[at-l] Trip Report White Mountains, Day 5;July 24 - Zealand Falls Hut to Mizpah Spring Hut

[papabear.nyc at verizon.net (Papa Bear)]

Here's the Web address for the full report:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2h6gy/papabear/Whites_2003.html

I  previously posted the link to the pictures, but here it is again:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/papabear_2003_Whites

Thursday (July 24th). 

The morning weather was fog, 62 degrees and a forecast of rain.  Today my friends would depart and return to NYC.  They would take the short Zealand Trail out and get an early start.  Meanwhile I had trails to hike and peaks to climb.  Today's trek was to hike to Mizpah Spring Hut via the Willey Ridge where I would bag Mount Tom, Field and Willey.  These three 4000 footers form a ridge on the west side of Crawford Notch.  I would then descend to the Notch and continue up to the hut via the Crawford Path.

I got going around 7:40 AM.  The AMC group (about 25 people all together) were splitting up into groups and some of them would be doing some of the same peaks as I planned for the day, so I got off before things got crowded.  I turned down the Zealand trail and was on the watch for the A-Z trail which would go up the ridge to the right.  The map seemed to show the intersection just before a Lake. I came to a lake and a bridge across it and so I turned back thinking I missed the turn.  I ran into the AMC group and the leader said the intersection was just after the bridge, so back I headed over the bridge and found the intersection soon thereafter.  I headed up the A-Z trail which due to the overgrown shrubbery and the light rain which had started to fall, was a rather wet experience.

The hike up to the ridge line was rather easy. The Willey Ridge Trail went off one way, and the spur to Mount Tom went the other.  I dropped my pack and headed up to Mount Tom.  This was very easy except the last few hundred yards which was steep and rocky.  This would be typical of all three peaks I would summit today.  On the Tom summit there was a bench to sit on and relax!  That was nice.  So I sat momentarily and enjoyed the fog and rain.  Then back down I went to the A-Z Trail intersection.  Upon arriving there, I found the first AMC group getting ready to do the same summit.  I said it had taken me about 45 minutes round trip, but they seemed skeptical that they would finish in that time.  One guy said he wished his pack was a small as mine.  He had a monstrous external frame pack that looked like it held enough stuff to cross the Yukon Territories! I just smiled and went on.  These folks were out here having a good time. Far be it for me to lecture them on packing light.  They were learning by doing, that's the best way.

Now it was off to Mount Field.  I left the AMC group behind and started along the ridge line on the Willey Ridge Trail. As with Mount Tom this was easy going till the last 50 - 100 yards where the trail got rocky.  The trail to Mount Willey continues straight on another 1.4 miles.  It seemed steeper down from on the Willey side of Mount Field than up on the Tom side.  The trail angles off to the right (west) and at times the spruce has almost overgrown the trail as it traverses the side of the ridge.  A good brushing here would help.  Since I would have to retrace this portion of the trail after bagging Willey, I dropped my pack at what seemed like the low point.

I arrived at the Willey summit (steep and rocky the last few hundred yards - you guessed it!) and guess what?  I had a great view of the fog!  After the obligatory picture of my hat (when there's no one around to take my picture, I put my hat on the summit cairn and take the picture of the hat), I turned around and backtracked towards Mount Field.  I picked up my pack (luckily not stolen) and made my way back.  I would be descending on the Avalon Trail, which intersects the ridge trail just before (south) Mount Field.  I took the right turn and proceeded  down the gentle slope towards Crawford Notch.

This was called the Avalon Trail and there were some open sub-alpine meadows with good views down towards the Notch. Eventually after about 35 minutes I reached an intersection of a spur trail which said "Mount Avalon, 100 yds".  Mount Avalon?  Never even thought about Mount Avalon. I guess there had to be one if there was an Avalon trail.  And "100 yards" - how hard could that be?  So off I went and found that 100 yards could be very hard indeed.  Mount Avalon is a rocky knob that juts up from the side of Mount Field and it took a good bit of huffing and puffing with hands and feet to climb it.  But it offered a nice view when I made it and was a little break on my otherwise very long down hill trek to Crawford Notch.  There was a couple with a little dog that was out for a day hike who came up just after me.  They seemed familiar with the place but don't ask me how that little dog got up those ledges.  Don't get me wrong, this was not the Matahorn, just a big rock coming at an unexpected time and place.

The trail from there on down was very steep and rocky for about another mile.  This was a slow section for me and tough on the knees.  Finally the A-Z trail, which I had started on this morning, came in from the left and the gradient became much gentler.  As I approached the Notch, signs of civilization increased: litter, day hikers in Bermuda shorts, etc.  You know the signs.  I came out of the woods about 1:45 PM. It had been a long but productive morning.  There was an old renovated railroad depot there, and a tourist train was getting ready to start back to North Conway. I'd actually like to take that trip someday. I understand it is very scenic as it goes down the Notch.  I took a break here.  The weather was a bit brighter now and I had a coke from a coke machine.  There's nothing like a cold can of coke when you've been on trail food for four days!

After my break, I crossed the road and started up the Crawford Path, originally cut in 1819 and the first route up Mt. Washington.  Like many trails I had hiked this week, this was quite steep, but not too rough.  It rises about 2000' in 2.6 miles (including the .7 miles of the Mizpah Cut-off at the top).  As I made my way up this trail, whom should I see but various members of the AMC group.  After their hike over the ridge they had had a box lunch delivered to them in the Crawford Path parking lot, and were now headed up to the Mizpah Hut, as was I.  As a runner we use a term called "road kill".  It's not birds or skunks left on the side of a highway after an unfortunate encounter with a car, but it is slower folks passed and left behind by faster folks along a course.  Well, I know this was not a race, HYOH, and all that,  but we did start together at Zealand Hut this morning, so I was proud to notch 12 road kills on my way up the Crawford Path and the Mizpah Cut-off.  Shame on me for thinking such thoughts!

I reached the hut about 3:30.  It had been a long wet day, but the weather seemed to have turned and there was a bit of sunshine.  I laid out my wet stuff on some rocks out behind the hut, and proceeded to read and take a rest.  Around about 5:00 PM I suddenly heard a noise from outside.  It was nothing less than a downpour!  Oh sh*t!  All my stuff is out there "drying" in the sun.  So I threw on my rain top and scampered out to collect my soaking wet stuff.  I wrung it out as best I could and poured the water out of my boots.  So much for the best laid plans of mice and men.  Most of the stuff would dry out a little and would be wearable in the morning, but I needed a strategy to keep my socks from getting soaked from inside my boots.  I found the library was the best place to dry stuff.  It was in the peak of the A-frame building up above and overlooking the dining area and the warm air seemed to funnel itself through this room.  So I hung my stuff as best I could.

Supper was great as usual.  As we were eating the fog suddenly rolled in and outside it got very dark.  Very eerie.

Miles: 13.6,   elevation gain: 3950', peaks: Mt. Tom*, Field*, Willey*, Avalon.

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