TrishandAlex
New member
This TR is copied from my blog. 
You can find the rest of the accompanying pictures there, or you can view them on my Facebook page.
TRAILS: Air Line - Short Line - Randolph Path - Short Line into King Ravine, Subway, King Ravine Trail attempt, Chemin des Dames, Air Line, Air Line Cutoff, Air Line (descent).
Finally, a decent weather day! The girls and I were unusually chipper when we arrived at Appalachia; we'd been waiting to tackle King Ravine's Subway for weeks.
The hike into King Ravine felt moderate by White Mountain standards. 'Twas the typical rocks and roots trek.
Mossy Falls...
Heading into King Ravine...
Gorgeous!
Choosing the Subway...
Sage doing the only safe ten feet of the Subway trail...
One of the many boulders we had to scramble over (my backpack is on the top)...
One of the many caves...
It took us an hour and a half to go through those 220 yards, but we did eventually make it!
Have to say, that tiny bit of trail was extremely difficult! The actual boulders of the Subway aren't any big deal...it's the multitude of deep and wide gaps on all sides of those boulders that presents the real danger. If one slips, there's the potential for a broken limb, death, or outright disappearance into the belly of Mount Adams. I led the girls through the Subway at a snail's pace and I spotted each of them every time they went up or around anything. I used my pack and my body to cover various gaps and holes, and I kept a hand on each of them during most of the scrambles. We got through it, but it took a very long time.
From here, we attempted King Ravine Trail up the headwall, but I turned us around before we got very far. The trail felt like the Subway in that there are boulders to climb with deep drops all around. There was one particular boulder we could not conquer; I could not get myself into a secure position to spot the girls. We looked, pondered, and discussed for long minutes before deciding to go back down and ascend Chemin des Dames.
Chemin des Dames was absolutely perfect. It's the kind of thing we love -- hands and feet scrambling, but no precarious drops or death zones. We ascended this gem of a trail quickly and in good spirits.
Takin' a break on the way up...
Sage emerging from the only cave on the trail...
Goin' up!
The climb's length felt just right -- not too short and not too long. Just when we were ready for it to be over, it was. There's the sign for Air Line at the top of the headwall.
Once over the headwall, we took a break.
Looking down Air Line before heading toward the hut (I'll never take Valley Way again!)...
Hut-bound!
The Air Line Cutoff is a flat-ish trail that connects Air Line to Madison Springs Hut.
We ate, we rested, we went back down.
We loved descending Air Line! The views were spectacular!
A view into King Ravine, from the upper section of Air Line...
Down Air Line...
On the way down, we ran into Jamie, one of the Madison Springs Hut caretakers. This was the third time I've had the pleasure of meeting Jamie; I first met her at Lonesome Lake Hut three years ago, then Alex and I saw her at Zealand Falls Hut last winter. We stopped and exchanged greetings before continuing on our way. Jamie was accompanied by a Greenleaf Hut croo fellow -- after we were out of earshot, both my girls shocked me by commenting on how good-looking this guy was. Um, I'm not ready to hear that kind of thing just yet...the girls are supposed to be blissfully unaware of the opposite sex until they're at least 28....
We made it to the trailhead just as our feet decided to call it quits.
This was an excellent hike, one that we'll remember for a long time. If you haven't yet been to King Ravine, go! The Air Line - Randolph Path - Short Line approach is mellow by White Mountain standards. You can always skip the Subway if you just want the views, and Chemin des Dames provides a perfect (to us) way to get over the headwall if you don't want to attempt King Ravine Trail. Once you're over the headwall, you're a hop, skip and a jump from the hut. Good times. Just be sure to go on a dry and clear day.
You can find the rest of the accompanying pictures there, or you can view them on my Facebook page.TRAILS: Air Line - Short Line - Randolph Path - Short Line into King Ravine, Subway, King Ravine Trail attempt, Chemin des Dames, Air Line, Air Line Cutoff, Air Line (descent).
Finally, a decent weather day! The girls and I were unusually chipper when we arrived at Appalachia; we'd been waiting to tackle King Ravine's Subway for weeks.
The hike into King Ravine felt moderate by White Mountain standards. 'Twas the typical rocks and roots trek.
Mossy Falls...
Heading into King Ravine...
Gorgeous!
Choosing the Subway...
Sage doing the only safe ten feet of the Subway trail...
One of the many boulders we had to scramble over (my backpack is on the top)...
One of the many caves...
It took us an hour and a half to go through those 220 yards, but we did eventually make it!
Have to say, that tiny bit of trail was extremely difficult! The actual boulders of the Subway aren't any big deal...it's the multitude of deep and wide gaps on all sides of those boulders that presents the real danger. If one slips, there's the potential for a broken limb, death, or outright disappearance into the belly of Mount Adams. I led the girls through the Subway at a snail's pace and I spotted each of them every time they went up or around anything. I used my pack and my body to cover various gaps and holes, and I kept a hand on each of them during most of the scrambles. We got through it, but it took a very long time.
From here, we attempted King Ravine Trail up the headwall, but I turned us around before we got very far. The trail felt like the Subway in that there are boulders to climb with deep drops all around. There was one particular boulder we could not conquer; I could not get myself into a secure position to spot the girls. We looked, pondered, and discussed for long minutes before deciding to go back down and ascend Chemin des Dames.
Chemin des Dames was absolutely perfect. It's the kind of thing we love -- hands and feet scrambling, but no precarious drops or death zones. We ascended this gem of a trail quickly and in good spirits.
Takin' a break on the way up...
Sage emerging from the only cave on the trail...
Goin' up!
The climb's length felt just right -- not too short and not too long. Just when we were ready for it to be over, it was. There's the sign for Air Line at the top of the headwall.
Once over the headwall, we took a break.
Looking down Air Line before heading toward the hut (I'll never take Valley Way again!)...
Hut-bound!
The Air Line Cutoff is a flat-ish trail that connects Air Line to Madison Springs Hut.
We ate, we rested, we went back down.
We loved descending Air Line! The views were spectacular!
A view into King Ravine, from the upper section of Air Line...
Down Air Line...
On the way down, we ran into Jamie, one of the Madison Springs Hut caretakers. This was the third time I've had the pleasure of meeting Jamie; I first met her at Lonesome Lake Hut three years ago, then Alex and I saw her at Zealand Falls Hut last winter. We stopped and exchanged greetings before continuing on our way. Jamie was accompanied by a Greenleaf Hut croo fellow -- after we were out of earshot, both my girls shocked me by commenting on how good-looking this guy was. Um, I'm not ready to hear that kind of thing just yet...the girls are supposed to be blissfully unaware of the opposite sex until they're at least 28....
We made it to the trailhead just as our feet decided to call it quits.
This was an excellent hike, one that we'll remember for a long time. If you haven't yet been to King Ravine, go! The Air Line - Randolph Path - Short Line approach is mellow by White Mountain standards. You can always skip the Subway if you just want the views, and Chemin des Dames provides a perfect (to us) way to get over the headwall if you don't want to attempt King Ravine Trail. Once you're over the headwall, you're a hop, skip and a jump from the hut. Good times. Just be sure to go on a dry and clear day.
