BIGEarl
Well-known member
July 5, 2010: Jefferson
Trails: Caps Ridge Trail
Summits: Jefferson
Hikers: Melissa and me
Melissa is home for a vacation and wanted to get in a hike or two. Melissa isn’t a regular hiker but enjoys getting out when there’s a chance. She told me to pick an easy one. Jefferson via Caps Ridge seemed like an easy one to me plus the views are great!
Because of a stop in Concord on the drive north we had a late start actually getting on-trail a little after 10:00am. As we were driving Jefferson Notch Road we came upon a nice fox in the road. He didn’t appear to be upset with the vehicle. We watched for a while and continued to the trailhead in Jefferson Notch. The last we saw of the fox, he was headed toward Base Road. At the trailhead we quickly pulled our things together and prepared to get started. While we were going through final prep another fox came through the trailhead lot. Busy morning.
While driving along Jefferson Notch Road I was impressed with the amount of tree damage that had occurred over the past winter. Nearly all of the way from Base Road we could see signs of the clean-up. The lower part of Caps Ridge Trail is a similar scene. Evidently, there was a huge effort in re-opening the trail from winter storm damage. This is obvious in the first half mile. Everything is in great shape now.
We were experiencing a hot and humid day. I was confident we would find cooler temperatures as we climbed plus the forecast had a nice breeze predicted for above 3000 feet, which would hopefully take care of the biting insects. We slowly made our way through the early climb to the area of the rocks with the glacial potholes. There was no time pressure at all and we simply moved along at a pace where we were both comfortable. Based on the prevailing conditions, we were moving slow but taking the time to enjoy the day. At the rock outcropping we stopped for a break, some refreshment, and to enjoy the views. While we were there I got a couple pictures toward the Caps and Jefferson. Melissa looked at the visible part of the climb through the caps and asked if that was where we were headed. I said it was and she said she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. I just said let’s go as far as we can – if we find a place that’s uncomfortable we’ll turn around. Melissa seemed happy with that approach.
A few other hikers came through, in both directions, while we were there. Soon we were ready to get started and head for the real entertainment part of the Caps Ridge Trail. We made our way through the final section of trail that was in the trees and started the climb of the first cap. The climb actually starts in the trees and we enjoyed very good footing as we got into it. After a short distance it seemed that Melissa was pretty comfortable with the progress we were making. Plus, once we cleared the trees the views were great and kept getting better as we climbed. There were quite a few people all around us. We kept leapfrogging a couple groups on the way through the Caps. Slowly we made our way through the first cap. I tried to make stops to allow Melissa to get some ideas on how to approach climbing the rocks and ledge. Everything was dry so “slippery” wasn’t a problem; we just needed to watch our foot placement and climb.
We reached the top of the first cap and I think we were then good for the remainder of the hike. Melissa seemed to pick up quite a bit of confidence. From here all we needed to do was keep up the same approach. Slowly we made our way up through the caps. We passed others, others passed us, some were ascending, some were descending, and eventually we made our way to the Caps Ridge – Cornice trails junction. All of the difficult stuff on the climb was behind us. All we had left was .4 miles and ~700 feet in elevation and it would be time for some lunch.
We generally kept moving through the trail junction and on to the trail headed to the summit. Roughly half-way there we met Tim & Val Charboneau with Debi and Will on their descent. We stopped for a brief visit and were soon back on our hike plans. Melissa and I continued to make our way across the boulders to the summit with stops as needed. Finally reaching the summit we stopped there for a few pictures and the found a comfortable place for some lunch. I’d guess we had a temperature of around 70 degrees and a nice breeze from the west – very pleasant. We sat and enjoyed the place for quite a while. There was a heavy summer haze that limited the views but we could still see some impressive sights. All rested and fed, eventually it was time to go. We picked up our things and started our exit hike.
The hike back out was generally uneventful. Climbing back down through the caps was easy once we knew what to expect. The legs were tired and a little rubbery which made for slow going in places and we needed to stop occasionally to let things cool off. Once we cleared the lowest cap and made our way back into the trees we stopped for a brief break and several grey jays stopped by for a free lunch. We obliged. After finishing off a package of crackers it was again time to get moving. We got back into the hike and completed the reverse route from earlier in the day.
When we arrived to the trailhead we found the lot had really cleared out. There were only a few remaining vehicles. We packed, changed into comfortable footwear, had a cold drink, and took off for the highway south. On the drive through Twin Mountain Melissa noticed the moose at the Carroll Police Department and we needed to stop for a couple pictures.
From there it was a straight shot to Nashua. Thanks Melissa for a fun day in the mountains. Any time you want a hike just let me know - I’m always ready.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Caps Ridge Trail
Summits: Jefferson
Hikers: Melissa and me
Melissa is home for a vacation and wanted to get in a hike or two. Melissa isn’t a regular hiker but enjoys getting out when there’s a chance. She told me to pick an easy one. Jefferson via Caps Ridge seemed like an easy one to me plus the views are great!
Because of a stop in Concord on the drive north we had a late start actually getting on-trail a little after 10:00am. As we were driving Jefferson Notch Road we came upon a nice fox in the road. He didn’t appear to be upset with the vehicle. We watched for a while and continued to the trailhead in Jefferson Notch. The last we saw of the fox, he was headed toward Base Road. At the trailhead we quickly pulled our things together and prepared to get started. While we were going through final prep another fox came through the trailhead lot. Busy morning.
While driving along Jefferson Notch Road I was impressed with the amount of tree damage that had occurred over the past winter. Nearly all of the way from Base Road we could see signs of the clean-up. The lower part of Caps Ridge Trail is a similar scene. Evidently, there was a huge effort in re-opening the trail from winter storm damage. This is obvious in the first half mile. Everything is in great shape now.
We were experiencing a hot and humid day. I was confident we would find cooler temperatures as we climbed plus the forecast had a nice breeze predicted for above 3000 feet, which would hopefully take care of the biting insects. We slowly made our way through the early climb to the area of the rocks with the glacial potholes. There was no time pressure at all and we simply moved along at a pace where we were both comfortable. Based on the prevailing conditions, we were moving slow but taking the time to enjoy the day. At the rock outcropping we stopped for a break, some refreshment, and to enjoy the views. While we were there I got a couple pictures toward the Caps and Jefferson. Melissa looked at the visible part of the climb through the caps and asked if that was where we were headed. I said it was and she said she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. I just said let’s go as far as we can – if we find a place that’s uncomfortable we’ll turn around. Melissa seemed happy with that approach.
A few other hikers came through, in both directions, while we were there. Soon we were ready to get started and head for the real entertainment part of the Caps Ridge Trail. We made our way through the final section of trail that was in the trees and started the climb of the first cap. The climb actually starts in the trees and we enjoyed very good footing as we got into it. After a short distance it seemed that Melissa was pretty comfortable with the progress we were making. Plus, once we cleared the trees the views were great and kept getting better as we climbed. There were quite a few people all around us. We kept leapfrogging a couple groups on the way through the Caps. Slowly we made our way through the first cap. I tried to make stops to allow Melissa to get some ideas on how to approach climbing the rocks and ledge. Everything was dry so “slippery” wasn’t a problem; we just needed to watch our foot placement and climb.
We reached the top of the first cap and I think we were then good for the remainder of the hike. Melissa seemed to pick up quite a bit of confidence. From here all we needed to do was keep up the same approach. Slowly we made our way up through the caps. We passed others, others passed us, some were ascending, some were descending, and eventually we made our way to the Caps Ridge – Cornice trails junction. All of the difficult stuff on the climb was behind us. All we had left was .4 miles and ~700 feet in elevation and it would be time for some lunch.
We generally kept moving through the trail junction and on to the trail headed to the summit. Roughly half-way there we met Tim & Val Charboneau with Debi and Will on their descent. We stopped for a brief visit and were soon back on our hike plans. Melissa and I continued to make our way across the boulders to the summit with stops as needed. Finally reaching the summit we stopped there for a few pictures and the found a comfortable place for some lunch. I’d guess we had a temperature of around 70 degrees and a nice breeze from the west – very pleasant. We sat and enjoyed the place for quite a while. There was a heavy summer haze that limited the views but we could still see some impressive sights. All rested and fed, eventually it was time to go. We picked up our things and started our exit hike.
The hike back out was generally uneventful. Climbing back down through the caps was easy once we knew what to expect. The legs were tired and a little rubbery which made for slow going in places and we needed to stop occasionally to let things cool off. Once we cleared the lowest cap and made our way back into the trees we stopped for a brief break and several grey jays stopped by for a free lunch. We obliged. After finishing off a package of crackers it was again time to get moving. We got back into the hike and completed the reverse route from earlier in the day.
When we arrived to the trailhead we found the lot had really cleared out. There were only a few remaining vehicles. We packed, changed into comfortable footwear, had a cold drink, and took off for the highway south. On the drive through Twin Mountain Melissa noticed the moose at the Carroll Police Department and we needed to stop for a couple pictures.
From there it was a straight shot to Nashua. Thanks Melissa for a fun day in the mountains. Any time you want a hike just let me know - I’m always ready.
Pictures will follow.
