Mt Madison is the fifth highest 4000-footer within the White Mountains, topping off at 5367′. It’s a good looking mountain to climb and you’ll comply with many various trails to the highest. For this hike, I selected one of many much less used ones, referred to as the Pine Hyperlink Path, which approaches the mountain from the northeast. It’s a steep climb, gaining over 3500′ of elevation in 3.5 miles earlier than reaching the Watson Path, which runs for 0.3 miles to the summit.
The winds have been forecast to be 20-25 mph with gusts as excessive as 30 mph, sunny climate, and a temperature within the mid-to-high 40’s (F). In different phrases, fairly average autumn situations, though an enormous change from the sweltering summer time we’ve been having. I packed some hotter layers in case they have been wanted and wore lengthy pants for a hike, the primary time since final spring.
Mt Madison through Pine Hyperlink
Madison was the final peak I wanted to summit to “grid out” September, which means it will be the forty eighth separate 4000-footer that I wanted to climb for the month for The White Mountains Grid. It is a nutty peakbagging record I’m engaged on that requires climbing every of the forty-eight 4000-footers in every calendar month of the 12 months (12 months), for a complete of 576 summits. Whereas climbing that many 4000-footers isn’t straightforward, the arduous half is doing it in every calendar month, what with the ferocious climate we’ve got within the White Mountains, particularly in winter.
I surmise that the Pine Hyperlink Path is much less frequented for 2 causes. First, the filth street to the trailhead, referred to as Pinkham Street B, is certainly off the crushed monitor and most of the people don’t even understand it exists. Then, there’s the difficulty of maps. Folks don’t appear to hold paper maps anymore and aren’t conscious of the huge community of trails you’ll be able to take to the summit as a result of they’re not seen all of sudden on their tiny cellular phone screens. Though, even then, I bumped into two hikers who didn’t even have cellular phone maps on this hike, not to mention paper ones, and wanted to be directed the place to go. You actually desire a map in hand if you go climbing within the Presidential Vary! It’s simply too harmful to not know the place you might be.
The final time I hiked up the Pine Hyperlink path was a number of years in the past, so I’d forgotten simply how steep it’s. It begins with a bang and simply by no means lets up. It’s not some filth path with switchbacks, however a relentless scramble up a rocky path, with 1900′ of elevation achieve earlier than you even attain the primary viewpoint and may get a glimpse of Mt Madison, towering up forward.
The Pine Path coincides on the two-mile mark with the Howker Ridge Path for about 0.3 miles earlier than splitting off once more, just under treeline. The Howker is one other much less used path, however one you don’t wish to miss as a result of it additionally has some spectacular views because it climbs Madison, coming from the north.
Each the Pine Hyperlink Path and the Howker Ridge Path have “howks” that are small treeless peaklets the place you’ll be able to cease to relaxation in your journey up Madison, have a chew to eat, and gaze in marvel on the valleys beneath. I took benefit of them going each methods, up and down.
The Pine Hyperlink Path climbs as much as a small garden at 5000′ on the north aspect of Madison, just under the summit. I bumped into two folks sitting once I made it to that time and we chatted for some time earlier than I continued to the Watson Path Junction.
Informal hike conversations within the Whites often go like this:
“Good day”
“Sure, it’s attractive. The views are nice.”
“Are you engaged on any lists?”
I believe 99% of the folks I meet climbing and chat with are engaged on some record. That’s not a foul factor as a result of it actually binds the climbing group collectively when it comes to a shared expertise, in any respect ranges. The climbing group within the White Mountains is simply out of this world when it comes to measurement, friendliness, and charity. It’s only a great out of doors mecca in so some ways.
Once I bought to the Watson Path signal, I ended to take all of it in, earlier than heading up the boulder discipline towards the Madison summit. Alongside the best way, I ran right into a fellow climbing down and selecting his approach between the boulders. I began a dialog and shortly found he was a long-ass part hiker (LASH) who thought he was on the Appalachian Path. However he wasn’t, and he didn’t have a map or a working Smartphone with a navigation app to even understand it.
I had him comply with me again as much as the summit of Madison, which was solely 100 ft of elevation achieve, the place I pointed him in the suitable path, happening the Osgood Path which runs over the summit after which down a protracted uncovered ridge in direction of Pinkham Notch. We chatted for some time since I used to be headed in the identical path and we found that we shared the identical hometown in Pennsylvania, earlier than I despatched him on his approach. He was fairly grateful for redirect, however I shudder to suppose what would have turn out to be of him if he’d continued on his course once I met him.
I hadn’t spent a lot time on the Madison summit, so I continued to go again down, turning onto the higher part of the Howker Ridge Path to get again to the purpose the place it merges with Pine Hyperlink Path once more. I’ve climbed the Howker Ridge Path a minimum of 4 instances beforehand, however I’d by no means gone down it ever earlier than….and I by no means will once more. The primary 1.2 miles of the descent have been a troublesome scramble, even for an previous goat like me.
I breathed a sigh of reduction once I made it to the Pine Hyperlink Path and commenced my descent. However I bumped into one other couple at 3500′ that in search of “The Monastery”, which is de facto only a religiously oriented summer time camp positioned about 4 miles south on an adjoining peak and labeled as such. No map once more. No packs and no water. “The instructions I bought from somebody on social media have been completely mistaken,” they stated.
I didn’t voice my suspicion, that the instructions have been right, however that they adopted the Pine Hyperlink Path, not Pine Mtn Street. Each trails are 180 levels reverse from each other and their locations are very clearly marked by signage. What’s just a little staggering is that they didn’t notice it till they’d climbed 2000′ in 2 miles (on the best way to the fifth highest peak within the Whites) and got here throughout somebody to ask. So I pointed them in the suitable path, which was again the best way they’d come, and saved heading downhill.
That is the fifth month I’ve gridded out this 12 months and brings me to a complete of 465 summits of the 576 required to complete. There’s nonetheless a whole lot of climbing left and most of it’s in winter situations, which is extra enjoyable than it sounds. Particularly, as a result of there are not any bugs!
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