Mt. Washington

Ariel Cohen and myself departed the Pinkham Notch Trailhead at 615 am on August 9th, and took the Tuckerman Ravine Trail up the eastern slope of Mt. Washington.  The trail was very rocky, and might have served as a 4-wheel drive road at some time in the past.  We eventually reached the junction with the Lion Head Trail, which we took to ascend around the northern portion of the Tuckerman Ravine headwall.  Short class 3 scrambling sections were encountered as we made our way up to treeline.  Above treeline, the path flattens out for about a mile before additional boulder hopping and scrambling was encountered.  We then re-connected with the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, made one final push up a steep section that led to the summit, and arrived at the top of New Hampshire at 915-930 am.  Towering cumulus were building around the peak, so we decided to head back down after 30 minutes of rest.  We took the Tuckerman Ravine Trail on the way back down so that we could reach treeline more quickly...just in case lightning occurred.  The descent down the headwall was a nice scenic alternative...full of views consisting of waterfalls and long vistas of Pinkham Notch stretching off to the east.