On a 90-degree day, I took a ramble partway into the Ice Gulch, the wild, boulder-strewn gorge cut into the flank of the Crescent Range, renowned for its unique scenery, cool temperatures and challenging hiking. I found temporary relief from the heat in there, and discovered that the numerous boulder scrambles seemed a tad more difficult than they did on my last visit twenty years ago.
Parking for the RMC's Ice Gulch Path is in a mowed grassy area on the south side of Randolph Hill Road, across from a classic barn.
The trail starts up a driveway and soon enters the woods behind the barn. Thanks to the landowners for allowing hiker access.
Guardian of the trailhead.
The trail begins with a gentle descent leading into the Randolph Community Forest.
The trail makes a long northward traverse across the lower eastern slopes of Mt. Crescent, with several easy ups and downs. Along the way it crosses several brooks, which were nearly dry in this mostly rain-free summer. The upper part of the trail, and the Ice Gulch itself, are located in Gorham's Paul T. Doherty Memorial Forest; curiously, this part of the forest is located in Randolph.
It's a pleasant if unremarkable meander through hardwood forest of various ages.
At two miles is the junction with Peboamauk Loop, which provides an alternate access to the foot of the Ice Gulch via Peboamauk Fall.
The Loop makes a very steep descent to Moose Brook.
The waterfall is just a short distance upstream. The temperature was blessedly cool down here.
Peboamauk Fall may be Randolph's most beautiful waterfall, even in low flow.
The waterfall plunges between rock walls on both sides.
The trail climbs very steeply beside the waterfall.
It then continues at an easier grade up though a scenic little section of the Moose Brook valley.
It crosses the brook four times; these were easy in this dry season.
The Ice Gulch begins at a mossy spot fed by the water of Fairy Spring.
A pretty stretch alongside the brook.
Getting rockier with a glimpse of the Gulch's talus ahead,
Let the boulder scrambling begin.
The next 0.7 mile is mostly non-stop scrambling over and around a chaotic jumble of large boulders, many of them tilted at crazy, awkward angles.
Adding to the fun are the deep gaps between many of the rocks.
I've always felt that this stretch of trail is one of the most difficult hikes in the Whites. A true full body workout with lots of pulling, pushing, stretching, straining and crawling.
While a few dogs have done this trail I agree with the RMC statement in the Randolph Paths guidebook: "It is NOT appropriate for dogs - even experienced mountain dogs." Also, not good for young children, nor for anyone when wet.
One of the first to explore the Ice Gulch was Thomas Starr King, who went there in September, 1858. He "found its shadowed side so cold that it was dangerous to rest there, even for a few moments, - so chilly was the breath from the ice-blocks beneath the immense boulders, which the winter hides there in the hope perhaps of defying the sun yet with a glacier in New Hampshire."
The most ice is found, even in summer, in the mostly sunless upper part of the gulch, where the walls close in and the rocks are mossy and slippery. Today I wanted to visit only the lower part of the gulch, where the ravine is more open with a large talus slope on the north side. The boulders are bigger here but they get some sun and on this day were dry and grippy.
A steep rise ahead. This is the most open area in the gulch.
I climbed up onto the talus slope on the north side and found a good seat for a long late lunch break. Even in the sun, the temperature was comfortable here.
Once you're in the gulch, there's no getting out except through the bottom or the top.
After an hour's break, I dropped back down to the trail and headed up the steep pitch for a slightly different view.
This spot required some balancing atop the rocks to the left while peering down into the gaps.
Good scrambling.
Above here I made an unsuccessful search for a geocache.
Nice view out to the town of Gorham, part of Shelburne Moriah, and distant Caribou Mountain.
This is the end of the open talus section; beyond here the gulch closes in. Time to head back down.
The trail through the Ice Gulch was originally blazed in 1884 by AMC Randolph stalwarts William H. Peek and George A. Sargent. Peek penned a very detailed description of the gulch in the December 1884 issue of Appalachia, providing measurements in feet of each distinct section of the ravine, known as "chambers." The three chambers and the "Vestibule" at the top are separated by "transverse ridges of rock fragments" (Randolph Paths).
One of the deeper holes.
Heading back down the easy section of the Ice Gulch Path. Climbing out of the ravine was like entering a blast furnace. During one 1880s visit, William H. Peek noted a difference of as much as 34 degrees between the gulch and the woods above.
Before heading home, I took a stroll on the Church Path behind the Randolph Church.
There is a nice view of Mt. Madison from the field at the Randolph Cemetery.
It's a pleasant trail that leads a half-mile to Randolph Hill Road.
I made a quick stop at Peek Park on Route 2, a memorial to William H. Peek.
Here there is a fittingly fine view of Mounts Madison and Adams.
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