A mellow ramble into the lower half of the Great Gulf, with a bushwhack to a small slide with a big view that likely fell in 2023.
Great Gulf was the first Wilderness area designated in the White Mountains, as part of the 1964 Wilderness Act.
The long way to Mount Washington.
Suspension footbridge over the Peabody River.
A beautiful new sign.
Nice easy start to the Great Gulf Trail.
Ledgy cascade along the West Branch of the Peabody.
Into the Wilderness after 1.6 gentle miles.
Big rock.
Scenic spot along the West Branch.
Only a little bit of steeper climbing en route to The Bluff.
Arriving at The Bluff, a gravelly bank high above the West Branch.
Framed view of Mount Washington's Chandler Ridge.
The best views at The Bluff are obtained by a scramble up onto the tall boulder in the center of the photo. It seems a little harder every time I do it!
From the flat top of the boulder you can look up to Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams towering above the Great Gulf.
There's a great angle on Jefferson's Knee, up which Six Husbands Trail follows its improbable route.
Adams displaying the finest peak in the Presidentials.
Great Gulf Trail drops steeply to a crossing of Parapet Brook on large rocks - easy in the current low water conditions.
I went up and over the little ridge and down to the West Branch, to check out the crossing by the closed suspension footbridge. It looked unappealing on the downstream side of the bridge.
More feasible but still not easy, in my opinion, on the upstream side.
The bridge. Repairs could take place in 2027 or 2028; meanwhile the Appalachian Trail follows a detour route.
Back up on the little hogback ridge between the West Branch and Parapet Brook, I turned onto Madison Gulf Trail, which follows this little spine, with a view up to Mount Adams near the start.
The trail follows the hogback for 0.2 mile.
A bit farther up I started the bushwhack towards the slide with a climb up a steep slope.
Decent mixed woods en route to the slide.
Arriving at the top of the slide, which drops 220 feet almost to the West Branch with a slope of 29 degrees. Carter Dome and Wildcat in the distance.
Down-look.
Side view. At its widest, the slide is 85 feet across. A perusal of satellite photos suggests that this slide fell in late 2023, perhaps in the big December rainstorm.
Nice view of Middle and South Carter, Mount Hight and Carter Dome.
Zoom on Hight and the Dome. The big NW slide on Carter Dome was hidden in shadow.
Looking up. Careful foot placement needed on this loose slope.
Back at the top, the full spread of Wildcat Ridge revealed.
Zoomed.
Heading back down the hogback on Madison Gulf Trail.
Late afternoon light on Mount Adams.
Made a little loop on the way back along Osgood Cutoff, normally part of the AT.
Shadowy view of the upper Great Gulf and Mount Jefferson from an open spot near Osgood Cutoff.
Along Osgood Cutoff, a pleasant trail 0.6 mile long.
Layout of Osgood Tentsite.
Descending the lower section of Osgood Trail, which is temporarily part of the AT.
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