Webster Cliffs

On a cool, partly sunny and windy day I headed up Webster Cliff Trail to check out an ongoing major relocation by the AMC trail crew and enjoy some views.

 

A classic weathered trail sign at the trailhead, which will soon be outdated. 

 

Can this really be the Webster Cliff Trail? It doesn't last long.

The bridge over the Saco River is dedicated to the iconic couple of the early days of the AMC 4000-Footer Club.

 

It's a fine bridge.

Low water in the Saco.

 

The lower part of Webster Cliff Trail is moderate and pleasant as it angles up and across the south end of Mount Webster.

Entering the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness for a while.

 

A mile in, the trail starts to get down to business with this steep rock staircase.

 

The new relocation, 1.2 miles long, will start a bit above here and ascend at moderate to easy grades with many switchbacks, keeping well to the north of the current trail. It will bypass a steep, badly eroded section of trail that has a couple of sketchy spots. The trail will be 0.6 mile longer but more sustainable and more enjoyable to hike. Most of the relocation has been roughed out, except for the lower, eastern section. If all goes well, it should be completed by the end of the fall season.

 

A typical section along the new route.

Impressive benching work on a sidehill.

 

 The relocation will rejoin the existing trail before the first ledge outlook along the Webster Cliffs, elevation 3025 ft. Mts. Bemis, Nancy, Carrigain and Hancock in the distance.

 

 

 

This ledge has an outstanding view of Crawford Notch and is a worthy destination in its own right for a solid half--day hike with 1750 ft. of elevation gain.  Currently 3.6 miles round trip, it will become a 4.8-mile round trip. 

 

Bondcliff, Mount Bond and Mount Guyot off to the west.

 

The Willey Slide - not to be confused with the famed 1826 Willey Slide, which has long since been revegetated. This one is best known as an ice climbing destination.

 

In between its many viewpoints, Webster Cliff Trail leads through ridgecrest conifer forest.

 

An interesting ledge step scramble leading up to the next outlook.

This ledge has an excellent view of the mountains to the south, with pointy Mount Chocorua seen left of center.

A nice easy stretch through the woods.

 

From the next outlook, looking north to Mount Willard and beyond to peaks in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

 

Right above here is one of several very steep ledge scrambles along the ridge. There are also many shorter scrambles, making this a more tiring and strenuous trip than the stats - 3.3 miles, 2750-ft. elevation gain to Mount Webster - would suggest.

 

This spectacular stretch of trail, from the floor of the Notch to Mt. Webster - was cut in 1914 by noted AMC trail-builders George Blaney, Charles W. Blood, Nathaniel L. Goodrich and Paul R. Jenks. The project took them just four days. 

 

 

 

 This expansive ledge area at 3400 ft. was my destination, as I had a late start and didn't have enough time to go all the way to Mount Webster and back down.

 

 

From here you get a peek at Mount Washington (in cloud), Boott Spur, and Montalban Ridge. Here the sun was illuminating Mount Isolation.

 

This ledge area is marked by a large cairn. 

 

 

 

 

The wind was knocking me around a bit, so I hunkered down behind the big cairn for a long break.

 

Great angle on the Willey Range.

 

Looking down on Willey Pond and the Willey House site on the floor of the Notch.

For many years, the AMC White Mountain Guide carried this endorsement for the Webster Cliff Trail: “The views along the cliffs of Mt. Webster are such that anyone with a normal appreciation of the grandeur of mountain scenery will add at least 2 hr. for their enjoyment. There is nothing finer in the White Mountains.”

 

Heading home.

 

 The south end of the Webster Cliffs from the parking area on US 302.

 

 

 

Northwest Ridge, Mount Hale

Mount Hale has a number of good viewpoints, but unfortunately the summit isn't one of them. When I first climbed Hale in 1978, it had terrific views. Nowadays, thanks to prolific tree growth, you must bushwhack to find good views on Hale. The northwest ridge of Hale has several viewpoints, and after traversing it a couple times in winter I wanted to check it out in summer. I figured it would be a more difficult trip in summer, and in that regard I was not disappointed.

 

I went just a short way inn North Twin Trail before starting the whack. 

Mostly open hardwoods on the lower part of this ridge.

In a bit more than an hour I was approaching the first view ledge through prickly conifers.

A fine comfortable perch...

...with an excellent view of North Twin, Peak Above the Nubble, and the wild valley between them.

Also, a view west towards Vermont.

Peak Above the Nubble (PATN).

 

 

 

The steep eastern slides on PATN. 

 

 

 

 

North Twin and the top of its big North Slide.

 

A nearby ledge with a slightly different perspective.

 

 

Hobblebush and ferns behind the ledges. 

Heading up the ridge through a beautiful birch and fern glade. On my last winter trip through here with deep, firm snow, these glades were open snowfields. In the summer, they are a different story, with the ferns obscuring blowdowns and rocks underfoot. Slow going.

I followed a weaving route through conifers and small cliffs to get up a "step" on the ridge.

 

A rather painful push through spiky conifers brought me to a fine south-facing ledge, with the west ridge of Hale rising across the valley traversed by the Firewarden's Trail.

This ledge offers a long view up the remote Little River valley to Zealand Mountain and Mount Guyot at its head.

 

Zoomed view of Zealand, Guyot and a prominent hump-like spur of the Twin Range.

The Twins and PATN.

 

 

 

Nice spot to hang out for a while.

Wide angle shot of the view.

Heading up the ridge to the next outlook.

Glade magic.

Another ledge opening a Little River vista, with South Hale now peering over on the left.

A glacial erratic up behind the ledge. 

 

 

 

 

These outlooks are well-guarded.

 

 

 

 

 

Where the ridge levels out on a broad shoulder there are open areas of dead and dying birches.

 

Lots of moose poop up here.

I came across several moose beds.

 

Wading through ferns, sometimes chest-high.

A Purple Finch landed in a treetop and burst into song.

The Northwest Ridge Trail, maintained by Bullwinkle.

Last of the birch glades.

Into the conifers, fairly open for a while.

From here the woods got scrappier and the terrain became rougher as I made a sidehill approach to a north-facing slide on Mount Hale. To my chagrin, it also started raining, but luckily not for long. No pictures for a while as I was focused on route-finding and footing. Eventually I made my way to the base of a small wet slide above the longer one I was seeking.

I had to descend steeply to reach the top of the longer slide.

Found it! As I suspected, it consisted of wet ledge slab, unsafe to go out on. In winter I was able to snowshoe onto it. But I did get to check out the slide's view (hazy on this day) out to the distant mountains of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. This slide, and a nearby lower one are prominent in a 1939 aerial photo, suggesting that they fell during the November 1927 storm or the September 1938 hurricane.

Burke, Umpire, Bald, East Haven and East Mountains are most prominent in the view.

 

After another brief rain shower, I worked my way through the woods, around and down to the west edge of the slide, where I had emerged in winter.

My exit plan was to go a little way back westward across the slope, then whack south across the crest of the ridge to meet the Firewarden's Trail at one of its switchbacks. For a short distance the going was OK.

But the terrain soon got rough, as it had on my way to the slide.

 

 

Heading up to the broad crest of the ridge.

 

Uh-oh. This is not looking promising. Standing dead trees, blowdowns and young conifers.

A gap created by fallen trees created a view of South and North Twin.

Oh, boy.

This route looked easy on the map, but it turned out to be a poor choice!

 

 

On and on it goes.

 

Feeling the tender caress of cripplebrush. 

 

 

 

 

I was one happy camper when I broke free into reasonable woods.  It had taken 40 minutes to cover maybe a tenth of a mile.

 

 

 

 

The woods were decent the rest of the way to Firewarden's Trail.

 

I had thought I might head up to the summit of Hale, but after the battle with the scrub I decided to head down, as I've been to that summit 21 times over the years. Firewarden's is still a pleasant (unofficial and unmaintained) trail, but increasing usage is causing sections of it to become eroded.

Typical glade along Firewarden's Trail.

View of the Little River along North Twin Trail. Easy walking from here on out.

 

The north slide on Mount Hale from  the gazebo in Twin Mountain. The slab down to its right is the upper end of the lower old slide.