Summits: Mount Pierce (4,310')
Trail route: Crawford Path, Webster Cliff Trail
Trail conditions: Lots of ice on the trail
Weather: Sunshine to high clouds with cool temps
Total miles: 6.4
Total time: 5:00
Since I have just recovered from a bad bout of bronchitis with some residual symptoms still lingering but very minor I had not hiked a 4,000 footer in over a month. So with good weather in the forecast today I thought a hike to Mount Pierce would be a good test to see how well I was really feeling. This is one of the easier 4,000 footer hikes and has some great views.
As I started the hike there was a light dusting of snow on the ground and ice on the the trail. The ice was not a problem and easy to get around but that would change. The further up the trail I went the more ice there was along with water from recent heavy rain. Past the Mizpah Cutoff the ice on the trail increased.
I was surprised by the amount of ice on the trail especially since there has been very warm weather this month but apparently it got cold quickly over the past couple of days. It got to the point where it was no longer possible to walk around the ice and the microspikes went on.
There was a thick coating of snow on the trees as I made my way up the Webster Cliff Trail to the summit. It was a beautiful day up there with blue sky, sunshine and no wind. I lingered on the summit and just below it enjoying the views and sunshine. I then began my descent. I managed to get back down without any slips or falls by carefully negotiating the ice along the way.
While the first two miles of my hike today were a little tough I managed to work through it and felt better after that. It was great to get out for a hike on such a beautiful day. I now hope to increase my hiking over the next couple of weeks in order to prepare myself for some tough grid hiking in December.
Enjoy the photos and video!
A view of the Presidentials on the drive to the trailhead
Snow on the Willey Range
A slight coating of snow at the trailhead
A very slippery bridge over Gibbs Brook
Gibbs Brook waterfall
Waterfall through icicles
Getting up into snow covered trees
Morning sun through the trees
Gray Jay above me
Very icy past the Mizpah Cutoff
Icy brook
Frosty trees and blue sky
Icy trail
First view from the trail
More icy trail
Snowy Presidential summits
Wintry
Snow-coated vegetation
At the summit cairn on Mount Pierce
A last look at the summit before descending
A bench with a view
Clouds clear revealing Mount Washington
Glad I brought the microspikes
Gibbs Falls
Back at the trailhead
Mount Washington on the drive home
Bretton Woods snowmaking operations were in full force
Having Fun in the Great Outdoors!
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