Mt. Washington via Huntington Ravine

Huntington Ravine, the place where some of my favorites and most memorable hikes have taken place over the years. It is the steepest trail in the White Mountains as you travel through a boulder field called the Fan and then ascend up rock slab where proper use of handholds is required. 

So of course it made perfect sense to take three GO members’ first ascent up Mt. Washington into Huntington Ravine! Huntington Ravine, much like Tuckerman Ravine is a huge glacial cirque. However, unlike Tuckerman Ravine, it's lightly traveled and pretty fuckin’ bad ass!  We started out around 8:30am. 

Today there would be hundreds of people all over the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Lion Head Trail, Mount Washington summit cone, but there is hardly a sole on the Huntington Ravine Trail. Jon, Jonny, Alex, Tim, Ibrahim, Andrew, Stephen, Bob, Mark, Tom, Kevin and myself [Mike] had a quick hike to the floor of the ravine but as soon as we entered the boulder section below the Fan and the Fan itself our pace slowed considerably.  We reached this section around 10:00 am. Once we crossed the Fan we headed up steeply toward Central Gully.  

The trail along side of “The Fan” was very overgrown and tedious. We made it to the bottom of Central Gully where we took a long break below the first rock scramble. As we relaxed we could rock climbers setting up for the Pinnacle. 

The very long smooth ledge starting the scrambles [which the AMC Guide describes as the hardest] is actually not all that bad [although on a wet day I could see where this is VERY dangerous]. All of us sped up like Spiderman. The harder ledges are definitely after this area, with several near vertical ledges with good drops below and two steep narrow chimneys, all of which require linking several sets of hands and foot holds together to climb. 

A lot of the hand and foot holds in these areas are pretty small and narrow. We had a blast hiking up Huntington Ravine and took a bunch of breaks to admire the views and take pictures before reaching the Alpine Garden Trail junction.  Everyone did a great job of keeping each other safe and sound through the sketchy parts and I don’t think any came out with any scratches. 

Huntington Ravine tops out at the junction of the Alpine Garden Trail and The Auto Road becomes visible shortly after.  It’s kind of a weird transition going from a lonely ravine to seeing cars within a couple of minutes. Luckily for us, there was a bike race that closed the road to 1:00pm that kept the typical crowds in check. 

We followed the Nelson Crag Trail to the summit and arrived at 12:45PM.  It was pretty chilly and windy above the ravine so most of us put on a windbreaker or fleece. We had lunch, took the standard summit shot and began our descent down the Tuckerman Ravine/Lion Head Trails.  

Once we began our descent it was back to ‘hiking’ civilization, as we would pass close to a hundred hikers on the way down to either Lion Head or Tuckerman Ravine Trails. Views from above treeline looking into Tuckerman Ravine were great. We even saw the Lake of the Clouds Princess assisting with carrying a load to the nearby hut. We booked it down the mountain even after a rough and tough hike through Huntington Ravine and rock hopping down Lion Head.

We made it back to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and changed into clean clothes.  We then headed to Jackson for dinner at the Red Fox Grill and Pub making it a perfect ending to another great day in White Mountains! 

Climb the highest summit in the Northeast ~ Mt. Washington via Huntington Ravine, the most difficult regular hiking trail in the White Mountains!!! Then we will descend using Lion's Head.

THIS IS AN ADVANCE HIKE and you should be in great hiking shape to attend. Everyone must have an outdoor fitness level of Strenuous or higher to attend and your profile under Events Participated should indicate you've hiked more difficult 4,000 footers in the past. If you are a fast hiker and don't like to stick with the group either up or down, then please do not sign up. GROUP SAFETY IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT CONCERN.

Huntington Ravine to Summit
Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Ascent via Huntington Ravine is written up in the AMC White Mountain guide as the most difficult regular hiking trail in the White Mountains. Although there are other trails that rival it in steepness, on no other route is there so much difficult rock scrambling with significant exposure. In several places on the headwall a slip and fall could have serious consequences. This route should be attempted only be experienced hikers who are comfortable on steep ledges and are capable of maneuvering up tricky scrambles using handholds and footholds. Please do not come along and thenchange your mind about ascending this way, after we have entered the steeps above the Fan. After that point, you'll have no choice but to continue up since descending could be life threatening. Dogs are forbidden. All that being said, on a dry, warm day this is one of the most exciting and exhilarating climbs in the Whites! Significant boulder scrambling is required for a good portion of this excursion, but you will enjoy some of the most magnificent mountain views in the northeastern United States. Trail surface is hard-packed dirt and rock below treeline; boulder-strewn above. If you have any questions contact either Mike or Jon. Look forward to seeing many of the stronger gay hikers. 

Lions Head
We'll be descending on the Lions Head Trail, which is steep but the ledges offer spectacular views down to the floor of Tuckerman Ravine, across to cliffs of headwall and Boott Spur, and up to the summit cone of Mt. Washington. 

Type: Loop
Duration: 8 to 10 hours
Elevation Gain: 4300 feet
Mileage: 8.5 miles

This is not a dog friendly hike. 

After The Hike: Bring a change of clothing and then we'll have dinner at the Red Fox Pub in Jackson.   

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available with linen for Friday and/or Saturday night at our house in Waterville Valley for $20. You can use the kitchen facilities and store beverages/food in the fridge. I serve coffee in the morning and a continental breakfast. Contact me to RSVP. SPACE IS LIMITED TO EIGHT GUYS.