9/4-5/05

Mounts Webster 3910’ and Jackson 4052’

6.5 miles 2500’ Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy and Emma

This was a trip I needed to take. It turned out very nicely and will go down as one of those trips you’ll always remember. We climbed on a Sunday afternoon hoping to avoid the human traffic. Making our usual loop by taking the Webster/Jackson Trail to Mount Webster, the only people we ran into were on thier way down which was great. We camped at an undisclosed spot, (if you’ve poked around up there, you know where it is). After setting up camp we ate a supper consisting of sandwiches previously bought at the AMC Highland Center near the trailhead. There was a stiff breeze as we watched the amazing sunset. The clouds were taking on animal shapes in the surrounding sky as the setting sun drenched them in colors from gold to magenta.

Mount Washington to our northeast had a cap cloud which seemed to draw itself back revealing the sunset and allowing the summit crew a peek into heaven before swallowing them again in a foggy mist. The pictures do a better job to describe the experience than my words but nothing can do it justice except being there. Truly the type of thing which leaves an indelible impression on your soul and reminds you how sweet life is and how blessed we are to be able to enjoy it in this way. The sky glow lasted well into the night but when it was dark enough to go out and look the view of the Milky Way was outstanding, again burning it’s impression into our souls with it’s majesty. So many stars that they appear to be shining water droplets that make up a cloud stretching from the northern horizon all the way to the southern horizon and back. Planets stick out like running lights on an airplane. The absent moon was incapable of drowning out the starshine and the clear crisp New England September air made the conditions perfect for star gazing. As beautiful as the sunset had been the stars rivaled it in excellence and only the cold crisp air drove us back in to the warmth of our sleeping bags.

Sheltered in the rocks and trees the air rushed through the cedars which created a ceiling above our tent and lulled us to sleep with it’s calm voice. In the night we had visitors. I shot awake from a semi-catatonic state to the sound of a nearby howl. Fortunately in my semi concious state the first thought to go through my mind was “That was no coyote!”. Waiting in the half panicked silence for the next sound it became apparent that what was approaching the summit was a pack of humans, not wild dogs. The howling had been in celebration of reaching the last summit on what had apparently been a Presidential Traverse. Sticking my head out of the tent, still not sure of what was going on and hoping they weren’t here to share our campsite, I counted seven or eight excited hikers who must have been exhausted but were revived by reaching the last summit on their trek. They stayed only a few minutes and made so much noise in their exhileration that they never heard Emma barking at them, though I think they did notice our tent set back in the trees. After they left the peace and quiet was enjoyed all the more for the rest of the night.

Nature called at dawn and getting up to pee was enough reason to stay up and resume the sky watch. The eastern sky was bright and eminating its light in all directions long before the sun climbed above the ridge to our east. Purple and magenta again stained the clouds above the horizon and the valleys were full of tiny patches of fog near where the ponds and streams had created them with their warmer than air water temperatures. As the sun finally climbed above the ridge created by the southeast reaching finger of Mount Washington known as Boott Spur we watched as the shadow line crept down the eastern face of Mounts Willey and Field directly across Crawford Notch to our west. The sun had risen on another perfect September morning.

We had a light breakfast and some tea followed by a short walk south along the Webster Cliff Trail and then we packed up and headed north along the same trail to the summit of Mount Jackson. By this time the morning sun lit up the surrounding mountains in all directions. After spending some quality time on this summit it was hard to drag ourselves away to start the trail down. Eventually we did and the trip down through the woods was bittersweet as I longed to stay above the trees. Gray Jays came by for hand outs as we descended and warned us that these beautiful autumn days were numbered here in the notch. I wish I could sleep on a mountain top every night.