Boot Spur is a subpeak on Mt Washington’s south face within the White Mountains and the Bigelow Garden is the grassy tableland between them. It’s not an space frequented by most White Mountain hikers as a result of it isn’t on the official 4000-footer checklist, regardless that Boot Spur Mountain has an elevation of 5492′. The individuals who make up peak lists don’t “rely” mountains which are too shut to at least one one other which explains what Mt Washington bought on the 4000-footer checklist and Boot Spur didn’t. The truth is, many mountains within the Whites are larger than 4000′ however should not on the Appalachian Mountain Membership 4000 footer checklist.
Probably the most direct option to climb Boot Spur is up the Boot Spur Path which begins in Pinkham Notch. Each it and the Tuckerman Ravine Path run parallel to one another, climbing up reverse sides of Tuckerman Ravine, an enormous glacial valley on the southeast facet of Mt Washington.
The underside half of the Boot Spur Path climbs by way of the forest earlier than breaking above the treeline at 4000′. It’s a really steep path, climbing 3200′ in 2.9 miles earlier than ending when it reaches the Davis Path, the second oldest repeatedly maintained path in america. As soon as above the treeline, the path is totally uncovered to wind and climate and never a spot you need to be in a thunderstorm when lightning is a major hazard.
The final 1500′ ft of the Boot Spur Path climbs up a path marked by rock cairns earlier than traversing a boulder subject to the summit space which is definitely somewhat anticlimactic, given the encompassing surroundings. As an alternative of being a well-defined peak like its neighbors, Mt Washington or Mtr Monroe, the summit of Boot Spur is a small bump on the south finish of the Bigelow Garden, not even meriting a summit signal. As an alternative, you’re handled to an online of cairn-topped trails extending to the horizon, beckoning you to discover the grassland earlier than you.
I proceeded to just do that, mountain climbing down the Camel Path on the east facet of the Bigelow Garden to the Lake of the Clouds Hut beneath Mt Monroe. I’d misplaced a bottle of water whereas climbing the Boot Spur Path, most likely after I stopped for a sandwich and wanted to fill my remaining empty bottle, and an additional delicate bottle I carry after I must hike for prolonged dry stretches and not using a water supply. I knew I’d want not less than 2 extra liters for the route I’d deliberate, however that I might resupply beneath treeline if I wanted extra. There are a number of pure water sources alongside the higher part of the Tuckerman Ravine Path the place you possibly can filter/deal with consuming water.
The Camel Path weaves its method throughout the garden earlier than descending previous the small alpine tarns adjoining to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut run by the Appalachian Mountain Membership. The hut has a potable water spigot on the skin the place hikers can refill their bottles. There are additionally benches exterior the place you possibly can sit to relaxation and chat with different hikers passing by.
My aim for this journey was to hike all the paths on the Bigelow Garden together with the Camel, the Southside Path, the Davis Path, Tuckerman Crossover, and the Garden Cutoff, earlier than heading again down beneath treeline on the Tuckerman Ravine Path again to the Pinkham Notch Guests Middle.
Why would you need to try this? I’ve determined to hike all the paths within the White Mountain Information once more, all 650+ trails (1475 miles of trails), one thing I’ve accomplished twice earlier than this (known as White Mountain Information Redlining). The paths are positioned throughout, from southern New Hampshire to the Canadian Border and from Hanover, NH all the way in which into western Maine. The final time it took me 4 years to complete them, however this time it would most likely take longer as a result of they’re not my sole focus…extra like an informal pastime that I pursue a bit of bit at a time.
However why? The easy reply is that I’ve actually loved the entire adventures I’ve had previously mountain climbing these trails, and I need to do it once more. I’ve discovered that I neglect trails after about 6 years and actually, there’s no place I’d somewhat hike, with the doable exception of Scotland, than within the White Mountains. It’s that good and it’s proper exterior my entrance door. However I’ve some concepts about how one can do issues a bit of in another way this spherical.
From the hut, I hiked up the Tuckerman Crossover path to the Davis Path Junction after which adopted the Davis Path to its northern finish on the junction with the Crawford Path. I then backtracked alongside the Davis Path to the Southside Path which travels by way of the underside of Washington’s summit cone, which is a boulder subject. Once I reached the tip of that path, I hiked up the east facet of the Tuckerman Crossover Path to the Davis Path once more and headed south to complete the part I’d missed, earlier than turning onto the Garden Cutoff, which I adopted to the massive cairn on the prime of the Tuckerman Ravine Path. In different phrases, a typical Redliner path to hike each part of all the paths with as little duplicate effort as doable.
Having accomplished my objectives, I headed down the steep Tuckerman Ravine Path to the snow ranger’s hut on the base of the ravine and had a snack whereas chatting with some climbers who’d climbed Pinnacle Gulley that day in Huntington Ravine. I favor the Boot Spur Path for mountain climbing as much as the Bigelow Garden over the Tuckerman Ravine Path as a result of it’s far more scenic and there are far fewer folks on it. Tuckerman Ravine makes for a fast departure down the flanks of Washington again to Pinkham Notch although, however after the ravine, the path down makes for a far much less inspiring exit.
Nonetheless, the awe I felt strolling throughout the grassy open Bigelow Garden is what stands out about this hike. I’ve a sense I could also be visiting the Jefferson garden within the not-to-distant future, to expertise extra of the identical in one other elegant place within the Presidential Vary.
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