Terrifying Madison Gulf

When Trish put together the Terrifying 25 list, I noticed that Madison Gulf was on it. The White Mountain Guide warns "this trail on the headwall of Madison Gulf is one of the most difficult in the White Mountains, going over several ledge outcrops, boulder areas and a rock chimney. The steep slabs may be slippery when wet and require scrambling and the use of handholds."

Now it was just this warning that attracted me to this trail 12 years ago, when I was just a youngster of 57. But when I got to the top (back then) I sez to myself "meh". A strenuous hike without a doubt, but "one of the most difficult"? So I thought I'd revisit this trail to see if it really merits being on the T25 list. It does.

Guess I was more agile back then. This time around it was a definite challenge to pick my way up the scrambles. I'm 5'11'' and relatively long of limb; I was glad I had every inch of that reach. Not a good place to take kids unless they're real monkeys. Also, once you're on the headwall, the trail can be difficult to follow in places. (Damned Wilderness Area prohibition on blazing!) Fortunately there are some small cairns at some of the more obscure spots, but there are two or three other places where they'd be a real help too.

So once I'd topped out, I rockhopped my way across the Parapet Trail to Osgood Junction and down the Daniel Webster. Good and sore today.

pictures

Bob Kittredge said:

... Now it was just this warning that attracted me to this trail 12 years ago, when I was just a youngster of 57.

...

So once I'd topped out, I rockhopped my way across the Parapet Trail to Osgood Junction and down the Daniel Webster.

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I did it with Dave Metsky the same year as you did, as a slightly less young youngster of 64, and found some of the scrambles challenging. We descended by going over the summit and down the Osgood.

No desire at all to do it again it this stage of my life

Thanks, Bob - I'll update your comments on my site accordingly. Also need to add your comments on Desolation Trail - many thanks for your valuable contributions!

Had someone notify me of their finish today, by the way. I should organize a T25 Facebook Page...will add it to my to-do list for this month.

I was let down after hearing it had challenge, nice trail, but I found it very easy.. maybe because I'm 6'2"..

I have been up it twice, as I recall the slab sections had bypasses in the woods which many of the other steep trails lack

IIRC, the reason this trail got such a nasty writeup in the WMG is that people were using it as a bad weather bypass for the AT via Osgood - yes it is more protected from lightning but not really a good choice in bad weather

RoySwkr said:

IIRC, the reason this trail got such a nasty writeup in the WMG is that people were using it as a bad weather bypass for the AT via Osgood - yes it is more protected from lightning but not really a good choice in bad weather

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o.k., I can see that, hiking this trail wet would present some hard challenges. I bet going down vs. up, presents more challenges too. I had it easy going up and dry.

Not so terrifying for me, either. I ascended Madison Gulf on 8/11 and thoroughly enjoyed it. At 6', only two pitches near the beginning of the headwall required using a knee to climb the ledges. There were no no-fall zones. It definitely required use of hands, and the going was necessarily slow, so I never had to stop to catch my breath. Paradoxically, the concentration required made that part of the hike seem to go very quickly. I have no desire to redo the N Tripyramid slide, but I could incorporate this one into another hike. YMMV

I also did the Parapet that day. Rock hopping is an understatement. That trail I will not do again.

I went up Madison Gulf last Friday, 8/16, as I was looking for a new way to ascend Madison. I found Madison Gulf to be one of the most beautiful 2.5 miles I've done in quite a while.

As to difficulty... Yes, it's difficult.

I had no problems with the ledges, and I am quite short. There was at least one place I wouldn't have wanted to slip (not fatal probably but sure wouldn't have been pleasant).

I also had no problems with route finding. On the headwall, it was one boulder pitch after another with ledge scrambles in between.

But I still think it's a difficult trail. I wonder how the moose do it.