Dave Bear
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- Dec 13, 2007
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Saturday’s weather reports were starting to look like some previous high wind weekends so I decided to try to hit some summits starting late or Sunday. Since it was Presidents Day weekend it only seemed appropriate that the holiday should include some presis. I planned on trying out Gray Knob for a night but also packed a tent in case my path took me somewhere else. Unfortunately my pack was 50 pounds plus but good insurance for changing conditions. Barking Cat had recently posted a trip report with startling pictures from a very white Madison contrasting with bright blue skies. It was exhilarating to think that the weather may be shaping up for a repeat of those conditions along with mild temperatures!
Sunday morning the summits were clouded in as I headed into Gorham but there seemed to be enough breeze to blow them by. The sun was shining bright through the cloud cover and during the hike up Valley Way things started to clear. The path up was a solid boulevard and a brief stop at the tentsite showed recent use. In the last half mile to the hut I met two separate solo hikers who had been turned around by the conditions between the hut and the summit. Just as I was starting to climb from the hut I heard some folks in the clouds coming across Gulfside talking and saying “Just find the hut!”
Along the climb up Valley I had leap-frogged with two gentlemen that were hiking Madison and caught up to them just before the summit. The summit climb up and down were very limited views so I kept the pack on and provisions handy.
I proceeded from Madison hut to Adams by Gulfside and came through an area where people had tented in the open but made block snow walls on the windward side about two feet high. Too bad their shovel didn’t come out to clean up the latrine, more picturesque yellow snow! On route I met some folks coming off Adams that hadn’t scored views but had summited. They wished me luck and I told them it tends to travel with me. I went up Airline and only stopped to layer up since I would be getting the full effect of the wind. Within minutes of the top the skies began to clear and I was treated to spectacular views. The sun shone brightly on Jefferson with it surrounded by undercast. There were two other people on top that headed over on the outcrop to the south and later may have gone down by Star Lake.
As I took a picture back toward Madison I thought I could see someone on the downwind side of a rock on John Quincy Adams. They appeared to be hunched over and not moving. My plan had been to continue to Gray Knob and make a run on Jefferson on Monday before heading down. Even with the zoom on the camera I could not make out what was on John Quincy so I doubled back to check. When I arrived at that summit I found the large rock to the windward side was completely frosted and downwind huddled next to it was a dark rock with a bulge that looked like a person hunched over. Just think an “Old Man on the Mountains” on the northern presis!
By now I had lost time and had noticed pretty cloudy and windy conditions rolling up the ridge from Gray Knob so I decided to head down Airline and call it a day. I came across an ambitious trio from Boston that had just climbed King Ravine. They were heading out by Valley Way and instead accompanied me down Airline. Their climb had winded them and when I stopped to wait Max waved me on. Durand Ridge was awesome as ever but the lower section of Airline had enough post-holing to draw out loud vulgarities. Tired legs and a heavy pack can hyperextend easily in slight postholes, let alone six to eight inch ones. Sorry Michelle but I beg to differ, Airline is not in good shape! Upper Bruin and Scar were not broken out so my earliest retreat to Valley was Randolph Path. The boulevard was a welcome sight! I waited for the trio at Appalachia and they were okay just sore and tired, always a sign of having an awesome and fulfilling day out!
I didn’t get to Jefferson as I had planned but the way I see it I did get to three presidentials. I believe John Quincy Adams would have been glad I paid tribute to his summit and celebrated at the trailhead with some Bostoners!
Slideshow:http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/570120945gzWOUS
Sunday morning the summits were clouded in as I headed into Gorham but there seemed to be enough breeze to blow them by. The sun was shining bright through the cloud cover and during the hike up Valley Way things started to clear. The path up was a solid boulevard and a brief stop at the tentsite showed recent use. In the last half mile to the hut I met two separate solo hikers who had been turned around by the conditions between the hut and the summit. Just as I was starting to climb from the hut I heard some folks in the clouds coming across Gulfside talking and saying “Just find the hut!”
Along the climb up Valley I had leap-frogged with two gentlemen that were hiking Madison and caught up to them just before the summit. The summit climb up and down were very limited views so I kept the pack on and provisions handy.I proceeded from Madison hut to Adams by Gulfside and came through an area where people had tented in the open but made block snow walls on the windward side about two feet high. Too bad their shovel didn’t come out to clean up the latrine, more picturesque yellow snow!
On route I met some folks coming off Adams that hadn’t scored views but had summited. They wished me luck and I told them it tends to travel with me. I went up Airline and only stopped to layer up since I would be getting the full effect of the wind. Within minutes of the top the skies began to clear and I was treated to spectacular views. The sun shone brightly on Jefferson with it surrounded by undercast. There were two other people on top that headed over on the outcrop to the south and later may have gone down by Star Lake.As I took a picture back toward Madison I thought I could see someone on the downwind side of a rock on John Quincy Adams. They appeared to be hunched over and not moving. My plan had been to continue to Gray Knob and make a run on Jefferson on Monday before heading down. Even with the zoom on the camera I could not make out what was on John Quincy so I doubled back to check. When I arrived at that summit I found the large rock to the windward side was completely frosted and downwind huddled next to it was a dark rock with a bulge that looked like a person hunched over. Just think an “Old Man on the Mountains” on the northern presis!
By now I had lost time and had noticed pretty cloudy and windy conditions rolling up the ridge from Gray Knob so I decided to head down Airline and call it a day. I came across an ambitious trio from Boston that had just climbed King Ravine. They were heading out by Valley Way and instead accompanied me down Airline. Their climb had winded them and when I stopped to wait Max waved me on. Durand Ridge was awesome as ever but the lower section of Airline had enough post-holing to draw out loud vulgarities. Tired legs and a heavy pack can hyperextend easily in slight postholes, let alone six to eight inch ones. Sorry Michelle but I beg to differ, Airline is not in good shape! Upper Bruin and Scar were not broken out so my earliest retreat to Valley was Randolph Path. The boulevard was a welcome sight! I waited for the trio at Appalachia and they were okay just sore and tired, always a sign of having an awesome and fulfilling day out!
I didn’t get to Jefferson as I had planned but the way I see it I did get to three presidentials. I believe John Quincy Adams would have been glad I paid tribute to his summit and celebrated at the trailhead with some Bostoners!
Slideshow:http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/570120945gzWOUS
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