This was a great trail, consistently steep but mostly easy to follow. It took me 3 hours up and 3:30 down in good weather, though I saw clouds from the trailhead obscuring the peak and knew that meant the peak would be fogged, which it was. 

The trail starts unmarked on the road, just before the Jefferson Pass trailhead parking cul-de-sac. It climbs straight up the mountain. The first 1000 feet is root staircases until the meadow, which is the only real flat area along the trail. From there it continues up roots and gets more gravelly. The trail follows a dried creek bed, occasionally I was confused and climbing the creek bed rocks instead of the trail. After 2000 feet it becomes mostly scree, easy to slip and slide on. There were snow piles around but none across the trail.

The first viewpoint is marked by a large manmade rock circle at the first pass top. From there the trail gets more dangerous, following a thin ledge around the summit rock to the second viewpoint. There is a steep canyon between this viewpoint and the second summit. To reach the official summit, I found a way up the ridge near the second viewpoint and very carefully scooted along the ridge top rocks to the summit.

The official summit has a nice dugout area, it can fit a two or three people. Unfortunately it was completely cloudy for me. I chilled at the summit for an hour, half waiting for the clouds to open (they didn't), half working up the courage to climb out of the dugout back onto the ridge.

I definitely broke the rule "don't climb up what you don't want to climb back down". I clung to the ridge like a slug slowly working back to the part I was able to climb up. The descent was steep and challenging overall, the scree felt more slippery, the rocks seemed wetter. I lost the trail a few times, once I descended the wrong way down a ridge and it was very challenging getting back out. As difficult as this trail is, going off trail here is far worse. 

Great hike overall, I definitely plan to go back, hopefully on a less cloudy day.

10:30 AM is a late start for our group of retired hiking buddies but that’s what circumstances dictated on our Tuesday morning trek to Mount Washington. We started up the trail from the parking lot to the lower meadow which is well worn by now and easy to follow. Upon reaching the creek crossing in the lower meadow, we noted it was dry. Lots of flies buzzing about suggested hidden ponds somewhere. They were a nuisance, invading eyes, ears, and nose. Thankfully, mosquitos were few. We kept moving.

The trail from the lower meadow to the scree field was also easy to follow but required periodic use of hands to scramble up steep, root-filled slopes. The hike on the scree field, being in the open, was warm but short. At the top, we looked for the route to the upper meadow and were led astray by a well-worn use trail that I didn’t remember from last year. We were headed up a gully below and to the right of where we should have been. A glance at last year’s gps track got us back on path.

Upon reaching the upper meadow, we saw a little creek flowing with enough water to fill water bottles if needed. Moving above the meadow, we passed a few small snow fields that were in late stages of melting and easy to bypass, never once requiring us to step on snow.

Further on, the trail ascends a ramp that hugs the side of a cliff. Once past it, we traversed upward through a section that can sometimes be dicey but today was in surprisingly decent shape. Recent rain had consolidated the loose soil nicely and scrubbed away pebbles that sometimes felt like marbles underfoot. A much more relaxed upward stroll brought us to the saddle where we ditched our unneeded ice axe and microspikes and headed towards the summit block. The final rocky approach was in good shape but requires care. Being familiar to us, we made quick travel. We were soon standing on the summit enjoying the spectacular view.

The stats for this hike look deceptively modest. There are no easy sections. Yet, when conditions are good, a slow, steady pace should get you back to the car in about six hours. Our late start caused no problems. Because of the convoluted nature of the trail, the descent is usually no faster than going up. This can be a lonely hike, too. We were the only ones on the mountain all day.

Hiked this yesterday! ALSO: lost an iPhone in a dark blue Otterbox somewhere near the highest stream; there’s beer or brownies for anyone who finds it! (Please comment below if you find it!) The short distance is deceptive; you’re working the whole way. Trail is steep with a couple dead-end offshoots, so having a gpx handy was helpful. After a tree root/ bouldery / loose rock staircase, trail opens up to Mt. Washington views. Trail can be snow free; only a couple patches still hold on. The last bit is more airy but a mostly clear trail up until the summit block, where a couple scramble moves take you to the peak. Bugs got bad mostly just at the open spot below the final summit climb, & calmed down below. Besides the lost phone, a beautiful hot, clear day!

Fantastic day on the mountain!! Perfect sunny warm October day. Easily the toughest most scary and most rewarding hike I’ve ever done. Like many have said, it is a scramble often on all fours and I found it very easy to lose the trail especially on the way up. Not to be an advertisement for All Trails, but I am so glad I signed up and downloaded the map the night before. I lost the trail at least four times and the app/map was excellent for getting back to the trail. I was way over dressed and decided early on I wasn’t goi g to make it in jeans so I hiked up in my underwear. That was ok as I only saw two people on the trail and that was on the way down. And one of them had stripped off her bra and shirt earlier before we met. So funny. The final push to the top involves a very narrow ledge above a steep fall. I made it through but I can easily see how this could have ended badly. I left my backpack before attempting it so as to not feel that weight pulling me toward the cliff.

I also found a huge 5lbs Chicken of the Woods mushroom on the hike. My first one of those. A day of firsts.