Jackson and Webster (Aug 14, 2010)

Two weeks from the last hike, I went back to finish the remaining portion of the Presidential Traverse (Mts. Jackson and Webster) and was joined by my friend Ashley. The planned route was to start at the AMC Highland Center along NH-302, hike up the Crawford Path and Mizpah Cut-Off trails to the Mizpah Spring Hut. From there we would cruise along the Webster Cliff Trail to the peaks of Jackson and Webster, then opt for the Webster-Jackson trail down and back over to the AMC Highland Center parking lot. I say “planned route” because, well, we’ll get to that minor misstep shortly…

Start of hike at the AMC Highland Center

The weather for the day was sunny and 73F as we set foot on the trail around 10am, and quick-stepped straight up to the Mizpah Spring Hut covering 2.6 miles and 1,900 feet of elevation gain in just a tad bit over an hour. We stopped there briefly, I filled up a water bottle and we took a couple snaps near the hut, and then turned down along the Webster Cliff Trail on our way to Mt. Jackson.

Mizpah Spring Hut

Fifty minutes later we breached treeline, summited Jackson and soaked in the first panoramic views of the day. Mount Washington continued to tower over all the Presidentials, while the majestic looking white colored Mount Washington Hotel brightly stood out in the distance.

Summit of Mt. Jackson

Mt. Washington in the distance

Mt. Washington Hotel in the distance

After relishing in our progress and basking in the sun, we continued along the Webster Cliff Trail towards Mt. Webster. Back below treeline, we rode the ridge between the peaks. Finally reaching the peak of Webster revealed some more nice views. Straight down below was a railroad track (not sure this was the cog rail up Washington as the locomotive was pulling 5 cars behind it). After a good 15 minutes of taking in the sunshine and views we finally bid adieu to the peak of Webster and turned down the trail back towards NH-302.

Summit of Mt. Webster

Mt. Washington in the distance

Train moving along the tracks

Here’s where the wrong turn came. We intended on going down the Webster Branch and Webster-Jackson Trails, but instead mistakenly continued down the Webster Cliff Trail. Oops, we went left when we should have gone right. It wasn’t until much, much further down did this become apparent. In the meantime we enjoyed descending segments of the trail, despite some very steep sections requiring scrambling on all fours, since it afforded several lookout points on the way down.

View descending from the Webster Cliff Trail

Along our way down, we encountered two hikers ascending the trail. They had full packs, poles, etc. and we struck up a conversation with them. Turns out they had been backpacking the AT (Appalachian Trail from Georgia towards Maine) since March 15 and were hoping to finish around September 15. Awesome.

Finally upon hitting the base of the trail and finishing the hike, I noticed a cute little sign on the trailhead bulletin board. It was a kind hearted hospitable offer from a local in the community titled “MAGIC” and read: “…if you need a shower, supplies, perhaps a meal, send me a text . I may not always be able to help but I will do my best! HAPPY HIKING : )” And at the very bottom of the page, a lovely little reminder message: “Love the life you live . . . Attack with childish energy . . . Laugh . . . Love . . . Live”.

By coming off the Webster Cliff Trail along NH-302 we ended up extending the hike by 0.8 miles and about 25 minutes, and were left a good 5 miles down the road from where the car was parked. Luckily though, a young, friendly couple from Maine (who we passed earlier on our way down) came off the trail just minutes behind us. They were kind enough to give us a lift up the road, valet service right to the car sparing us a long post-hike trek. Good karma for the hiking community out there. It was another great day in the mountains.

Total hiking stats for the day:

8.8 miles
2,400 feet of elevation gain (book stat) (GPS said: 5,420 feet gain)
4 hours 41 minutes

Map and GPS Profile: