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.
The Webster-Jackson Trail
Across the street from the trailhead is a little parking area. I arrived at sunup to ensure the hike would benefit from as much sunlight as possible, and after a quick review of my gear, headed out. I didn’t need to bring as much water as I did on the Carter-Moriah Range, 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.
Quickly into my 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! I made it to the summit of Mount Jackson in no time.
Jackson is beautiful and I’ve gone back to it on several occasions to enjoy its views. Really, the whole day was about taking stock of where I’d like to go back again. Making my way over to Mount Pierce from Jackson, I had a feeling there would be a lot.
The Webster Cliff Trail
At the Mizpah Hut, I filled up 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 needed. It was ok. I drink a little bit like a camel. No nursing sips, just gulping whole bottles at the summit.
The Underrated Mount Pierce
Summit of 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. 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.
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 8 4000-footers Wasn’t Enough: Mount Franklin
Another bizarre twist for my journey was the need to include Mount Franklin and Mount Clay on the traverse. Franklin came up first as it sits on the southside of Mount Washington, and is another beautiful mountain. Really, I’d be happy returning to this side of the Presidentials again and again, better exploring each mountain individually. 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 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.
I wasn’t dying yet but perhaps slowing down a little. I was supposed to meet my family on the summit of 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 early on as you emerge above the treeline on Jackson, but the 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 a 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. It made me so happy to see them, I can’t tell you.
After a thirty-minute lunch and some good laughs, I got the second wind I needed to take care of the harder second-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
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.
“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.”
The section of trail between Clay, Jefferson, and Adams, is probably my least favorite of the traverse. There’s not much green, and it became clear to me on this hike that I really like green!
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 together. 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, Liz 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.”
🧭 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
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