Mts. Washington and Monroe Hike

Spectacular day on the summit of Mt. Washington!

Fooled ya! With the weather forecasted to be horrible on the summit of Mt. Washington, everyone cancelled. The forecast seemed favorable near our house in Waterville Valley so Jon and I chose Sandwich Dome using the less travelled Algonquin Trail.

We made our ascent via the Algonquin Trail and had a great time with some scrambling. The views after the Black Pond Trail junction were amazing! It felt like an autumn day with temperatures in the 60’s and low humidity.

We started the ascent at about 8:30 a.m. The first mile followed an old logging road passing by swampy areas so we saw lots of moose droppings!  

We made a steady climb to the Black Mountain Pass stopping periodically to enjoy the wild blueberries. Yummy! The Black Mountain Pass was lush with vegetation with some open woods.  

Then the steep scrambling begins. It starts with a difficult rock scramble with two more rock pitches further up the trail. Many viewpoints are encountered looking south. The humidity was so low we could make out Mt. Monadnock and the Uncanoonuc’s in Manchester. Lots of fun. Once on the ridge, we could make out more peaks such as Tecumseh, Tripyramids, Osceola’s, Carrigain, Hancocks; and to the east, Squam Lake and Lake Winnipesauke.  

We took a break at the Black Pond Trail junction soaking in the views. We continued on the ridge towards Sandwich Dome. More viewpoints along the way, more blueberry picking, and a hike along a rolling ridge. The views along the ridge were fabulous!

We finally reached the summit just before noon. It was breezy but sunny. After spending half hour on the summit we returned the way we came. On the return, we took a break soaking in the views of Black Mountain Pond, the lakes and the views beyond! While taking a rest, four shirtless dudes in the 20’s hiked by and we learned they had backpacked to Black Mountain Pond to camp for the weekend.  

We continued our descent down the rock pitches in reverse. We reached our truck at 3:30pm.

We returned back at our house to gaze at Sandwich Mountain, have a glass of wine and cheese/crackers. Jon cooked up a delicious pesto/basil pasta and chicken breast for dinner. A brief shower came through that delivered up a rainbow over the peak we had climbed today!

This is our favorite approach up Sandwich Dome. The views are indescribable!  

Mike and Jon

This is a big hike up the highest peak in the Northeast and we are adding in Mt. Monroe for good measure! There will be plenty of time above treeline and no shortage of views! Mt. Washington is at 6,288 feet and Mt. Monroe at 5,384 feet.  

Stats

Difficulty: Very Strenuous
Distance: 9.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,150 feet
Time: 8-9 hours

Itinerary

Start: Cog Railway Base Station Parking Lot
Ammonoosuc Trail
Crawford Path
Mt. Monroe Loop
Mt. Monroe Summit [5,384 ft.]
Crawford Path
Mt. Washington Summit [6,288 ft.]
Gulfside Trail
Jewell Trail
End: Cog Railway Base Station Parking Lot

This route to Mount Washington takes us up the steep and scenic Ammonoosuc Ravine. Just above treeline, the AMC’s Lakes of the Clouds Hut offers shelter, a place to rest and refill water bottles. We’ll hike up Mt. Monroe which is a 350 feet ascent. [If you want to save your energy for Mt. Washington, you can rest here and wait until we return.] Mt. Washington may seem pretty close, but it's another 1,400 foot climb in just 1.5 miles. We'll take the Crawford Path from the Hut and follow it between two little lakes whose stony shores and ledges support alpine plants, sedges and shrubs. The Crawford Path is well worn and marked by cairns, each topped with a yellow-painted rock. The summit can be jarring with tourists, television towers and trains but it does provide magnificent views! 

We’ll have lunch inside the summit building where you can buy hot food if you did not bring a lunch. We'll descend using the Gulfside Trail that takes us past the headwall of the awesome Great Gulf, the largest glacial cirque on Mount Washington! We’ll continue our descent down the Jewell Trail which the upper part is composed of rugged slabs; the lower half gets better.

Due to the high elevation and level of exposure, we'll have to be particularly mindful of the weather forecast and adjust our plans if necessary.

Stuff To Bring:

• Non-cotton clothing [synthetics/wool]
• Layers
• Rain Gear
• Proper footwear [hiking shoes/boots]
• At least 2 liters of water [we'll get more water at the Hut]
• Sunscreen/Sunglasses
• Lunch/snacks

After The Hike: Everyone is invited back to our house for a swim in the Mad River and BBQ! It’s BYOB and all we ask is $10 to reimburse us for food costs. You are invited to use our showers and freshen up into clean clothes.  

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday at $25 and/or Saturday night at $35 per night that includes dinner. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email ASAP to reserve a bunk!