I. Mount Jefferson via Caps Ridge, Gulfside, Jewell, Boundary Line, and Jefferson Notch Road
Against all good logic, Mt. Jefferson was my "late start" option for a Friday hike. Despite my trail vest, I am no trail runner. I hike cautiously, moderate-paced, and am terrified of foot-hold situations. So, while I did know hiking Caps Ridge solo wasn't going to be a walk in the park, it technically sounded better than my original plan for an 8-mile Mt. Madison loop.
As I got started, I was undoubtedly one of the later starters. Just ten minutes in, I passed someone who'd already summited Jefferson twice that morning. Though that would not be my fate, I got going quickly, breezing through the first mile. When I got up to the first view, I pondered how similar this trail was to Mount Monadnock's Dublin trail- the steepness, exposed rock, and the short route up all rivaled one another. Thankfully, I'd done Dublin the day after leg day, so how bad could Caps Ridge be on fresh legs?
As I kept to the first cap, my legs weren't the problem. Rather, the heat and my dim headache slowed me down- yet this was a reasonable sacrifice for dry rock. There was a small scramble up the first cap, where I quickly decided my poles would stow away. Despite requiring a little bit of thinking, it wasn't exposed at all. Coming up the second cap is the infamous wall, where you stick right a bit unless you're more of an inclined rock climber. Even this, for a scardey cat, wasn't so bad.
Finally, as I approached the third cap, I had a bit of a groove and only had to contest wobbly rocks rather than technical climbs. Countless descenders passed me here, and up until then, I'd been making great time. As I crossed the Cornice Junction, I crashed. The sun had well gotten to me, and I was more than reminded how sharp those Northern Presidential climbs are. That said, the 700-foot push at the summit cone earned me a lengthy break, where I decided I was sick of small steps and would rather cruise 20-minute miles.
Now, I obviously wouldn't achieve this on Caps Ridge, so I crossed Gulfside for the first time in 4-years where I encountered more people from Instagram than a night downtown. Gulfside and its following Jewell Trail were just as lovely as I remembered. Opening my pace got me back in the right headspace, however, I was already past my evening commitment and the miles kept stacking up.
Once I got down to the link, I crossed the Boundary Line, which was remarkably more pleasant than I imagined a trail of its traffic would be, and finally hit the road. I had justified the gain in my head, by way of it only taking 15 minutes to do on Stairmaster, however, it was more like 30 after a day's work. All said and done, I did as much mileage and vert as I would've in my original plan. Funny how that all played out!
I. Mountain Pond Trail
My Mountain Pond write-up may be as short as the mere 2.7-mile trail. As the girl's trip hike selector, I went for something that wouldn't tire us out for the day ahead & would allow for an afternoon on the lake.
Mountain Pond Trail was delightful and quick. We did the loop clockwise, which made for water views in the first ten minutes. Just beyond, we checked out the shelter and brand new ramped privy, which is so large that Bernadette mistook it for another shelter. I imagine they just finished construction, as it was still in progress when I last accessed the trailhead, 2 months prior.
Beyond the shelter, the trail remained flat however, the persistent roots and rocks demand attentive footing. The best view of the day comes about a mile-and-a-half in, with great views of the Doubleheads. As the loop continues, there is a small stream crossing followed by a fun hopscotch.
The trail took us just over an hour. Upon completion, I enjoyed a nice face dip in the Slippery Brook that only slightly relieved my sunburn from the day before. But, I guess that's what I get for sweating all my sunscreen off in the first mile.
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