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Moderate
Mt Crawford Snowshoe Hike
A Sunday ‘six-pack’ GO rolling in the deep atop Mt Crawford!
The trip report
After a hearty blanketing of late winter powder followed by a crispy, thin glaze of wintry mix, 6 die-hard hikers met at the Davis Path trailhead parking area at 10:00am to ascend the picturesque summit of Mt Crawford.
Concerned about the rain factor from Saturday, Mike & I got there a little early to scope out the trail conditions and found a decent base of about 10 inches of dry powder delicately protected by an ultra-thin crust of frozen precipitation, easily broken into. The temps were already into the mid 30’s with breaks of sun and blue skies vying for dominance. The bottom part of the trail itself looked to be adequately broken by no more than 4 or 5 footprints, of which were mostly traction strapped boots and maybe 1 pair of snowshoes. Just ahead of our dry run, were two beginner hikers trying out their snowshoes but opted not to venture too far up the path.
By 10:15, Leonard, Vinny, Matt & Dave arrived and I had advised all to consider starting the trail with micro-spikes but strapping snowshoes to their packs as I had a hunch, from past hikes this season, that deeper terrain was imminent as we reached higher elevations. After introductions were made and a pre-hike group (hug) photo was snapped, we headed out over the Bemis suspension footbridge, across a small brook and entered the woods of the WMNF.
An easy, gentle grade along an old logging road that follows a wide but shallow brook, we soon crossed into the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness. At 0.9 miles, we took a sharp right to enter the old bridle path, ascending the moderately steep ridge between Mt Crawford & Mt Hope through a series of switchbacks & zig-zags. The temperatures now pushing over the 40 degree mark, we stopped at various points to shed layers, hydrate and catch our breath.. all the while maintaining a fairly relaxed but steady cadence.
Following the ridge north, we reached the crest at 1.9 miles to discover remarkable views on a packed ledge lookout with fairly clear views of Carrigain & Tripyramid. As we started back onto the trail toward the summit, we noticed that, of the few that had broken the trail before us, only 2 snowshoe prints had gone any further, as we found the soft depth of the previous storm under foot and it was at this point that those of us who carried our snowshoes were putting them on. (let it go Matt! :D)
At 2.2 miles, we reached the side trail that diverges left up the sloping ledge leading to the open, bare peaked summit of Mt Crawford. After some scattered effort levels amongst the group we were reunited at the summit just before 1:00pm. With very minimal wind and mild temps we decided to hang out and soak in the panoramic views of Crawford Notch, the Dry River Valley and the Presidential Range, including the cloud covered peak of Mt Washington. Matt, who snowshoelessly slogged through a half mile of mashed potatoes was quite content with planting his feet on a bare rock portion of the summit, while Mike & I played a competitive game of “Name that Peak”. Vinny was meticulously snapping photos of the incredible views around the ledges of the summit. Leonard, who helped to identify several bird calls along the way, took in the breathtaking landscape and Dave stayed content on firmer ground with Matt at an optimal vantage point for views toward the Presidentials.
After all had consumed an adequate bounty of optical as well as calorie burning sustenance, we headed back down for our return descent on a well packed trail. By now temps were cooling slightly with very light scattered flurries. At about half way down, Matt heroically stopped a falling tree from crushing a good portion of the group with his super-human strength and fearless bravery! (see photos) :D
Following an effortless and gravity fed decent, the group reached the parking lot at around 2:45pm. After a round of ‘bunny-hugz & butterfly kissiz’ we high-fived a great day and most of us met up at Fabyan’s in Bretton Woods for pub & grub.
Thanks guys for sticking out the resched and keeping me company on one of my all time favorite half-dayers!
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About this event
If you’re looking for a winter hike that offers a big mountain feel for a modest effort, this is your opportunity brotha! An ‘up and back’ trek with an elevation gain of 2100’, the 3,119-foot summit of Mount Crawford provides one of the most stunning vistas in the White Mountains, sort of like being up in a balloon enjoying an aerial view of the Presidentials, Frankenstein Cliff, Willey Range, and Mounts Carrigain and Tripyramid and is a relatively low peak just to the south of Crawford Notch. It is the first peak reached by hikers using the Davis Path, which makes a 15.0-mile ascent of Mount Washington through the Presidential Range–Dry River Wilderness Area. The hike up Mount Crawford begins along the banks of the Saco River, and climbs steadily to the summit, which has excellent 360-degree views. It is one of the oldest hiking trails in the White Mountains and provides a moderate to mildly strenuous ascent. The trail was completed by Nathaniel Davis in 1845 as a bridle path to the summit of Mount Washington. Davis was a son-in-law of Abel Crawford, the “Old Patriarch” of the Crawford family, who brought his family to the area in the 1790s. Abel built the Mount Crawford House near the current trailhead. The trail fell into disuse in the 1850s and was brought back as a footpath in 1910 by the AMC. The total distance for the hike is 5 miles, alloting 5 hours to complete. This will give members ample time for viewing on the summit as well as casual breaks along the way.
What To Bring/Wear: Be sure to bring appropriate winter gear such as winter insulated boots, additional/alternative traction (micropikes, crampons, etc.), snowshoes (I may have a pair to borrow if needed), warm clothing (dress in layers, cotton and blue jeans not recommended), water, lunch and snacks, etc. After the hike we can gather for pub & grub in the Conway area if there is sufficient interest.
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Vinnysca
Whitefield, NH
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