Mount Crawford

Crawford Notch to the left, much of the southern Presi's ridgeline all the way to Washington (in the clouds) just right of center.

Distance: 5 miles roundtrip 
Duration: 3 hours 

Yesterday, the pups and I, including Molly who is with us for the week, took a hike up Mt Crawford in Crawford Notch.  We were to meet up with friends from Mass but they were delayed and I made the decision to get underway, much to the relief of two very antsy dingoes!

The summit is reached via the Davis Path and a small (.3 mi) spur trail to finish off the ascent.  The Davis Path holds a lot of history and was originally built for horses so the grades are moderate.  They didn't quite seem it when we started out though, as I tried to make up for lost time!

Our hike started as a nice, 15 minute walk and I noticed the leaves are being packed down nicely by foot traffic.

The first set of rock stairs indicated the start of the incline and is likely very enjoyable if one take's her time, unlike what I was doing!

From about .8 miles in to a couple tenths shy of the junction the trail was pretty uniform.  While it wasn't steep, it did not offer many breaks, reminding me of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the Hermit Lake Shelter.

A couple slow switchbacks maintained the grade we'd been accustomed to as the elevation rose. Fifty minutes into our hike, the trail evened out quite nicely and I knew were were nearing the junction.  Before that point, we came upon the first open, rocky vista.  Since we were now exposed to the wind (on and off), I put on my shell and put Ty's new Quinzee coat, courtesy of Backcountry K-9 for testing, over her pack.  The trail headed back into the trees, then over more exposed areas before reaching the junction.

A couple icy patches but nothing like what we
traversed on the Crawford Path two weeks ago.

 The spur started off heading straight up a steep incline.  The trail weaved between open rock faces and pines for most of its .3 mile/10 minute duration, barely gaining elevation.  Within a hundred yards of the summit, Ty knew we were close and started to trot.  I tried to keep up but ledges + dog on leash + random patches of ice put me more at a speed walk pace!  Looking down for footing, I always love how sudden the first glimpse of the Presidentials is.  Just up ahead was the official summit and ledges.  There were a couple small herd paths, they'll all get you to the right place and the summit is relatively small.  Catching views of all the snow-capped peaks on the drive to the trailhead, I had fantasies of epic pictures to come with all the pups.  Those thoughts quickly fizzled when I asked for a "sit stay" and got it - with pouting, puckered faces at the strong wind and disdain for standing still.  I abandoned my efforts and we headed down at a good clip.

The pitch at the beginning of the spur

First glimpse of the Presi's

My oh-so cooperative team.  To their credit, at least they stuck
with their positions when the wind blew!

About 20 minutes later, after cruising back onto the Davis Path, we ran into our friends we had intended to hike up with, Maeghan and Renato, on their way up.  After some contemplation, they turned around and we headed down together.  For the most part, after the first quarter mile or so, I was somewhat surprised by the ease of the descent.  We could've jogged it!  I suppose that means if one doesn't try to power up faster than necessary, the ascent isn't so difficult either.  There was not much picking around rocks and the grade was perfect for a fast speed - elevation loss was quick enough to pick up the pace but not so steep we spent our energy trying to slow down.

An hour later, we were back at our cars.  This is a great short hike.  Maeghan has some nasty knee issues for her youth but did excellent, heading both up and down.  While she and Renato missed the summit, they had done the vast majority of the elevation gain.  The rocky slabs they missed offer fantastic views that take me aback, even on cloudy days.  At times, they are easy to get a little off trail on.  Thankfully, I have dogs I trust implicitly and who never steer me wrong, but I finally (third time up this trail) noticed the faded blazes on the ground.  Those will help too!

The girls, naturally, napped in the car but could've gone for hours more.  Tango did quite well after a warm-up period; the grade and good footing were beneficial to him and he took the whole hike in stride.  There were not many water sources this time of year for them but there are a few patches of ice.  They absolutely love exploring the exposed slabs and I love how enchanting and easy the last half mile or so is, skirting in and out of the evergreens. As nice as this trail is, I am really looking forward to snowshoe season!

Post hike shenanigans - Ty inspecting under the hood for mice

A Perfect Hike to Mt Crawford

I slept in til 7:00 today, glimpsed at the bright, beautiful sun out the window and started my day rested but regretful we weren’t already on the road.  That’s how my mind works – always overthinking.  Thankfully, Ty and Tango aren’t like that.  They were stoked to eat breakfast and jump in the car.  I could learn a lot from them….

We reached the Davis Path trailhead on 302 in Hart’s Location (or thereabouts) eager to hit the trail.  One never knows how the Notch is going to be and I was downright giddy that the sun was still shining and the air temp was comparable to my age.  The trail was a highway and the snow wasn’t the mush-over-monorail it will soon become.  There were a few very brief stretches with some postholing but micros worked sufficiently well.  It was also obvious someone had a blast sledding.  The trail is definitely steep enough for it and while it’s a shorter hike than Kearsarge, North, it does seem steeper to me.  

Think she's excited?!

One of the many stellar views along the spur trail to the summit

About two miles in is the spur to Crawford.  Shortly after turning on the spur, I threw on the snowshoes.  It appears most folks are passing Crawford and heading on to Stairs.  Then came the day’s surprise as I reached the top of a short, steep section to look up and realize it was the exact spot we had been in 3 years ago, confused and feeling defeated.  I laughed out loud.  About a year before we started taking hiking seriously, we tried out the Davis Path.  I felt uncomfortable the whole way and, upon reaching this location, I couldn’t find the trail and turned around somewhere in its vicinity.  Today, I recognized the spot instantly and busted out laughing.  Today was such a different experience – so full of confidence and overwhelming joy.  I sympathized with my past hesitations as I looked around for the trail.  My eyes landed on the dogs ahead to the right and turned my shoes towards them, knowing they’ve proven to be great compasses.  Four minutes later, we were at the summit.  The first glimpse of the Presis knocked the wind out of me; I have been pining for another visit with them for months.  The wind only started whipping at the very top and it was intermittent.  The views from the summit are 360 spectacular degrees of mountains, from the Presis all the way down Crawford Notch.  I lingered as long as the dogs would allow and vowed to return soon!

Now to corral this back into a blog about dogs hiking!  Crawford is proof you don’t need to tackle a 15 mile hike, 4000 feet of elevation, or a day-long trek to connect with your pup(s) and get everything you could possibly ask for out of a hike in the Whites.  It is steep, at least in winter, in my opinion.  However, it is a short hike, only 2.5 miles each way.  It starts easy and there are only one or two reprieves along the way, but after the intersection with the spur, it improves and you have the super motivating views to keep you going.  The dogs did extremely well and thoroughly enjoyed jogging down.  At the summit, they have the sense to avoid the icy sections of rock and Ty vehemently refused to be anywhere near any remotely questionable rocks for a photo when the wind would pick up (smart girl, I tried very hard to convey my approval after asking her to move places she didn’t want to).  They do, however, love to lean over ledges when the air is calm ;) If hiking with inexperienced dogs, you may want to consider leashing them at the summit until they prove themselves. Great trial or half-day trip overall!

Tango in the lead running down

Packing up, I didn’t have to rush to avoid frozen limbs like the last few hikes.  I was even barefoot for a bit (this is significant to me!).  I laid the dog beds out on the ground, sat on the bumper, and unfolded the map for some mini-hikes.  Tango didn’t seem overworked and Ty definitely needed the extra exercise so we walked around Willey Pond (a little further up 302) and along the Saco at First Bridge Park in North Conway before heading home.  They’re both great places to let your dog stretch his/her legs if you’re passing through or vacationing.  Flat yet interesting, easily accessible, and provide nice views for humans. I’ve got a lot more to share, including a review of Ruffwear’s Omnijoring Hip Belt and introducing our new foster pup (tomorrow) but I think my Crawford story is long enough for one night.  Happy Trails all, thanks for your support!

Willey Pond from the parking area

View from the other side of the bridge

View from First Bridge Park in North Conway