Mt Pierce
#27, Climbed solo on 2003-10-11
From Mt Clinton Road
VAuto to Mt Clinton Rd 2:16, 126 miles
Start 2003-10-11
Elevation
Miles
Hours
Mt Clinton Rd
1920
 
 
bridge
2000
0.4/0.40
0:11
Gibbs Falls
2200
0.6/0.54
0:15
leave brook
2600
1.2/1.33
0:46
Mizpah Cutoff
3380/3500
1.9/1.86
1:40/1:16
jct Webster Cliff Trail
4250
3.1/3.06
2:45/2:05
Pierce Summit
4312
3.2/3.14
2:50/2:09
jct Crawford Path
4250
3.3/3.25
2:55/2:23
stream
4090
4.0
 
south Eisenhower Loop
4450
4.5/4.38
3:40/3:07
north Eisenhower Loop
4400
5.0/4.91
3:35
Mt Eisenhower Trail
4450
5.2/5.0
4:05/3:38
Mt Franklin path
4990
6.2/5.93
4:45/4:32
Mt Monroe Loop
5075
6.4/6.28
4:55/4:51
Mt Monroe Summit
5372
6.8/6.70
5:15/5:40
Lakes of the Clouds Hut
5012
7.1/7.10
5:25/6:03
Cog Railway
2700
9.50
8:19
Base Road Parking Lot
2500
10.2/10.3
7:25/8:34
Mt Clinton Road
2100
11.2/11.2
7:45/8:52
Car
1920
14.5
8:50


I got up a 5:30.
Prepared everything and went out the door.
D'oh!  Forgot Camera and GPS.
Went back in and got them.
Drove to Tyngsboro Mobil, filled up, left at 6:06, 49 degrees.
About Exit 4, D'oh! forgot lunch in fridge.
Well, I'll improvise.
In Merrimack 41 degrees and fog.
Stopped at exit 20 McDonalds.
Got 3 sausages and 3 english muffins.
Ate one of each.
Continued North, fog lifted at Tripoli Road.
No hint of snow in Franconia Notch.
Passing Cannon Mt, temp hit 50.
Go to trail head at 8:45.
Departed at 8:52.
Got to Pierce summit in 2:09.
70 degrees on summit.
Walked along Crawford Path to Monroe Loop.
Climbed Little Monroe, then Monroe.
Decided that going down sooner was better than later, so didn't return on Crawford Path to Edmands Trail, went past Lakes of the Clouds Hut and down Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail.
[ It turns out that since I had walked 6.7 miles to reach this point, returning the same way would be a 13.4 mile journey. ]
ART was steep slippery and wet.
Ended up at Marshfield Station.
Walked down Base Station Road to Mt Clinton Road.
Got about 400 feet down Mt Clinton Road when George asks "How's it going?"
I say, "It will be great in 2.8 miles." (That was as the crow flys, it was 3.3 miles in reality)
He says, "So you're not returning to the nearby trailhead?"
I say, "No."
He offers a ride -- sold!
He had climbed Webster and Jackson today.
[ I had walked 4.5 miles since Monroe summit and had 3.3 miles remaining.  Without the ride, the return leg would have been 7.8 miles, or 1.1 miles longer.  Since I got a ride I saved 2.2 miles by choosing this route. ]



Took this shot of Lincoln from the Lafayette Place parking area on the way North



Gibbs Falls - just a short way up the Crawford Path



Fork in road
Mts Eisenhower and Washington in background



Pierce Summit
Mts Eisenhower and Washington in background



Mt Washington Hotel



Still Mt Washington Hotel



The view south



Mt Isolation with Wildcat in background



Actual Hike

Continued here