantage point it looks like he has a turtle shell, teenage mutant ninja doodle!

Sarge on North Kinsman with Franconia Ridge behind him

Thursday, November 14th I took a PTO day and Sarge and I took the express way up to the Rockpile. Easy conditions as we hiked the swath next to the Cog Railway, no need for traction as we made our way up and down under abundant sunshine and no wind for the win! 

The Dood checking out the views of the Northern Presidential Range (Jefferson, Adams, Madison)

Sarge with Mount Jefferson rising high above the Great Gulf

Saturday, November 16th was a day off for the Dood while I headed to Waterville Valley for a favorite loop of mine, Tecumsceolas, over Mount Tecumseh and the Osceola's via Waterville Valley Ski Trails, Mount Tecumseh Trail, Tripoli Road, Mount Osceola Trail, Greeley Ponds Trail, Livermore Trail, and Nordic ski trails. 17 miles and 5,650' elevation gained in just under four and a half hours. 

Another early start to the day as I headed up the ski trails to shave off a half mile before ducking back into the woods at an outlook along the Mount Tecumseh Trail. I didn't see another hiker until I spooked someone on the summit, then crossed paths with a few more as I descended the backside of Mount Tecumseh. When I reached Tripoli Road I wasn't feeling great so I throttled down, refueled, and hydrated while keeping an easy pace to Mount Osceola Trailhead and along the first mile of the trail. As I gained elevation, I felt like my normal self again and made good time up over and down the Osceola's to the Greeley Ponds Trail junction.

Along the beautiful and secluded four mile stretch of the Greeley Ponds Trail, I jumped off trail for a mile and headed past an old logging campsite, #5, that was in use from 1915 to the early 1930's where I checked out some old rusted artifacts. This off trail excursion used to be part of the Greeley Ponds Trail before it was washed out just south of the campsite and rerouted up a PUD away from the Mad River

Beautiful morning from the lower slopes of Waterville Valley Ski Area. Mount Tecumseh on the left, Tripyramids on the right

Lower Greeley Ponds

Camp 5 artifacts

Sunday, November 17th Sarge and I headed over Pinkham Notch and down to the Rocky Branch Trailhead for an on and off trail hike of Mount Isolation. We made quick work of the Rocky Branch Trail to the height of land before hopping off trail at the "T" tree where we started the Engine Hill Bushwhack. During the whack we maintained a course along 3250' heading in and out of the many Birch Glades over the next mile. Along the way we saw a huge bull moose who luckily scampered uphill wanting nothing to do with us. After about a mile we dropped down and intersected the Isolation Trail and stayed on this until the Davis Path junction. The Isolation trail was a mix of bare ground, ice, and frozen mud. Unlike the western part of the trail that drops down into the Dry River Valley, the eastern section is not a very attractive or fun trail to travel. Because of this, after summiting we decided to take another bushwhack on the way out.

Isolation Express Bushwhack starts in a small col 0.25 miles from the summit. We were able to follow some tracks in the dusting of snow and once that petered out we were able to stay on course as there was a decent herd path to follow. However, somewhere along the lower half Sarge and I ventured off the normal route to the south and ended up hiking through a semi open plateau before stumbling upon the Rocky Branch where we easily crossed the river and then made our way up a steep embankment where we hooked onto the lower part of the Mount Isolation Trail. We probably saved a third of a mile doing this but saved no time at all.  Once back on trail we decided to bypass the Engine Hill Bushwhack and stick to the trails on the way back making for an easy finish to the morning's hike covering the 13 miles and 3600' elevation gained in under four hours.

Sarge posing for a picture as we travel through one of many Birch glades off trail

Windy Mount Isolation Summit with Mount Washington and the Boott Sour in view

Tuesday, November 19th, Sarge and I did a quick hike up to Mount Garfield. Nothing too exciting on trail this day, the summit was windy and in the clouds so we didn't hang around. Trail conditions were pretty good with a dusting of snow starting at 3500' and a fresh couple of inches of snow over the last half mile. We made quick work of Garfield making it up and down before the start of the work day.

Sarge happy to be in the snow at the Mount Garfield / Garfield Ridge Trail junction and enjoying the windy summit of Mount Garfield

Wednesday, November 20th Sarge and I headed above the clouds for one last no gear hike up the Rockpile until Spring. We had incredible undercast as we headed along the Cog Railway, easy and straightforward hiking while taking in the views and enjoying the mild weather that was already hoovering around freezing. Sage set the pace and we motored up and down in just over two hours. It's been a helluva run on Washington since Memorial Day with Sarge getting up top weekly and we are already looking forward to 5AM June through August starts in t-shirt and shorts in 2025!

Twin Range floating above a sea of clouds

Sarge heads past the warming station where winter Cog riders can get a small taste of the elements 

Sarge on trail with undercast blanketing Bretton Woods

Mount Clay and Jefferson 

Crossing the tracks along the A.T.

Bright sunshine on the summit of Mount Washington

Sarge on the summit and next to the McAdams & Chadwick memorial cross a few hundred feet from the summit

Sarge basking in the sun on the observation deck

Looking north toward Gorham

One last picture of Sarge and the undercast

Tuckerman Ravine Throwdown / Leaf Peepin' with Sarge / Crawford Notch Loop

Tuckerman Ravine Throwdown & RUN NH48 #47

Tuckerman Ravine Trail: 8.4 miles, 4,250' elevation gained

Fall started off with extended summer weather until the second week of October. My initial plan was to run Mount Lafayette for my RUN NH48 project I have been working on now for ten years. Lafayette would have been peak #47, saving my home mountain, Washington, for #48. However, Andrew Drummond of White Mountain Ski Company & Run the Whites put out a challenge to all trail runners called the Tuckerman Ravine Throwdown. He would give out gift cards to the top ten fastest uphill ascents on Tuckerman Ravine Trail for both men and women between September 19th and October 14th. I wouldn't be able to sniff the top ten, but I thought it would be a blast to incorporate this into my up and down speed run of Washington for #47. 

- I break the Tuckerman Ravine Trail down into two sections, the first is Pinkham Notch to Hermit Lake (Hojo's), 2.4 miles and 1850' elevation gained over moderate grades with a mix of dirt and rocks of all sizes, followed by HoJo's to the summit, 1.8 miles 2400' feet elevation gain with steep grades over a rock staircase and odd sized big boulders.

- My goal for running Mount Washington has always been an under two hours up & down. With perfect conditions I knew I could go under forty minutes on the descent but it was going sub 1:20 on the ascent that would be the make/break point. I set my goal for this ascent at a 1:18, (previous PR was low 1:20's) which should leave me just enough time to break the two-hour mark.

- On Tuesday, September 24th I woke up, packed my running vest, drove ten minutes down the road to Pinkham Notch, and started my run at dawn around 6:30am. It was a nice cool morning, temps were in the mid-forties, perfect for running as I motored up the first 2.4 miles to HoJo's. I passed a couple of early morning hikers in the first half mile then I wouldn't see anyone else on trail until halfway down the mountain. my previous PR to Hojo's was 35:49, last September, this time around I was hoping to knock 90 seconds off, mission accomplished, I huffed and puffed my way to a 33:15 with Hermit Lakes caretaker, Jimmy Rips, popping out of the ranger's cabin and cheering me on. As you can see from the screenshot below, I did not come close to the top ten on this Strava segment but still impressive none the less considering how many people have "ran" Tucks.

Very impressive times, it's mind-boggling to me how fast the top ten covers this first section of Tuckerman Ravine trail

- From HoJo's to the summit is when it gets steep, first up a rock staircase to the first aid cache, 0.6 miles 600', then a short reprieve to Lunch Rocks, followed by another steep rock staircase the parallels the waterfall to the switchback, then the trail steeply rises up to the lip and above it to Tuckerman Junction over rocks of all sizes, some loose and some stable, 0.6 miles 900'. From Tuckerman Junction to the Auto Road it is rock hopping at its finest over boulders of all sizes, 0.4 miles 700', finally it's 0.2 miles and 200' of road/staircase/gravel/summit rock pile.

- I love the second half of Tuckerman Ravie Trail, it's steep and gnarly with breathtaking views. I made good time to the bottom of the waterfall/Lunch Rocks making it to the second rock staircase in about twelve minutes, from there I held on up through the lip to Tuckerman Junction in fourteen minutes, making the turn towards the summit in just under an hour. 

- From Tuckerman Junction to the summit the grade eases ever so slightly, it's still steep but turning over the legs is not as difficult as going through the two staircase sections below the headwall. I covered the last 0.6 miles in about fifteen minutes arriving at the summit in 1:14:52, three minutes ahead of my goal. 

Sub one hour for the elites, let that sink in for a minute, incredible! Not too shabby time for me too!!

- Sub two was definitely in sight, and as I started rock hopping down I kept picking up the pace, tap dancing through the technical terrain past Tuckerman Junction down the headwall and by Lunch Rocks to HoJo's. The rocks below Hojo's were dry and grippy and I ripped it down. While I can't keep up on the uphill with the elites I'm proud to say I can hang with any of them on the technical descents, trying to navigate quickly downhill over this type of terrain levels the playing field, advantage me! I made it from the summit to the bottom in under 35 minutes easily attaining my round-trip goal with a 1:49:51. A run I will never forget!

- Over the next week Sarge and I would do our usual early morning hikes up the Rockpile and cheer on other runners who we'd see taking part in the TRT Throwdown, it was really great to see trail runners from all over coming up to Pinkham and giving TRT all they had. It was a really cool challenge that Andrew put out there and I hope it becomes an annual tradition, maybe a Lion Head King of the Mountain next fall??!!

I can hang on the descents. For a week I even held the top spot!

Really proud to do a sub two and to be in the top ten, for now!

Washington & Leaf Peeping Sarge: Waumbek, Great Glen, Cabot

- Sarge and I spent the first week of October getting in a few more hikes of Mount Washington and then the second week of October we stayed below treeline as a cold front came through dropping a few inches of snow up high. 

- Foliage was peaking in several spots in the White Mountains which draws a crowd, so we stayed away from the awful traffic areas while getting in some great peeping days. 

Early morning in Tuckerman Ravine

Sarge enjoying the clouds floating high above him as the sun rises

Another spectacular morning for the Dood

Hiking up the Starr King Trail

Starr King Trail blanketed in leaves

Great Glen, That is one happy Dood!

Leaf Peepin' at Great Glen

Bunnell Rock and Cabot Cabin

Bunnell Notch Trail

Crawford Notch Loop

Ethan Pond Trail: 1.6 miles / Willey Range Trail: 3.4 miles / Mount Tom Spur: 1.2 miles / A-Z Trail: 2.3 miles / Crawford Path: 3.1 miles / Webster-Cliff Trail: 7.3 miles / Willey House Station Road: 0.2 miles

Total Miles:  19.1 (7,350' elevation gained)

- Sunday morning I made the drive over to Crawford Notch to get in some miles while staying relatively low as the cold front and high winds still had a stronghold above 5K. 

- I started the day with a steep hike up Mount Willey along the Willey Range Trail. This trail has seen better days as it becomes more eroded each year and the famous ladder section is looking pretty grim with several steps missing making for an adventurous ascent. It's all worth it though as views from the Willey outlook on this early morning were pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Crossing the train tracks at the start of the Ethan Pond Trail (A.T.)

Oooff, looking pretty sad

Awesome early morning view from Mount Willey Outlook

- After Willey I made the not so exciting trek past Field and over to Tom. Both have obstructed views near the summit but the trees have slowly been swallowing those up over the sixteen years I have hiked these peaks.

- From Tom I dropped back down to 302, after seeing two hikers between Field and Tom I now saw over fifty over the final two miles, all happily enjoying their morning on trail.

- Back down to the road I crossed the street and hooked onto the oldest maintain footpath in the United States, the Crawford Path. Trail was pretty crowded heading up but everyone was in high spirits, amazingly I had the summit and the stellar late morning views to myself before dropping down to Mispah Spring Hut to refill my water.

Mount Eisenhower, Monroe, Washington, Clay, and Jefferson. Boott Spur can be seen all the way to the right

Mizpah Spring Hut

- Webster-Cliff Trail was mostly quiet as I headed over to Jackson and then to Webster. The descent off Webster was the part of the day I was really looking forward to, it was around noon and temps had warmed up and I got to enjoy the views from the many open ledges the trail passes by before dropping into the woods for good. The last group I saw on the day also had a Goldendoodle with them so that made my day, Sarge would have been jealous if he had been with me as I told the pup that they were a handsome Dood!

- Once back to 302 I crossed the road and ran uphill back into the tourist zone as there were cars parked everywhere on Willey Station Road, to add to this nonsense was someone during the day decided to stand on my Jeep's bumper, shoe prints on it and hand smudges on my hood, presumably for a foliage picture while on a Jeep??!! This isn't the first time something like this has happened, there has been a time or two in the summer while out hiking that some boob has sat in my Jeep at Pinkham when I had the doors off, or the one time I actually saw some influencer at the Grand Canyon squat in front of my Jeep posing, my Jeep is not "tricked out" or modded, so very strange and a just a bit creepy!

Pano of the loop I did. Willey, Field, Tom on the right, and Pierce and Jackson on the left

View from Mount Webster of Jackson though Washington, with Jefferson peaking out to the left in the background

Looking down to where I began and will end the day

Pano of lower Crawford Notch

Mount Willey looming large over Crawford Notch