Mt Washington

“If any of you were on Mt Washington today and noticed a stupid blonde sobbing hysterically - that was me... :(

LOL! No, not really, but I wanted to.

I drove to NH today to hike up the Ammonoosuc (sp) Ravine trail, and down the Jewell Trail. Since I didn't want to go to the car infested summit I planned on taking the Crawford Path and Westside Trail from Lake of the Clouds hut to Jewell.

Much went wrong before I even parked my car (signs meant to turn me back I'm sure, LOL) and I didn't start up until 12:50. Since the guidebook said it takes 2 hrs 50 minutes to get to the hut and the loop was 7-8 hours, I figured I'd just hike Ammonoosuc until I was too uncomfortable with the height and turn back. (I get vertigo, which means as the earth spins so do I)

I was pretty ok on the trail, lots of handholds, I did some monkeywalking, a couple of butt slides and a few just do its. Imagine my surprise when about 2:30ish eau de outhouse wafts down to me and I see the palatial estate the AMC calls a "hut."

So I think heck, I've got time to finish what I started, and I head out over the Crawford Path, nice path. I look over and see what I'm sure is the Westside Trail - and this is where I start the endless arguments with myself - with my adventurous self winning out over my chicken self all the way (btch needs to be exorcised, LOL!) Then I start to really get a good look at the Jewell Trail and I think to myself, why that looks like a ridge trail - sure enough, once you read past the words "easiest trail" it says ridge - which I'm sure I read 100 times and ignored.

I argue that I should go back the way I came (the devil you know...) or at least go to the top and descend to Jewell from there. Nope, adventurous self was in charge of the legs, and I was doing the damn Westside trail.

The trail skirted the side of the mountain, and to me it was very much like starting out on the Knife Edge, except I could kinda lean to the right to offset that magnetic pull over the edge. This is where I wanted to cry, and chicken self actually convinced me to turn back - but when I looked back there were people behind me. Too stubborn to admit defeat even to strangers, I kept moving, sniffing every now and then and thinking how much I HATE Mt Washington. Singing my favorite Monkees tunes to distract me (amazing how few words of "Your Auntie Grizelda" I know...)

Finally the Jewell trail and a momentary reprieve. Got to stand and watch the Cog do some elaborate switch over thing, then hike under the dripping tracks and breathe in the stinking sulpher as it took off.

I could see Jewell was going to have it's moments as well - first we'd be nice and comfy in the scrub, then some stupid cairn would be way out there in the open rock pile where I wasn't going! In one brave moment - holding on with both hands - I looked wistfully at the parking lot where my car was, so many miles away - and decided each step I took would get me closer and it would get better, so I trudged onward...

At my car at 6pm, looking up at the mountain at the trails I just finished...and ready for pizza!

There ya go Bruce, I can write it better than I can tell it. I'm going home to cry in my beer now, and if anyone wants to know where I'll be on Sunday - lean-to #8 at Chimney Pond curled up in a ball whimpering and sucking my thumb while Pennsy hikes all over Katahdin! LOL...”

“Wow, what an adventure Twigster. Come Sunday, I bet you'll be itchin to charge up Katahdin.”

“Everything considered Twigeater, you did good girl. The Jewell trail is not a walk in the park. It involves a lot of boulder hopping and navigating the lower scrubs. My sister, who doesn't have nearly the experience you do, did that loop with me last year. By the end, she was a sniveling puddle of humanity. One reason why I dislike the Jewell trail is that you have to listen to and smell that blasted Cog most of the way down.”

“My boss's boss was in town last week to do her review, and he took us all out to lunch. He mentioned riding the Mt. Washington cog railway, and I asked him if he had been mooned. He said no, so I told him about the tradition of hikers mooning the cog railway.”

“Wow, twigsister!!!

Nicely writen story.

Last night I was watchin' a TV show that included that Cog Railway.
From your description I can smell that greasey RR reek.

Did someone say, "MOON"?”

“I forgot all about the mooning thing, I woulda done it! Two trains were stopped for several minutes, and people were waving to us like hikers were "attractions." Although I did give one of the Cog workers a ride later on, that might've been embarassing, LOL!

I didn't think the trails I did were especially difficult, but I'll never see the Westside trail again, it just about did me in. Flat, but too freakin' scary for me! Too bad really, cause the views were incredible.

I did have a couple of other great hikes this week, a loop using Little Jackson in the Tumbledown area and another great one on the AT to Horns Pond. I had a smile on my face the entire way for that one, and my next overnight will be there!

Today I'm finishing packing up to meet Pennsy tomorrow for 9 days in BSP - can't wait! And yes, I'm itching to get up Katahdin!
(so she says now, LOL)”

“Sayyyyy... did you say you would be at Baxter this weekend? We'll be galabanting all over the place, looking for a new home. Who knows, our travels may take us up that way. Actually, it's not all that likely, but we do wanna come see you in BSP. Oh well. Have fun!!!”