Welcome to Aging Adventurist. I am attempting to do one adventure every day for the month of August, 31 days, 31 adventures, some big, some small, some physical, some mental. I hope you’ll come along, or join me!
Day 7: Saturday, August 7
Hiking up Mt. Washington, NH
It’s been a few years since I’d climbed Mount Washington. It’s never a sure thing as the weather can change very quickly on this iconic mountain and turn back many hikers aiming for the top. This day was iffy weather-wise, too, with high winds and a thunderstorm forecast to roll in late afternoon. I set off from Easthampton at about 6 a.m. and arrived at the Amanoosic trail head for a 10:30 a.m. departure. The Amanoosic is a wonderful trail, following a ravine straight up the mountain’s northeast side, tracing the path of a raging water fall all the way to the Lakes of the Clouds hut. Angel Falls (I think that’s what this is called) marks the trail’s halfway point, after which the serious climbing begins!
The Mount Washington summit, at 6,200+ feet, always feels like an achievement. I made it up at 1:30, then waited in line for 20 minutes for the requisite summit pic (shown above).
On the way down, once back in tree line, I grabbed this shot of this bright yellow mushroom. Love this color, it stands out brilliantly in the woods.
Adventure: Climb Mt. Washington, NH White Mountains
Distance traveled: 370 miles driving RT, 9 miles hiking
Challenges: Intense White Mountain climbing and rock scrambling, quick elevation gain.
Risks: Overheating, dehydration, sliding, slipping, falling, failing.
Difficulty scale 1-10: 8
Highlights: I took the lovely Amanoosic Ravine trail up, then the Jewel trail down. It makes a great loop, you get some of everything. At the top, I highly recommend the veggie chili.