The Feathered Hat
Active member
Trails: Dry River, Mt. Clinton, Webster Cliff, Saco River
Miles: 14.4*
Time: 8:10
No. of people seen on trails: Dry River, 0; Mt. Clinton, 2; Webster Cliff from Mizpah Hut to Mt. Webster, 6; Webster Cliff from Mt. Webster to end, 10; Saco River, 0.
Cell phone coverage: None (AT&T)
Conditions:
+ Dry River Trail: Mostly excellent. Some rocky spots are slippery with moss and dampness. The Dry River crossing at the closed suspension bridge is rock-hoppable without much difficulty.
+ Mt. Clinton Trail: WMG describes this route as lightly used and difficult to follow in places due to over-growth (saw no blazes, either), and it is as advertised. Also, muddy in spots and very muddy in a few. Most of the seven creek crossings are helpfully marked with small cairns.
+ Webster Cliff from Mizpah Hut to Mt. Webster: Excellent. Light mud in a couple of spots. Puncheons across meadows and marshes all in great shape.
+ Webster Cliff from Mt. Webster to end: It is what it is. The mile from Webster down features some very steep pitches and chutes, and at the halfway point there's a steep section of about a quarter-mile that includes crossing a rocky slide. The lower half is better and easier, however.
+ Saco River: Perhaps the most-blazed trail in the Whites. In a mile and a half we must've passed 150 blazes, including a blue-painted rock right in the middle of the trail. Lots of mild PUDs, too.
Special equipment: Trekking poles or walking staff helpful for negotiating muddy spots on Mt. Clinton Trail and steep pitches on Webster Cliff Trail below Mt. Webster.
Comment: A great loop for taking in Mts. Jackson and Webster, much less crowded than the usual loop from Crawford Notch. The Dry River Wilderness is one of the loveliest yet least-used wildernesses in the eastern Whites -- my kind of place.
A handful of photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99682097@N00/sets/72157622376164354/
Steve B
The Feathered Hat
[email protected]
* The AMC and Map Adventures maps disagree on the mileage of the Webster Cliff Trail from Mt. Webster to the junction with the Saco River Trail. AMC says 3.1 and MA says 3.4; I think the latter is correct. The AMC map also gives 0.6 as the mileage on the Saco River Trail from the Webster Cliff junction to the junction with the Dry River Trail while MA says 1.6, which is the correct mileage. The 14.4-mile total comes from the sum of the MA mileages on this route.
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Tuckerman's report for dogs:
Dry River crossing is swimmable for big dogs or small dogs that like to swim. Lots of scary noise from rushing water, though.
Totally excellent mud on Mt. Clinton Trail. You've got to do this one!
Some scary steep down-scrambles on Webster Cliff Trail below Mt. Webster. While Big Boss Man poked his way down the rocks, I bushwhacked down through the trees around a couple of the steepest scrambles. Also, watch your step along the edges of the viewpoints -- it's a looooong way down. This part of the Webster Cliff Trail is really only for experienced hiking dogs.
Lots of chipmunks along Saco River Trail. Good chasing!
Hardly any water from Mizpah Hut all the way to the trailhead on this route. Instruct your Big Boss Person to carry extra.
*** Three sniffs (out of four). T-Dawg says check it out (experienced hiking dogs only).
Miles: 14.4*
Time: 8:10
No. of people seen on trails: Dry River, 0; Mt. Clinton, 2; Webster Cliff from Mizpah Hut to Mt. Webster, 6; Webster Cliff from Mt. Webster to end, 10; Saco River, 0.
Cell phone coverage: None (AT&T)
Conditions:
+ Dry River Trail: Mostly excellent. Some rocky spots are slippery with moss and dampness. The Dry River crossing at the closed suspension bridge is rock-hoppable without much difficulty.
+ Mt. Clinton Trail: WMG describes this route as lightly used and difficult to follow in places due to over-growth (saw no blazes, either), and it is as advertised. Also, muddy in spots and very muddy in a few. Most of the seven creek crossings are helpfully marked with small cairns.
+ Webster Cliff from Mizpah Hut to Mt. Webster: Excellent. Light mud in a couple of spots. Puncheons across meadows and marshes all in great shape.
+ Webster Cliff from Mt. Webster to end: It is what it is. The mile from Webster down features some very steep pitches and chutes, and at the halfway point there's a steep section of about a quarter-mile that includes crossing a rocky slide. The lower half is better and easier, however.
+ Saco River: Perhaps the most-blazed trail in the Whites. In a mile and a half we must've passed 150 blazes, including a blue-painted rock right in the middle of the trail. Lots of mild PUDs, too.
Special equipment: Trekking poles or walking staff helpful for negotiating muddy spots on Mt. Clinton Trail and steep pitches on Webster Cliff Trail below Mt. Webster.
Comment: A great loop for taking in Mts. Jackson and Webster, much less crowded than the usual loop from Crawford Notch. The Dry River Wilderness is one of the loveliest yet least-used wildernesses in the eastern Whites -- my kind of place.
A handful of photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99682097@N00/sets/72157622376164354/
Steve B
The Feathered Hat
[email protected]
* The AMC and Map Adventures maps disagree on the mileage of the Webster Cliff Trail from Mt. Webster to the junction with the Saco River Trail. AMC says 3.1 and MA says 3.4; I think the latter is correct. The AMC map also gives 0.6 as the mileage on the Saco River Trail from the Webster Cliff junction to the junction with the Dry River Trail while MA says 1.6, which is the correct mileage. The 14.4-mile total comes from the sum of the MA mileages on this route.
_________________________________________
Tuckerman's report for dogs:
Dry River crossing is swimmable for big dogs or small dogs that like to swim. Lots of scary noise from rushing water, though.
Totally excellent mud on Mt. Clinton Trail. You've got to do this one!
Some scary steep down-scrambles on Webster Cliff Trail below Mt. Webster. While Big Boss Man poked his way down the rocks, I bushwhacked down through the trees around a couple of the steepest scrambles. Also, watch your step along the edges of the viewpoints -- it's a looooong way down. This part of the Webster Cliff Trail is really only for experienced hiking dogs.
Lots of chipmunks along Saco River Trail. Good chasing!
Hardly any water from Mizpah Hut all the way to the trailhead on this route. Instruct your Big Boss Person to carry extra.
*** Three sniffs (out of four). T-Dawg says check it out (experienced hiking dogs only).
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