| Summary | |
| Owner | MITOC Gallery Administrator |
| Creation Date | 2006-08-14 01:28:58 UTC-0400 |
| Description | Washington via Huntington Ravine: 8.13.06
Vesna Damljanovic, Luisa Chiesa, and Mike Kokko Quoting the AMC White Mountain Guide Huntington Ravine Trail Section (pp. 24-25): Caution: This is the most difficult regular hiking trail in the White Mountains. Many of the ledges demand proper use of handholds for safe passage, and extreme caution must be exercised at all times. Although experienced hikers who are reasonably comfortable on steep rock will probably encounter little difficulty when conditions are good, the exposure on several of the ledges is likely to prove extremely unnerving to novices and to those who are uncomfortable in steep places. Do not attempt this trail if you tend to feel queasy or have difficulty on ledges on ordinary trails. Hikers encumbered with large or heavy packs may experience great difficulty in some places. Did we read the trail description before embarking on our hike? Of course not -- thats a silly question. Luisa and Vesna decided to do this hike together through what they describe as "female thinking symbiosis." Although I claim no part of that, I also wanted to hike Mt. Washington this weekend so we all decided to head up together on Sunday. Vesna picked the trail to scout ice routes (in August?) and decided to carry a 35-40 lb. pack full of extraneous items to train for her upcoming expedition to Mt. Baker. Hmm... maybe we should have read the trail description. Arriving at Pinkham Notch around 9am, we packed, suited-up, hit the trail within a half-hour. Despite it being the middle of August the weather was cool and crisp with a steady wind which led us to start in pants and long sleeves. The lower section of the Tucks trail was, well, highwayish as expected and there was nothing too spectacular about the beginning of the Huntington Ravine trail either. Once we reached the bowl of the ravine, however, it was clear that we were about to face a rather immediate ascent. At that point, the trail broke out onto a small boulder field, crossed some talus, and ascended a mini-waterfall. The next pitch of the "hike" brought us out onto ledges which proved to be a Class 3 scramble. We took our time on the ascent and kept leapfrogging another couple who seemed equally surprised by the grade. It was a little "unnerving" (to quote the AMC once again) at times, but we made it out to the Alpine Garden and were immediately greeted by a blasting wind. All three of us (barely) managed to stay upright as we made our way up the Nelson Crag Trail to the top. We headed inside to refill and refuel after waiting in line for the obligatory summit picture. According to the weather station the winds were sustained at 40-45mph with gusts up to around 70mph. The maximum temperature for the day was 40°F. We were a little late on the summit thanks to our Huntington Ravine venture, so we finished our snacks quickly and headed-down the Lion Head Trail. After stopping at Dairy Queen and making a failed Dunkin Donuts run, we arrived back in Boston right around midnight. It was a tiring day, but the views were well worth it. - Mike |