Boott Spur/Tuckerman Ravine Hike

What a spectacular late summer/ early fall hike! Standing among the cairns above treeline with the fall colors of the alpine tundra, there are few things that we find more exhilarating than a glorious climb up a big hill!

It was sunny with 80 degrees in the valley and high 50’s above treeline with a breeze. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The hike was challenging with 3,250 feet elevation gain with 7.8 miles roundtrip.

The first 1.5 miles, we negotiated a rugged and rocky journey through the woods, rising steeply over a succession of ridges. We took a spur trail on the right to the Ravine Outlook, providing a bird’s eye view of Tuckerman Ravine, Mt. Washington, Lion Head on the ravine’s north wall and far below, Hermit Lake Shelter. The trail broke above treeline beyond providing magnificent views of Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines, the Wildcats and Carter Moriah Range.

We reached Split Rock, 2.5 miles from the start, and we ascended sharply up a knob. At the top of this knob, we still had 900 vertical, heart-pounding feet to reach the top of Boott Spur! The summit of Boott Spur is not much to look at – just a small chunk of rock right before where the Boott Spur Trail intersects with The Davis Path.  I/we could probably have stayed on the summit of Boott Spur longer, maybe even take a nap, but we didn’t. We enjoyed lunch and continued on our journey.

We headed north on the Davis Path heavily marked with cairns toward Bigelow Lawn on the plateau above Tuckerman Ravine. This section was a remarkable highlight after hours of difficult climbing. Cairns guided our way over this plateau. This is an imaginary answer to trekking in Nepal! 

We then took the Lawn Crossover Trail to connect us with the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. The views were great: we could see all of the southern Presidentials from their southern aspect, a view that a lot of people never get to see. The sun was shining. The summit cone of Mt. Washington was before us!

We then reached the Tuckerman Junction, to hook up with Tuckerman Ravine Trail that would take us down the headwall all the way back to our cars. The descent was unrelenting and dangerous when it was close to a steep drop to our right. Descending into the ravine, we gained wonderful perspectives of the waterfalls, Boott Spur and Lion Head that grandly top the rim of the cirque. We took a break at the Hermit Lake Shelter before our final trek of 2.4 miles back to our cars.

After the hike, Jim joined us for a well-deserved dinner at the Red Fox Grill in Jackson, NH. Boott Spur continues to be one of our favorite hikes in the Whites!

A beautiful day. The kind you want again and again and again and…..

Trip Report: Mike Boisvert
Pictures: Mike Boisvert & Jon Normand

A hike along the top rim of Tuckerman's Ravine with unsurpassed views of Tuckerman Ravine and the Mt. Washington Valley. We will hike up one of Mt. Washington's sub-peaks: Boot Spur [5,492']. The climb up Boott Spur is magnificent with great views of Tuckerman, the Wildcats, Carter-Moriah Range and southern Presidentials. Total distance is 7.8 miles, 3300 feet elevation gain and will take 7.5 hours.

We will start at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, climb the Boott Spur Trail which ascends 3,500 feet in 2.5 miles and forms the southern wall of Tuckerman's Ravine. From there we'll head north on the Davis Path to follow the top rim of Tuckerman Ravine until we reach Tuckerman Junction when we will be descending using the Tuckerman Ravine Trail which leads back to the Pinkham Notch lot.

We will be travelling above treeline in September so winter like conditions this time of year can occur so be prepared! Travel above treeline offers unique challenges to any hiker. Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to travel above treeline this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend hiking boots, wool hat, gloves, NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.

After The Hike: We'll have dinner at the Red Fox Grill in Jackson, NH. 

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday and/or Saturday night for $25 per night. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email me ASAP to reserve a bunk!