“If lucky enough to get above the treeline on a clear July day, your reward is an unobstructed view of a stirring expanse of massive peaks, running in a crest from north to south.”
—from 4000s by 40
This page shows pictures from Chapter 25 in 4000s by 40. This was the big one. The Presidential Traverse. Eight 4000-footers. Two other mountains just for kicks. And if you count all the subpeaks,17 separate peaks—all in one day. I never tasted anything so good as the Dr Pepper my wife had waiting for me when I reached the end. To learn more, you can check out the book [here]. And to go along with the photos below, I’ve also added a quick retelling of events, along with quotes, to give a small sense of what you’ll find in the book. Enjoy!
The Webster-Jackson Trail
It never occurred to me to stay in the huts. I knew they were there. I even planned to stop in at all of them to refill my water, but I always planned to do the eight 4000-footers of the Presidential Traverse in one shot. We’ll blame it on the prospect of turning forty and having to “test myself.” Oh, the issues we create.
To get me started, I chose to approach the traverse from the southside of things by taking the Webster-Jackson Trail. Across the street from the trailhead is a little parking area, where I arrived right at sunup to ensure the hike would benefit from as much sunlight as possible. After a quick review of my gear, I headed out, purposely taking little water to save myself some weight. I didn’t need to bring as much as I did on the Carter-Moriah Range hike, because all of the huts on the traverse give you plenty of places to fill up. So, all I needed to do was get going.
Now I’m Awake!
Quickly into the journey I bumped into a woman going to the bathroom in the middle of the trail. If I wasn’t feeling quite awake before, I certainly was now! Why she chose the exact center of the trail was beyond me, but I kept my head down when she said it was okay to pass, and I made it to the summit of Mount Jackson in no time. Embarrassing run-ins can really increase your speed.
Jackson is beautiful and one of my favorite 4000-footers. Really, the first three along the traverse are hard to beat. After having climbed so many of them at this point in my adventure, I was taking stock of which ones I’d like to go back to, and Jackson, Pierce, and Eisenhower made a good case for why they all deserved repeat visits.
After summitting Jackson, you make your way over to Pierce. But before you do, make a pitstop at the Mizpah Hut. Here I filled my three water bottles: one for each summit in between huts. There were more than three summits to get to Washington, but I figured I could always stop at the Lonesome Lake Hut if necessary. I wasn’t worried. I drink a little bit like a camel. No nursing sips, just gulping whole bottles at each summit.
The Underrated Mount Pierce
I can’t understand it, but nobody ever seems to talk about how beautiful Mount Pierce is when discussing the 4000-footers. At least, I haven’t heard anyone say much about it. But it’s one of my favorites, if not my very favorite. The views on the southerly part of the Presidentials carry a softer magic than their hard-scrabble neighbors to the north, and as I crossed over Pierce, several southbound hikers told me that I was, indeed, going the wrong way. I didn’t know it at the time, but the preferred route to tackle the Presidential Traverse is to head south, ending at Jackson, mostly because of the views, but also to get the harder mountains out of the way first.
But whichever direction you choose to hike it, this part of the rim is heavenly, and rivals the ridgelines you see in those “big mountain” states that get all the press. I’ve climbed in Colorado, Wyoming, California, and a bunch of other places out west, and I’d hold this section of mountains up against any of those when it comes to their visual appeal and rugged rewards.
Summit of Mount Pierce
Mount Eisenhower on the Crawford Path
Mount Eisenhower is another one that doesn’t seem to get the love I think it deserves. The big difference to me is that this side of the traverse possesses a fuller, more vibrant green, giving the entirety of the panorama a healthier glow. On a beautiful summer day, it ranks high amongst the best places to be in New England.
Because Eight 4000-footers Wasn’t Enough: Mount Franklin
Another bizarre requirement for my journey was the need to include Mount Franklin and Mount Clay on the traverse. I could have skipped them, but I was quite addicted to peakbagging at the moment. Franklin came up first, as it sits on the southside of Mount Washington, and is really another quite beautiful peak. I’d be happy returning to it anytime, and really any of the Presidential peaks below Washington, if for no other reason than to better explore each mountain individually. Each one of them deserves some undivided attention.
But I didn’t need to climb Franklin. I guess I just figured that while I was there, I might as well see them all. By the end of the day, I climbed ten distinct mountains: 8 Presidentials and two extra mountains because I like punishing myself. If you include their subpeaks, it was by some measures a 15-peak day. By others, 17 or more. Really, I don’t know what I was thinking. But somehow, given where my fitness was then, it all worked out pretty well.
The views, the views! How about them views?
The Last Big Step Before Mount Washington: Mount Monroe
I wasn’t dying yet, but perhaps slowing down a little. I was supposed to meet my family on the summit of Mount Washington for lunch, so I started pushing a little harder and my body started resisting a little more. The terrain leading up and over Monroe transitions into a rockier landscape—one that carries for much of the rest of the traverse until you hit the saddle between Madison and Adams. Then it starts back up again on Madison. It’s a brutal stretch but I developed a little mantra to keep the pain at bay.
“My legs are light. My legs are light. My legs are light.”
Washington’s summit becomes visible as you emerge above the treeline on Jackson (if the weather is clear), but the cell towers at the top become increasingly clear as you approach the Lake of the Clouds. The Lake of the Clouds Hut rests nearby, giving you another much-needed hydration stop before making the next ascent. With my family waiting for me somewhere in the distance, however, I wasn’t feeling too thirsty for anything other than their company.
Upon Mount Washington
If I’m being totally honest, Mount Washington is in some ways, a small disappointment. It feels a little Disney-like at the summit, which is a hard thing to digest after toiling through so much terrain to earn your spot there. At the summit sign, people who drove their cars up the mountain wait in line to take their picture, while sipping on large sodas and eating fried food. Trying not to think about it, I focused on my family, who clambered down the rocky summit to greet me as I came up the final stretch. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see them.
After a thirty-minute lunch and some good laughs, I got the second wind I needed to take care of the harder half of the traverse. Crossing the cog railway tracks, I started on the Gulfside Trail towards Mount Clay, Jefferson and Adams. In the race against daylight, I didn’t take my time to enjoy what I had done until I reached Adams. Clay was a passthrough and Jefferson was so rocky and uncomfortable to sit on, I gave it little time. But Adams felt like I could start to celebrate, and so I did, enjoying the views, some water, and a Payday bar.
The Final Push: Adams, Madison, and the Valley Way Trail
“Seeing how far I’d come with my fitness and my ability to bang out mountains relative to a bunch of guys in their twenties made me feel like a flipping rock star.”
At the summit of Adams, I met some younger guys who couldn’t believe it when I told them where I started out that morning. They were on their third day of climbing the traverse and were completely whooped. I can’t say for sure, but it’s possible I was in the best shape of my life.
As was becoming custom, I finished my hike in the dark as I travelled down the Valley Way Trail. But unlike my other climbs, with about a mile left to go, I was greeted by some little voices rising through the night. Kids? Never one to wait, my wife grabbed the kids and headed up the trail to meet me and help me finish the hike. It was a beautiful gesture and a perfect way to finish an epic day in the mountains. The kids asked me a million questions and were so psyched about what I just did, I couldn’t help but feel happy despite the overwhelming pain I was in. It was the best. To cap it all off, they had a Dr Pepper waiting for me in the minivan when we got back to the trailhead. It was the best Dr Pepper I’ve ever had.
“Having your kids think you are cool for a nanosecond is worth the slog up any mountain.”
On Your Own Journey
One of the things I learned along the way is that while the reasons we may all head to the mountains might be different, the experience is a shared one. If you like reading about mountains, the 4000-footers, and the ups and downs of getting “out there,” come check out more stories at 4000s by 40.
Looking for photos of more 4000-footers? Head back to the 4000s by 40 Visual Companion to explore the other peaks.
🧭 Ascent Details: Presidential Traverse (Jackson to Madison)
Route: Webster-Jackson Trail → Mount Jackson → Webster Cliff Trail → Mount Pierce → Crawford Path over Mount Eisenhower, Franklin, Monroe → Mount Washington → Mount Clay Loop → Gulfside Trail over Mount Jefferson, Mount Adams → Osgood Trail to Mount Madison → descent via Valley Way Trail to Appalachia parking lot
Distance: ~20.2 miles (point-to-point)
Elevation Gain: ~10,400 feet
Difficulty: Brutal. Rocky, exposed, and relentless.
Trailhead: Webster-Jackson Trailhead off Route 302, Crawford Notch
Ending Point: Appalachia Trailhead on Route 2 (Highly advise getting someone to pick you up because you’ll be unable to feel your legs as you try and hit the gas pedal!)
🏔️ 17 Summits (Including Subpeaks)
- Mount Jackson (4,052′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Pierce (4,312′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Eisenhower (4,760′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Franklin (5,003′) – unofficial; no 4000-footer status, but absolutely worth it
- Mount Monroe (5,384′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Washington (6,288′) – highest point in the Northeast
- Mount Clay (5,533′) – unofficial subpeak between Washington and Jefferson
- Mount Jefferson (5,712′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Adams (5,774′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Madison (5,367′) – official NH 4000-footer
Optional bumps and knobs along the way:
- Mount Franklin and Mount Clay are not on the official 48 list, but they’re prominent and scenic
- Add in named knobs or cols depending on your GPS track, but the 10 main summits above are the big ones
The Crawford Path