Mountain Wandering: A Walk Into Madison Gulf: 8/14/25

I hadn't been up into Madison Gulf in 15 years, and I wanted to check in on both the trail and a three-pronged rockfall slide below the headwall cliffs that I had seen on Google Earth. The trail leading up to the headwall was harder than I remembered it, but it is a beautiful basin. I was able to visit the bottoms of two of the three prongs of the slide for interesting views.

I started out on the familiar lower section of the Great Gulf Trail.

Upstream view of the Peabody River from the suspension footbridge.

Easy strolling on the Great Gulf Trail along a bank high above the West Branch of the Peabody. This is part of a temporary re-route of the Appalachian Trail due to the closure of the footbridge over the West Branch on the combined Great Gulf Trail/Madison Gulf Trail.

Into the Wilderness.

A trailside view of the West Branch of the Peabody.

At 2.7 miles the Great Gulf Trail reaches a high gravelly bank known as The Bluff.

Views are restricted on the ground, but a scramble up a tall trailside boulder rewards with a view of the imposing pyramid of Mount Adams...

...and a look at Mount Jefferson farther up the Great Gulf, with the steep-faced Jefferson's Knee, the route of the challenging Six Husbands Trail, on full display.

Notice about the bridge closure.

After crossing Parapet Brook, on to the Madison Gulf Trail.

This part of the trail starts out on a narrow "hogback" ridge.

Near the start there's a good view of Mount Adams, with the shoulder traversed by the Buttress Trail on the left.

The trail has good footing for the next half-mile.

Fern glade beside the trail.

A crossing of Parapet Brook.

The trail soon gets down to the business of serious climbing.

A glimpse up the Great Gulf to Mt. Clay, from a sidehill section high on the side of the valley.

This ladder has seen better days.

An ascending crossing of a tributary amidst big rocks.

Really big rocks.

Steep climbing. Although Madison Gulf Trail is most noted for its scrambly headwall ascent, just getting up to the headwall is no piece of cake.

Parapet Brook, up high.

There's a fairly long section of trail with awkward footing on slippery rocks.

Parapet Brook, here more moss than water.

Leveling out on the lower floor of Madison Gulf.

Sylvan Cascade, with just a trickle of water, but displaying its vivid moss cover.

A steep rocky pitch leads to the upper floor of the gulf.

A good little scramble here.

The upper floor of Madison Gulf, at 3920 ft.

Parapet Brook, getting smaller.

Heading off into the woods to find one of the slide tracks.

As expected, the terrain was rather gnarly. Had to weave a creative route through the boulders and the gaps between them.

As luck would have it, I came out to a huge boulder that I was able to climb up on. It offered views in several directions.

To the SE, a view of the Carters, Carter Notch and Wildcat.

Zoom on Carter Dome and Wildcat.

To the east and NE, the ledgy flank of Mt. Madison's Osgood Ridge

South to the steep slope of Mt. Adams and the location of the Buttress Trail.

Looking north to the central headwall, where Madison Gulf Trail makes its ascent.

Best of all, a view up the revegetated slide track to the cliffs on the west wall of the bowl.

A black spruce thriving at the base of the big rock.

For the second time on this afternoon, I waited out a passing rain shower, sheltering under the scrub. I could hear three hikers I had chatted with earlier in the day making their way up the headwall.

After the shower moved on, it was time to find my way back to the trail.

There's a variety of big rocks in these scraggly woods.

Somehow I fashioned a route through there.

Double cave.

On my way back to the trail I found the base of a second slide track, with another look up at the cliffs.

At the bottom of the track is this massive rock.

Back on the trail, I continued up to Mossy Slide at the foot of the headwall.

Just above is the first of several ledge scrambles on the steep ascent of the headwall. I went partway up this ledge set, but the rock was damp and slick and the hour was late, so I headed down.