It was a spectacular cool, sunny, breezy day for hiking the classic Tripyramid Slides loop - up the North Slide, across the North, Middle and South Peaks, and down the South Slide.
White Cascade on Slide Brook is always worth a stop when hiking up the Livermore Trail.
Sun-dappled strolling through the hardwoods.
Early hobblebush color at the junction with the section of Mount Tripyramid Trail that leads to the South Slide.
The section leading to the North Slide is a mile farther along Livermore Trail.
The trail makes a moderate half-mile climb up Avalanche Ravine, following Avalanche Brook, and passes through lush hardwood forest featuring some large yellow birches.
The trail then turns up to begin the ascent of the North Slide, which is moderate at first, soon reaching the first ledge slabs, which are at a fairly steep angle. Due to the extensive scrambling up steeper ledges above this point, the North Slide is considered one of the most difficult trail sections in the Whites, and merits its inclusion on the "Terrifying 25" list. It can be dangerous if wet, and descent on this route is not recommended at any time. For readers who have not climbed this section and are curious about it, I've included a number of photos of the route up the slide.
Next is a section of boulder scrambling up a gully.
At ~3100 ft. you encounter the start of the steep ledge slabs. From here to the top of the slide at ~3900 ft. the slope of the slide is 33 to 34 degrees. The next 300-400 ft. of elevation is the most difficult part of the climb. Time to stash the poles - you'll be using your hands frequently.
There is nearly continuous friction climbing on slabs of monzonite, an igneous rock. The rock is grippy when dry. There are only a very few faded yellow blazes marking the route, which stays to the left side in this section. You have to look up and plan your moves up through the ledges, and you have to trust your boots.
A boot wedging maneuver was used to ascend this crack.
The beauty of the North Slide is that once you get partway up these ledges, views appear behind you, first looking at the Osceolas with Mt. Moosilauke seen through Thornton Gap.
One of the rare blazes still remaining.
A tricky boulder scramble.
At ~3500 ft. you break out onto the open upper part of the slide - still very steep, but with broken ledges providing more handholds and footholds, and a variety of routes to choose from. A colony of feathery ferns marks the spot.
Fractured slabs make for fun friction climbing.
More slab scrambling.
Steep enough.
Huge vistas unfold to the north.
Mt. Washington and its Presidential neighbors, undoubtedly buffeted by strong winds this day.
Tecumseh, Moosilauke and the Osceolas.
The ledges go ever upwards. All told, the slide ascends 1200 ft. in 0.5 mile.
The upper part of the slide is expansive. After the North Slide fell during a tremendous rainstorm in August 1885, its entire length was as wide or wider than this. A party that visited the slide just a couple of weeks after it fell marveled at “the vast proportions of the first land-slip. It was a magnificent sight.” The lower half has since been mostly revegetated, but the openness persists up high,
Looking down.
A patch of Labrador tea struggles for survival.
Near the top of the slide I took a long break to savor the marvelous crystal-clear views, which took in 31 NH 4000-footers.
Here the vista extends out to the Wildcats and Carters.
Looking down from the top of the slide, where there is broken rock and gravel. One should take care not to send rocks bounding down towards hikers below. On this midweek day I saw only one other hiker on the slide.
View from the top. Even if you climb North Tripyramid by another trail route, it's well worth descending 200 ft. down the Mount Tripyramid Trail to see this vista.
Into the woods above the slide, where the climbing remains steep to the summit.
The vista is restricted, to say the least, from the little NE viewpoint at the summit of North Tripyramid - except when there is a deep snow platform in late winter.
On the way up Middle Tripyramid, I ran into Philip Carcia, who was in his last week of his effort to complete the “Single Season White Mountain Guide. The SSWMG is the act of hiking all 650+ primary trails in the official White Mountain Guide in a single summer season." This is his third attempt in the last three years. After coming up just a few days short the last two years, he is on track to finish this year before the autumn equinox. He was doing a continuous route through the 4000-footers with loops back to complete various trails. I would see him again on the way down from South Tripyramid.
The western view from Middle Tripyramid is being slowly blotted out by tree growth.
From the summit rock there's still a decent view of Mts. Chocorua and Passaconaway.
The ferny col between Middle and South Tripyramid.
On the way up South, a peek back at North and Middle.
The neat summit crest of South Tripyramid.
The descent to the top of the South Slide is crazy steep.
The unique view to Lost Pass and Sandwich Dome from the top of the South Slide.
Looking down the South Slide, which fell in October 1869 - the first slide on Tripyramid in recorded history.
Long view out to the Lakes Region.
Looking back up at broken rock slabs. Careful attention to footing required.
This scramble is the trickiest spot on the South Slide, which overall is much easier to navigate than the North Slide.
A lone aspen graces the gravelly lower part of the slide.
On the slide runout I met Philip again. He had descended the North Slide and was now ascending the South Slide to "bag" the section of trail from here up to the Kate Sleeper Trail junction. Before I met him on Middle Tripyramid he had climbed Mts. Passaconaway and Whiteface and come across the Kate Sleeper Trail. Yikes!
Evening light in the gorgeous maple glade along the Mount Tripyramid Trail, not far below the South Slide. From here, the 4.7 mi. walk out is smooth cruising with good footing on the south link of Mount Traipyramid Trail and the lower 2.6 mi. of Livermore Trail.
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