Mts. Jackson and Pierce

It was an epic day tackling the Mts. Jackson and Pierce loop hike today. Cold but incredibly crisp, clear, quiet and zero wind. We were down to just two of us as started up the Webster Jackson trail at 8am sharp. There were not many folks out and about. The trail was mildly broken - we saw snow shoe tracks and we knew there were 4 folks ahead of us - with maybe a foot of fresh snow off trail which made it was tricky hiking the further up we went. There is not yet the 3-4 of hard pack on the trail you will eventually have in the winter, so you couldn’t tell what was covered rock and/or crevice.  

Either way, the trail is super pretty in the winter - snow dappled forest vistas via a curving ascent on the well-protected side of the mountain. We arrived around 10:30 to the summit of Mt. Jackson, which had a stunning 360-degree view of the whites, there got a few minutes with a clear view of Washington which was awesome. After a break we continued forward onto the Webster Cliff trail towards Mr. Pierce. No one had actually traversed the ridge trail so it was all snow. 

We struggled for a few minutes to confirm we were actually on the trail but eagle eye Alex found the path and took the lead breaking trail.  The snow now was 2+ feet but we marshaled on towards the Mizpah hut. Unfortunately it wasn’t just snowdrifts, it was consistent deep and then deeper snow that got to be waist high. Even in second position following Alexander the snow depth made it exhausting.  If we were a larger group we could have taken turns breaking trail, but since it was just the two of us, and we were not sure that Crawford path would even be broken, we decided to turn back after about 3/4 of a mile.  

Although break at Mount Pierce to share nuts with the birds, and then headed back down the way we came. By now the trail was perfectly packed down and we made good time. We encountered probably another 15-20 folks coming or going up to Mr. Pierce. We didn’t finish the loop this winter, but it was a beautiful hiking day and we sure got a serious workout.  And nice to be on the road home with a few hours of daylight left.

The Mount Jackson and Mount Pierce via Webster Jackson Trail and Crawford Path is a 8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Bretton Woods that is rated as difficult. Dogs are also able to use this trail so hopefully we’ll meet a few. This route can be done in either direction but we’re planning on going counter clockwise. It starts out with a long scramble up to the summit of Mount Jackson. On the hike up to Jackson (depending on the group) we may also visit Elephant Head along the way. We will get awesome views at Jackson and then it’s a relatively quick climb over to Pierce. The views at Pierce are breathtaking too, however it can get very cold/windy when we reach the top so we definitely need to pack in layers. Finally a more “gentle” descent on the Crawford Path trail back to 302.

ROUTE: Webster Jackson trail, Webster Cliff trail and Crawford Path
STATS: Approx. 8 miles; Elevation gain: 2900 feet

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-hampshire/mount-jackson-and-mount-pierce-via-webster-jackson-trail-and-crawford-path

We will be hiking in winter conditions at a moderate pace with time to enjoy the scenery, thus the early start. There will likely be ice and snow. MicroSpikes or Hillsounds Crampons are mandatory and we may need snowshoes if there is a recent snowstorm (please pay attention to this but I will also send out a weather summary on Thursday). If you don’t own a pair of snowshoes, you can always rent them from your local outdoor gear shop. 

Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend WINTER hiking boots, MicroSpikes, poles, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, rain/wind gear, warm layers, HEADLAMP and NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.