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Moose

Mt Madison, May 2009

An overnight hiking / camping trip.
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First Plan: Great Gulf

The weather got warmer and warmer, taunting me. For one reason after another, I had reluctantly avoided going on any significant hikes, day after day and week after week. As April ended, I felt a growing need to hit the hills. I decided to do something big on the weekend of May 2nd. Camping, definitely. Elevation gain, for sure. Distance, yes. Solitude, absolutely. Steepness, snow, trailbreaking, maybe some ice, if I was lucky and conditions weren't too suicidal.

One area seemed to offer everything I was looking for: the Great Gulf, bordered by Mount Washington and the Northern Presidential Range. A trail runs along the bottom of the Gulf for nearly eight miles before climbing the headwall to Mount Washington; along the way, some of the steepest trails in the Whites branch off to the other northern peaks. My plan was to set up camp in the Gulf and do a couple of loops as snow conditions permitted. I wasn't sure how much snow remained on the ground, but I figured that thanks to intensive search-and-rescue activity in the area a few days earlier, any drifts on the main approach trail would have been broken through.

The plan had a couple of weak points. First of all, icefall or avalanche risk would put a damper on the steepest parts of the climb. I checked the avalanche forecast for Tuckerman Ravine (the nearest spot for which a public forecast is available), and decided that conditions were as good as I could ask for at this time of year. The second weakness was river crossings: all that SAR activity was the result of a hiker who'd gone off his planned route only to wander back and forth for three days, searching for passable water crossings. I checked my trusty _White Mountain Guide_ and assured myself that there were bridges on the lower crossings along the Great Gulf Trail. Once I got deep into the Gulf, I might still be prevented from reaching the ridge, but at least I'd be able to get back out.

Since I was hoping to climb some steep, snowy slopes, I packed heavy: crampons, ice axe, and snowshoes, in addition to microspikes, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, down jacket (just in case), stove, and food. At the last minute I decided to save a pound or two by wearing my low-top hiking shoes instead of boots.

Saturday morning I left almost on time, and after a dull drive I pulled into the trailhead parking lot at 10:30 AM. Another hiker arrived as I was depositing my parking fee, and I asked if he'd been in the area lately. He told me there was still plenty of snow up high, and he recommended crampons. I decided that meant I'd need snowshoes too. He also told me he'd tried the Great Gulf Trail a week earlier, and turned back at the Bluff due to raging white water. I had to check my map, and when I did I let out a cry of dismay: that was less than three miles up the trail. I was *certain* that the Guide mentioned a bridge at that spot. There's a bridge at the _second_ crossing there, he informed me. This was not good news, but I decided to go see for myself. My back-up plan would be to take the Osgood Cutoff from that spot (almost a 180 turn), set my camp at Osgood Tentsite, climb Mt Madison today, and worry about tomorrow later.

Meanwhile it was a warm, sunny day, and spring was in the air.

you should see an image here The first stream crossing was on a suspension bridge right by the parking lot, as advertised.
you should see an image here The river was running strong, as expected.
you should see an image here Hobblebush beginning to bloom.
you should see an image here Red Trillium, Trillium erectum
you should see an image here Red Trillium again.
you should see an image here Another red trillium.
you should see an image here A chipmunk beside the trail.
you should see an image here Painted Trillium, Trillium undulatum

New Plan: Mt Madison

I stopped for lunch in a little clearing at the top of a high riverbank - this, I soon realized, was the Bluff. An intersection lay just ahead. The Great Gulf Trail plunged down the bank and crossed the stream. I approached cautiously.

The stream was narrow, but moving fast. I could see two options for getting across. Option A involved leaping about five feet from one barely-submerged boulder to another. Not a good option with a heavy pack. Option B involved wading. It looked feasible, but I was certain to get soaked at least to the waist, and if I misjudged the strength of the current... I glanced downstream at an unending sequence of boulders. What finally convinced me was the water temperature. Ever since the conversation in the parking lot, I had half-resigned myself to camping at Osgood Tentsite, and now I didn't have the motivation to take an icy bath.

So I climbed back up the Bluff and took the Osgood Cutoff, which was a pleasant trail through semi-open woods (a mix of birch, hemlock, spruce, and fir). There were piles of moose droppings on the trail (but very few off the trail). Soon I arrived at the Osgood Tentsite. There were two tents already in place, so I hiked in to the farthest spot, out of sight of the others, and set up my tent. I left my sleeping bag and pad, but kept all my other gear in my pack. Feeling ever-so-slightly lighter on my feet, I set out for the summit of Mt Madison.
you should see an image here The stream crossing where I turned back.
you should see an image here Just when I could smell treeline ahead, I finally encountered patches of snow. I put on my microspikes just for the sake of using some of the gear I was carrying, but I could have made do without them.
you should see an image here Treeline brought tremendous views. I wasn't surprised to see the sunnier areas above treeline were already bare, but I'd expected more snow in the ravines.
you should see an image here A view into the Great Gulf.
you should see an image here A view back over Osgood Ridge to Carter Notch and Wildcat Mountain.
you should see an image here Felsenmeer on Osgood Ridge.
you should see an image here Caterpillar amid the felsenmeer.
you should see an image here Rimed summit sign on Mt Madison
you should see an image here Mt Adams seen from the summit of Mt Madison
you should see an image here Cairn on the summit of Mt Madison, with rime ice.
you should see an image here Close-up on the rimed cairn.
you should see an image here Heading back down: view toward Carter Dome from Mt Madison.
you should see an image here Another view of Carter Dome from Osgood Ridge on Mt Madison.
you should see an image here View of Mt Washington from Osgood Ridge on Mt Madison.

Day 2: Visitors During Breakfast

After a lackluster freeze-dried dinner (and not very filling either, as I'd foolishly saved a few ounces by packing an absolute minimum of food), I got into my tent and tried to sleep. (No pillow - more gram-saving lunacy.)

I managed to fall asleep eventually, and in the morning, as I wondered what the temperature was and how long I'd allow myself to stay in my warm sleeping bag, I heard the noise of approaching footfalls. They were too heavy and infrequent to be human. First I got my camera ready, then, muttering a curse on noisy artificial fabrics, I slipped out of my sleeping bag and into a down jacket. I slowly unzipped my tent door and peered ahead. Nothing. I stuck my head out and looked uphill, in the direction from which I thought the noise had come. Still nothing. I got out of the tent and looked more carefully. Stillness and silence, everything I saw had leaves or needles or was a rock. I was certain I'd heard footsteps approaching, so all I had to do now was wait for the moose or bear to step a little closer and come into view. I had just about decided to make breakfast while I waited, when I decided to take one more look all around. Directly behind my tent, two pairs of eyes were watching me.
you should see an image here This is Mama.
you should see an image here Look behind Mama, and you can see Junior.
you should see an image here Junior stayed close to Mama at first.
you should see an image here Then Junior stepped forward to say hello.
you should see an image here Junior is a yearling - probably female (no sign of horns starting to grow).
you should see an image here Junior stepping closer.
you should see an image here Meanwhile, Mama Moose was keeping an eye on me.
you should see an image here She kept coming closer to stay near Junior.
you should see an image here Not a very friendly look, is it?
you should see an image here Junior Moose may have thought she was hiding.
you should see an image here The moose would come to a complete stop with every step, and look and listen in all directions.
you should see an image here Mama Moose getting even closer.
you should see an image here Look closely and you can see the spruce twig she's chewing.
you should see an image here Junior makes up her mind to leave her hiding place.
you should see an image here Junior checking me out.
you should see an image here Zoomed in on the yearling moose.
you should see an image here Yeah, so I took a ton of photos of the young moose, so sue me.
you should see an image here mama moose still hovering nearby.
you should see an image here This photo with my tent in the frame gives a good sense of scale and distance.
you should see an image here Another moose close-up.
you should see an image here I wonder what she's looking at?
you should see an image here Mama moose again.
you should see an image here Junior giving the branches a sniff.
you should see an image here Still looking around constantly.
you should see an image here Mama still on guard.
you should see an image here Young moose reaching for a snack.
you should see an image here I think this one is my favorite.
you should see an image here Mama moose was getting really close now...
you should see an image here mama moose profile.
you should see an image here Last shot before I ducked behind a tree.
you should see an image here Mama moose now level with my position.
you should see an image here Mama moose snacking on firs.
you should see an image here Mama moose moseying along.
you should see an image here Final close-up of mama moose.
you should see an image here Parting shot of mama moose.
you should see an image here Junior moose following mama.
you should see an image here They're sill moving extremely slowly, so I have time for another shot...
you should see an image here Junior looking back at me after Mama has moved on.
you should see an image here Junior came back for a second visit!
you should see an image here Close-up on a curious youngster.
you should see an image here Startled by a squirrel, and looking for mama.
you should see an image here A more normal, calm expression.
you should see an image here Last glance back after being called away by Mama.
you should see an image here Hobblebush leaf buds.
you should see an image here Another hobblebush, with leaves slightly more expanded.
you should see an image here Red trillium, trillium erectum
you should see an image here Also known as purple trillium or blood trillium.
you should see an image here this is the only drooping trillium species I know of, so why's it called erectum?
you should see an image here Another photo of the red trillium.
you should see an image here One more photo of the red trillium.
you should see an image here Trout lily (Erythonium americanum)
you should see an image here Trout lily usually grows in clumps.
you should see an image here One more trout lily photo.
you should see an image here Painted trillium, trillium undulatum
you should see an image here Closer view.
you should see an image here Bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis) buds
you should see an image here Hobblebush in flower.
you should see an image here More hobblebush.
you should see an image here Hobblebush again (playing with depth of field).
you should see an image here Sessile bellwort, Uvularia sessilifolia
you should see an image here Bluets, Houstonia caerulea
you should see an image here Some kind of violet, possibly downy yellow violet, Viola pubescens
you should see an image here Ferns.
you should see an image here Early saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis).
you should see an image here Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria
you should see an image here More dutchman's breeches (with maple shoot behind them)
you should see an image here spring-beauty, Claytonia virginica
you should see an image here American Toad, Bufo americanus
you should see an image here Another red trillium.
you should see an image here More dutchman's breeches.