Davis Path to Crawford Path

October 5-6: Davis Path to Crawford Path

Total Miles: ~22

It all started with a canceled trip to the Adirondacks. Michelle and I were supposed to head to upstate New York for a weekend of peakbagging in the High Peaks area. However, a rather bleak forecast for the weekend due to dying hurricane passing through the area caused us to cancel those plans. But when the sky unexpectedly cleared early Saturday afternoon and the forecast for Sunday changed from dismal to promising, new plans were made. Once of my favorite, and little used, trails in the Whites is the Davis Path, so at 1:30 we were off to the trailhead on 302.

We didn't get started until almost 4:00 which left us with barely two hours of hiking before we would lose the light and have to make camp. The weather wasn't nearly as nice up here as it was back in Concord, and the wind was really blowing, but the rain was holding off and the temperature was comfortable. We dropped our packs at the Mt Crawford side trail and headed up quickly for the view, which wasn't bad considering how many clouds were in the area. Mt Crawford also provides an excellent view of Giant Stairs, our optimistic destination for the night.

After a shot stop on the summit, we returned to the Davis Path, picked up our packs and headed north towards the Resolution Shelter. As we passes over the shoulder of Crawford Dome, I noticed that the weather looked to be deteriorating and the clouds were building up. We were going to have even less light than I had thought to work with since the sun was completely obscured by the thick clouds.

When we arrived at the junction with the Parker Mountain Trail and the side trail for the Resolution Shelter, I had all but resigned us to staying near the shelter. It was already getting dark and my last look at the sky was not promising. On our way down to the shelter, we passed a couple of guys filling up on water who were camped nearby. Turns out I actually knew one of them from a bike shop up in East Burke, VT, but that is another story. Anyway, they felt that, based on the view from the shelter, that the storm was looking a bit better and, looking around, I agreed with them. While just a few minutes before, I was resigned to setting up camp right here, I was now thinking that maybe we could make it to the campsite at Stairs after all.

I talked with Michelle and she was feeling adventurous, so I filled up my water, we donned our headlamps and headed off on the Davis Path once again. The climb up to Giant Stairs is a good one, but not terribly steep and not very long, maybe a total of 500 feet up. Still, we were running out of light, and I was being very careful not to walk by the side trail to the Stairs ledge and campsite. Fortunately, I reached the side trail before it was really dark, and we quickly headed the short distance towards the site, which we were delighted to find unoccupied. This was the perfect site to camp at tonight since it was a short hike from the road, it was sheltered from the strong winds, and it had a nice outlook just a few feet away. Once the tent was up, I make so tea under headlamp and was thrilled to see that the sky was clearing and the stars were making an appearance. I was very hopeful for the next day as I climbed into my bag for a long nights sleep.

I woke up with the sun in the morning and I was not disappointed in the least. After getting over the sight of Michelle's crazy hair, I walked to the ledge to find a perfectly blue sky, not a cloud in sight and no wind. The storm had completely blown through overnight leaving a cold but clear day in its wake. It was going to be a very good day. Unfortunately it was over four miles from our campsite to the next view for the day at Mt. Davis. Sure, there were some limited outlooks along the way, but it wasn't until we climbed up the steep side trail to Davis that we really got an idea of how good of a day it was. The towers and buildings on top of Washington looked so close, as did the well-defined ridge of the Crawford Path. Originally, we had planned on going as far as Isolation and then turning off the Davis Path down to the Dry River Trail, which would bring us within two miles of the car. A day like this called for a change of plans, however, and that much below-treeline hiking was no longer acceptable. First things first, however, as we climbed back down off of Mt Davis.

It was a very short 1.5 miles from there to the summit of Isolation, where we found several day-hikers out enjoying the weather. I couldn't believe the luck that we were having with the weather, so Michelle and I checked the time and came up with a new plan. We were going to follow the Davis Path up to Boott Spur and then take the Lawn Cutoff over to Lakes of the Clouds for lunch. From there, we would follow the Crawford Path all the way down to Crawford Notch and then hitch the 10 miles back to the car. That would mean a big mileage day, somewhere around 17 I estimated, but it would also mean about six miles of above-treeline hiking on what was just a perfect fall day in the Whites. The only possible problem would be getting down after dark and then trying to hitch back to the car, but I figured that we had plenty of time to make the trip.

From Isolation, it was a steady climb up the southern flank of Boott Spur, which I almost ran up trying to hit treeline. Once there, I looked back and saw a sea of yellow foliage along the lower slopes of the mountains to the south. Also, the Glen Boulder Trail was clearly visible to the east as it passes over an open knob on the way up to its junction with the Davis Path. Already, this was turning out to be a great decision, much better than following a wooded trail back to the car right about now, that is for sure. After reaching the top of Boott Spur, it was about a mile and a half cruise over the lawn to the Lakes of the Clouds hut for lunch. While Lakes was a great spot for lunch, we did wait a bit too long to eat, and we were practically running to the hut so we could chow down. I devoured my trail mix along with a Powerbar and a delicious Little Debbie brownie, while Michelle was excited to discover a bag of Doritos that she has forgotten about. All and all, I think I looked like a fool since I was just about pouring food down my throat, as well as stealing a few Doritos from Michelle.

So now that we were fueled up, it was still seven miles from the hut down to 302, and it was already 2:00 in the afternoon. Plenty of time, especially considering the mild terrain of the Crawford Path, but we would have to keep from too many breaks or side trips if we didn't want to be hitchhiking after dark. We decided to take the path around Monroe rather than over it (I know Mike P. is cringing right now) to save some time and leg strength. Turns out, it was a great decision as the Crawford Path provided a very unique view of the eastern flank of Mt Franklin, which I had not seen before.

Speaking of which, we took the unmarked Mt Franklin Loop Trail, since Michelle is working on the Trailwrights list and needed this peak. Also, talking her into Franklin earlier in the day meant talking her out of North Isolation, which looked like a NASTY bushwhack, one that you would need eye protection for. This was a much more enjoyable side trip with a much better view. From there, it was just more of the same, spectacular views as we climbed over Eisenhower before dropping down into the scrub between there and Mt Pierce. We got a few more views along the way right up until the split of the Crawford Path with the AT, when (turn away, Mike) we turned down the Crawford Path just shy of the Pierce summit.

It was a LONG three miles after a long day of hiking, and of course the trail seemed to go on forever. Still, the pitch of the Crawford Path is not bad and we reached the road about 20 minutes before six o'clock, perfect! Now, the only thing left at this point was to get a ride back to the car in what I found out was Michelle's first hitchhiking adventure. In a mere 10 minutes, we got a ride (I never got one that fast) from a guy who was out mountain biking at Stowe, VT. We talked hiking and riding for the short time that we were in his car until he dropped us off at the Davis Path trailhead, where Michelle's car waited safe and sound for us. The only thing that made this trip any better? Pizza and beer and the Pizza Pub on the way home, a perfect ending to a perfect day in the Whites.

-Chomp