Mts. Adams & Madison via Air Line & Valley Way (White Mountain National Forest)

Mts. Adams & Madison via Air Line & Valley Way (White Mountain National Forest)

Distance: 10.15 miles
Elevation: 5,026 feet

Time: 11 hours, 10 minutes (8 hours, 13 minutes moving)
Hike Type: Loop
Hiking Challenges: New Hampshire 4000 Footers; 52 Hike Challenge 2024; Terrifying 25

The Hike

Another big hike this month! Friday night, Gen and I drove up to an Airbnb in Bartlett to meet Emma to celebrate Gen's Bachelorette "Party" (party in quotes for the non-traditional nature of this bachelorette party)! The cabin was a cute A-frame near Cranmore. We had a nutritious dinner of Taco Bell in soft cow-shaped onesies we got from the North Conway Walmart. Our wild night included playing Ticket to Ride and Kittens in a Blender. We were in bed around 10:00pm with our 5:00am alarms set (it was SO NICE to not be waking up at 2:00am!) for our big day in the Presidentails! Mountain Forecast was calling for clear skies but the Higher Summits Forecast was calling for clouds - I usually trust the Higher Summits Forecast more so we were mentally prepped for a socked-in day.

Higher Summits Forecast for Saturday, September 7th, 2024

"Waning high pressure will give way to low pressure and an active an unseasonably cold stretch of weather Saturday night and Sunday. Little improvement is expected behind the system on Sunday as a cold and moise flow will persist into Sunday night. High pressure begins its final exit from the region as an upper-level low digs southward across the Great Lakes. Closer to the surface, a frontal boundary is draped near the St. Lawrence River Valley. This front will help develop an area of low pressure across western New York Friday night. Low pressure will gradually strengthen and push a cold front toward the region later Saturday. An ocean storm will also track offshore, so New Hampshire will, in essence, get squeezed between the two storms.

On the summits, impacts from this will come in the form of increasing clouds; clouds will lower to summit fog early Saturday. Showers will likely hold off until later Saturday afternoon as the front will be quite slow to approach the region. There is an outside chance for embedded heavier rainfall or even thunderstorm activity along and ahead of the front as it passes through early Saturday night. Temperatures on the higher terrain will initially be warm enough for rain. As the cold front passes, temperatures will fall below freezing, providing a chance for light snowfall by Sunday morning. The freezing line will drop to 5000 feet, and light accumulation will be possible. [...].

Saturday: Mostly in the clouds under mostly cloudy skies. Chance of afternoon rain showers. High: Upper 40s. Wind: SW shifting W at 5-20 mph increasing to 25-40 mph. Wind Chill: Falling to 25 to 35 above during the late afternoon."

We were up an out at 5:00am, stopping at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to make a bowel evacuation, but tragically it was closed! It was shockingly clear outside, but I refused to get excited. We continued up into Gorham, which was super foggy, and christened the porta potty outside of Cumberland Farms. As a reward, we bought some snacks! We made it to Appalachia at 6:00am and it was already full - we parked on the side of the road on a comical side-slope. We all took a puff of abuterol, slowly suited up, and started our adventure!

[6:15am - Appalachia Trailhead]

[6:16am - Air Line/Valley Way Split]

It was 48 degrees out and partly cloudy. We entered the woods on the Air Line/Valley Way trail, crossed the Presidential Rail Trail, and entered the power cut, where the Air Line and Valley Way trails diverge and the famous sign lives:

ATTENTION. 

TRY THIS TRAIL ONLY IF YOU ARE IN TOP PHYSICAL CONDITION, WELL CLOTHED AND CARRYING EXTRA CLOTHING AND FOOD. MANY HAVE DIED ABOVE TIMERLINE FROM EXPOSURE. TURN BACK AT THE FIRST SIGN OF BAD WEATHER.

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST.

[6:20am - Air Line/Sylvan Way jct.]

The first mile of the hike wasn't too bad. This stretch will be absolutely beautiful in a few weeks during peak foliage. A few groups passed us as we were slow going (and fast yapping!). At one point, we stopped for a pee break and Gen lost her hat. Thankfully, she had her "Bride" tiara on, though! A group behind us did notice the hat and she went back for it.

[6:37am - Air Line/Beechwood Way jct.]

[6:43am - Air Line/Short Line jct.]

There were a bunch of trail junctions in the first mile. At least, more than I'm used to in the whites!

[6:55am - Air Line/Randolph Path jcts.]

The blue-blazed Air Line trail continued with and past the Randolph Path as it entered into a low-hanging cloud. To no surprise, the air was HUMID and we were SWEATING. I was feeling a little nervous about how the sweat would feel once above treeline, but that was a crisis for later. 

At 1.6 miles the trail began to get rudely steep (a YouTube video we watched about the trail stated "you'll know when you're at the steep part). The trail was pretty uninteresting for this stretch, minus the endless ascent on the trail (I'm being very dramatic right now, it was only bad for 0.5 miles). We did stop for a snack break at one point where I had my first tortilla with a smores spread inside which was DELICIOUS. 

Slowly, we gained elevation and rose above the clouds, with very obstructed tree views behind us previewing what's to come - a stunning undercast. Air Line did enter a mossy forest after a while, which did make life a bit more enjoyable! 

[8:27am - Air Line/Scar Trail jct.]

The sky drew nearer after the junction with Scar Trail and the forest continued to become more beautiful - definitely a place where fairies live. The partial tree views began to increase, revealing more of the undercast. 

A mini-chimney leads to a blowdown patch with obstructewd views, and then Air Line leads to a second with a better view up towards Madison, Adams, and the RMC Crag Camp down on the ridge.

Another patch opens up to the first views towards King Ravine, which was so cool to see, even though it was obstructed. We stopped here for a snack and sit. We were SHOCKED at how beautiful it was! Some wispy clouds up above, but all the actual clouds were below us. Temperatures were delightful, and the sun was perfect.

[9:09am - Alpine Zone]

After the blowdown patches, we eventually reached the alpine zone. The actual paper saying "Welcome to the Alpine Zone" was missing, but the "stop sign" was alive and well!

STOP

THE AREA AHEAD HAS THE WORST WEATHER IN AMERICA. MANY HAVE DIED THERE FROM EXPOSURE EVEN IN THE SUMMER. TURN BACK NOW IF THE WEATHER IS BAD.

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST.

Just a minute later, Air Line emerges from the scrub revealing the first of an endless amount of views. This is the section of trail known as "Knife Edge," and I wouldn't say it's terrifying at all. The guidebook mentions the difference between the U-shaped King Ravine and the V-shaped Snyder Ravine, which was cool to see.

Right above treeline is where we gave Gen her present - a veil that read "bride to be!" She ended up wearing it for the rest of the hike! We had a fun photo shoot with the undercast behind us.

Continuing on, the views were just breathtaking. Nowell Ridge's scars from drainages and slides were mesmerizing and we couldn't stop talking about someday staying at Crag Camp. Ahead, Mt. Quincy Adams was the main feature with Mt. Adams behind. I have to mention the incredible undercast toward the Pilot and Pliny ranges, too.

[9:19am - Air Line/Upper Bruin jct.] 

[9:25am - Air Line/Chemin des Dames jct.]

We made it to Needle Rock, where the Chemin des Dames trail terminates, still in absolute awe. It's always wild to see how big these peaks are, and somehow comprehend that we're going to be on top of them later. 

We passed a scrubby patch with one (1) remaining purple flower from the summer. The Seek app calls it some form of rhodondendro/azalea. I need to check the "Field Guide to the New England Summits" book from AMC. [EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: Someone on Facebook identified the flower as "Lapland Rosebay" - the people of Facebook noting that the bloom is a sign of a warm autumn].

"Lapland Rosebay"

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/rhododendron_lapponicum.shtml

"Simply put, the most striking flower in the arctic or alpine zone, and not just beautiful but tough. Where Lapland rosebay is found abundantly on Mount Washington in New Hampshire is an area known as ‘felsenmeer’. Felsenmeer is an area of broken angular rock or large rock fragments transported and deposited by the last glacier. These areas are often quite expansive and deep in broken and fragmented rock. Over the centuries these rocks have been ground together by freezing and thawing action. Through this action soil has been created and filled in some of the gaps between the rocks. In these tiny pockets of soils an astounding array of plant and animal life has evolved. Life on the felsenmeer is not easy; plants are exposed to desiccating winds, and baking sun, the ground shifts due to frost activity, and the limited amount of soil that is present is often frozen solid four to six months a year. This is not a hospitable place to make your home, yet Lapland rosebay thrives under these conditions.

Likely stranded here, and in similar conditions on the several other high mountain peaks in Maine and New York, as well as isolated locations in the Dells of Wisconsin following the retreat of the last glacier, Lapland rosebay is also found on the arctic tundra of northern Canada, Greenland and Alaska and reported from locations across Eurasia.

Ranging from two to rarely 12 inches tall, Lapland rosebay is one of the smaller Rhododendron species. Yes, that flame azalea or great laurel planted in your front yard is a close cousin. One of the first alpine flowers to bloom each year, the one-inch flowers of this diminutive, perennial shrub are considered huge, by alpine standards, dwarfing the rest of the plant. The leaves and branches seemingly disappear in a sea of pink during its short blooming period from mid- to late-June."

The longer we climbed the more the undercast began to burn off, revealing how far down the Durand Ridge and the Snyder Ravine truly traveled. The ridges were beginning to show a beautiufl fall yellow, too. King Ravine was looking incredile (and dramatic!).

[9:46am - Air Line/Air Line Cutoff jct.]

We deviated from our original plan once we hit the Air Line Cutoff junction - we had originally thought to take the cutoff to the hut for a break, then take the Star Lake Trail around the backside. The three of us were hiking at slightly different paces, and for the sake of longevity we decided to follow Air Line all the way up first to "rip the band-aid off" instead of taking the possibly more difficult Star Lake Trail. It turned out to be a great choice!

A bit further up, we could see a fantastic view of the Knife Edge and Durand Ridge, traveling all the way down the valley below, which was still partially clouded.We also began to see more people up here, but thankfully everyone climbing the mountain today expected less-than-ideal weather so we were all the same kind of crazy.

The next viewpoints were toward Mt. Madison and the Madison Spring Hut, which, to no surprise, were beautiful, as we approached the "Gateway" to King Ravine.

[10:04am - Air Line/King Ravine Trail jct.]

The "Gateway" was similar to the beginning of the Sphinx Trail - a narrow trail between two giant slabs. Super dramatic, super cool, which is how you could really describe the entire ravine from the vantage points of the day.

[10:07am - Air Line/Gulfside jct. (N)]

We soon joined the Gulfside Trail, which had some improved footing, and led to the final push of 0.5 miles to Mt. Adams.

[10:09am - Air Line/Gulfside jct. (S)]

The fun truly begins (or resumes...) after the second Gulfside junction! To pre-celebrate, we took a nice break here for another snack and sit. It was so shockingly and delightfully beautiful out. The undercast was fizzing out. Gen's veil so was fun (and funny). Someone asked if Gen was getting married on the hike (I wonder if she was thinking to me or Emma??), and when Gen clarified that it was just her bachelorette "party," the woman replied that she had her bachelorette party at a step aerobics class - nice! Emma had her third meat stick of the day at this junction - she was aiming to eat eight.

The climb from this junction is a slow 0.5 miles. It starts by skirting around Mt. Quincy Adams through Rock Hell™, which provided some unique views to the Quincy Adams/Adams col and of course the King Ravine behind.

The trail ascended moderately until it hit the final cone of Mt. Adams, and then it began to climb steeply. We took a short breathing break and met the happiest dog in all the land! A fun moment of this stretch was Gen desperately needing to pee, so she wedged herself between a few rocks and did her absolute best.

The only good part about the final steep climb is that you can't see the top until you're there, which was mentally helpful for me. The view back toward Mt. Quincy Adams and Mt. Madison was really stunning here.

[11:04am - Mt. Adams Summit]

We made sure that Gen was the first to summit (as in, first to touch the trail sign - I foolishly forgot to take a photo of the summit marker/bolt), as it was her big day. The view down towards Quincy Adams, Star Lake, and Madison was just stunning.

My favorite part of the view was finally breaking over the top to the "other side" of the summit view towards Mts. Washington, Clay, and Jefferson, with the Great Gulf and Jefferson Ravine standing strong. It was 57 degrees on the summit with a slight breeze.

We had a nice long sit and snack here, taking in the views toward Washington. I had a fantastic time yapping about what peaks we could see and pointing out the Chandler Ridge, which I maneuvered last week.

[11:22am - Lowe's Path]

We decided to pivot our plan again and descend via the Lowe's Path instead of back down Air Line to hopefully avoid that final steep section, and it turned out to be a great plan! We continued through Rock Hell™ at a more moderate grade, carefully following the cairns as they blend in with the rest of the rocks.

Partway down the trail there is a rocky nub which I have since named "Mt. Rachel McAdams" - to fully round out the Adams Family of mountains (honestly I thought I was the funniest human alive when I came up with that).

The lower stretch of this segment of Lowe's Path provides a really neat view of Thunderstorm Junction - which is basically a rotary with a large cairn in the middle with trails splitting out on all sides.

[11:38am - Lowe's Path/Israel Ridge Path jct.]

[11:44am - Thunderstorm Junction & Gulfside Trail]

There are many trails and many trail signs at Thunderstorm Junction, so it was important that we carefully followed the right one towards the Gulfside Trail. We were immediatlely thrilled with our descision to come down this way - the footbed was basically a cobblestone road (i.e., flat rocks instead of the sharpest rocks known to mankind) with beautiful, grassy views. 

Mt. Madison did look far away, and in fairness, it was over a mile away at this point. A few low clouds rolled through/around King Ravine as we continued our "road walk", and then we found blueberries! Again, if eating blueberries on-trail is going against Leave-No-Trace, I think I have to be okay breaking that one rule.

[12:11pm - Gulfside/Air Line jct. (S)]

[12:12pm - Gulfside/Air Line jct. (N)]

The final descent to the hut after the Air Line junctions was a bit steeper and rougher with a few people heading up. Many of them gave Gen attention, one also asking if she got married on the mountain today. The view looking down at the hut gave a really neat perspective on how massive Mt. Madison is.

[12:27pm - Gulfside/Star Lake jct.]

Near the col the trail becomes a little scrubby, eventually reaching the terminus of the Gulfside Trail right near the hut.

[12:28pm - Madison Spring Hut]

To get to the hut, follow the Star Lake Trail truly for just a few feet, and voila! The hut was decently busy with hikers, and one particularly large group. We all had a lovely bathroom break, Gen got more attention in the bathroom, and we decided to take a longer break before summiting Mt. Madison. After my 45 minutes being TRAPPED in the Cabot Cabin in June (trapped meaning it was raining outside), I decided I would always pack a deck of cards in my pack (I got a waterproof deck). We decided to play a round of Rummy, which honestly was a perfect way to spend a hut break (also we had cell service, but I'm vehemently against taking the phones off airplane mode when in the woods, so this was a good way to keep us off the phones). Emma was the one to go down, but Gen finished the round with the most points.

[1:04pm - Osgood Trail]

[1:05pm - Osgood/Pine Link jct.]

Continuing on, we decided to out-and-back Mt. Madison via the Osgood Trail (we flirted with making a mini-loop with Pine Link/Watson, but some of us were starting to feel tired). Osgood Trail traverses a few bog boardwalks and then continues through scrub for a bit before coming back out of the tree and reentering Rock Hell™ - at least the views back towards the hut and Mt. Adams were cool!

I found it really fun to get the "reverse" view from what we could see on Mt. Adams - higher up, we could now see Star Lake (with an impressively huge black of quartz right nearby) with Mt. Adams in the background.

There were a good amount of people heading up Madison on this afternoon, so we took our time to keep a nice space between groups - many of which gave Gen some more attention! It was super fun to see how jagged the knife edge of Durand Ridge/Air Line Trail from this vantage point.

The climb was steep for a bit until it rounds the shoulder of the summit plateau, which was very thin and narrow. There was a trio just in front of us going slower than we were, but also reluctant to let us pass, which was frustrating. Turns out one of them was finishing their 48 on Madison that day and likely had tunnel-vision for the summit.

[1:40pm - Mt. Madison Summit]

We "booped" the summit bolt and then quickly got out of the way for the finisher to have her moment. The summit was BUSY - but I guess that makes sense for a beautiful Saturday afternoon! We went a little off-trail (but of course avoiding any fragile alpine vegetation) to a group of flatter rocks for our long break. It was 59 degrees with 10-15 mph winds, but we were sheltered from the breeze in our break spot. 

We had a great view of the Nowell and Durand ridges from our break spot, with the Moose River valley fully out of the clouds now. One really cool mountain to see was Gore Mountain in the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge - one Emma and I did for the Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge. That was probably the most remote-feeling mountain that I've ever been on! I had the most ridiculous summit beverage during this break - a Buzz Lightyear-shaped apple juice with a nip of apple pie schnapps inside - it was hauntingly delicious (I really wanted a fall drink but the NH Liquor Store didn't have any yet).

[2:05pm - Osgood Trail]

Eventually, it was time to start our return. The descent was much easier than the ascent, and we continued to pass many people on their way up. We could see Adams, Quincy Adams, the hut, and the trail cooridoors for Star Lake, Airline, Gulfside, and Air Line Cutoff, which was fun.

[2:34pm - Madison Spring Hut]

Back at the hut, we had a shorter break to just use the bathroom and refill our water. We knew there was a LONG descent ahead of us, so we wanted to keep it moving so we could sooner get to dinner and shower!

[2:43pm - Valley Way]

[2:44pm - Valley Way/Air Line Cutoff jct.]

And then the long descent began! Valley Way almost immediately goes back into the trees, with an old interesting foundation just off-trail on the left through the scrub. 

[2:48pm - Leaving the Alpine Zone]

Just a few minutes later, we officially left the Alpine Zone. A few minutes after that, there is a sign for a Forest Protection Area, which appears to extend from the hut all the way down to the Scar Trail junction on Valley Way - encompassing the Valley Way Tentsite FPA also.

[3:15pm - Valley Way/Valley Way Tentside jct.]

Valley Way continues through some beautiful, mossy woods, and travels near the Snyder Brook. There was one off-trail "view" of the brook, but it was hard to get to and hard to see once there. We enjoyed the sounds, nonetheless.

After the Valley Way Tentsite junction, there was one small clearing in the trees that shows some of the "Howkes" on the Howker Ridge Trail, and then the long descent continued...

Footing was pretty good once past the tentside, with a few lovely walking breaks and some leaves on the ground. We did pass a duo that we dubbed "the bros" who were listening to music on their speaker and "stoked to crush a cosmic brownie once [they] get to Valley Way" - I sure hope they meant the Valley Way tentside and not the trail, because we had been on the trail for quite some time at this point.

[3:37pm - Valley Way/Lower Bruin Trail jct.]

I enjoy hiking on this side of the Presidentials for all of the criss-crossing trails in the area - they add nice little checkpoints to break up an otherwise uneventful hike. We crossed paths with three croo members carrying (read as: schlepping) materials up to the hut).

[3:52pm - Valley Way/Watson Path jct.]

Somewhere near the Watson Path junction, we caught up with the large group that we saw at the hut and at the summit of Mt. Madison, taking up most of the trail. The guy who seemed to act as the group leader tried to get everyone off the trail for us, but to little success. For some reason, the second we passed them, they immediately started hiking again. They all seemed to be friends, which is great, but it really put a damper on our peaceful return trip (we ended up picking up our pace to get further ahead).

Further down now, we reached the part in the guidebook where the trail crosses several small brooks at their confluence, which was a fantastic, dry walking break area. We spent a moment here reflecting how long this descent actually felt - 4000ish feet over 4ish miles is a lot!

[4:46pm - Valley Way/Randolph Path jct.]

[4:49pm - Valley Way/Brookside jct.]

The character of the trail changed dramatically once Valley Way reached the Brookside Trail junction. From a well-worn slog to a waterside meander.

[4:56pm - Valley Way/Fallsway jct. (S)]

Our energy was slightly revived in our last mile when we turned onto the Fallsway, which I cannot recommend enough. Right away, the trail is beautiful with the Snyder Brook cascading over mossy rocks.

[4:59pm - Tama Falls]

The first waterfall on this trail was Tama Falls, which looks like ~12 foot tumbling fall over a jagged, sloped rock wall, but then further down the trail it is revealed to be almost three times the size and just beautiful. I meandered off-trail to get some better photos (and only slipped one foot into the brook!). I am cranky, still, though that some other hikers were exploring the falls on the other side and got in my photos... I guess its fine...

[5:02pm - Fallsway/Valley Way jct. (Middle)]

[5:03pm - Fallsway/Valley Way jct. (N)]

[5:04pm - Upper Salroc Falls]

Fallsway briefly coincides with Valley Way again before splitting off for good, leading to the gentle and beautiful Upper Salroc Falls, which looked like a slippery slide with truly crystal-clear water. I took a moment here to splash my face with the icy water which brought me back to LIFE. Gen and Emma kindly watched as I played with all the falls.

[5:06pm - Lower Salroc Falls]

Next up was Lower Salroc Falls, which was a gentle cascade into another gentle pool. The Fallsway was such a nice detour not just for the falls, but also the footbed - it was mostly soft dirt on a less-trodden path, which was a welcomed changed from the rocks high up and the heavily-used Valley Way.

[5:15pm - Fallsway/Sylvan Way jct.]

There was an unnamed area just before the Sylvan Way junction that had a nice, gentle shelf-falls with red rocks.

[5:16pm - Gordon Falls]

The last waterfall on the Fallsway was Gordon Falls, which created a nice bookend of this side-quest, as it looked similar, but less steep than Tama Falls higher up. The last bit of Fallsway was a short meander through the woods, ultimately leading through the power cut and to the Presidental Rail Trail. Emma got VIOLENTLY hungry once we hit the power cut!

[5:20pm - Fallsway/Presidential Rail Trail jct.]

And the final leg of our journey was along the rail trail back to the Appalchia Trailhead, to the super sloped car, and then to find dinner!

[5:23pm - Back at the Car]

We ended up going to Tuckerman's Restaurant and Tavern for dinner, which was EXCELLENT! We had delicious, greasy food, nice drinks, and beefy dessert. Afterwards, we scrolled through photos of the day in our cow onesies at the Airbnb, watched the first episode of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," and had an early bedtime. Our final day of the trip involved a great breakfast at The Sunrise Shack, boardgames back at the Airbnb, and then some shopping at REI, L.L. Bean, and the outlets in North Conway before the long drive home. A very successful bachelorette weekend!

Step-By-Step

- Part at Appalachia parking area.

- Start hike at Valley Way/Airline trailhead.

- Follow Airline all the way to the top of Mt. Adams.

- At the summit of Mt. Adams, follow Lowe's Path down.

- At Thunderstorm Junction, turn right onto Gulfside Trail (AT).

- At terminus, follow Star Lake Trail (AT) a few feet to Madison Spring Hut.

- After hut, follow Star Lake Trail in reverse a few feet.

- Turn right onto Osgood Trail (AT).

- Summit Mt. Madison, turn around.

- Back at the Osgood Trail/Star Lake junction, turn right onto Valley Way trail.

- Follow Valley Way a long ways.

- With 0.6 miles left, turn right onto Fallsway.

- Follow Fallsway back to Appalachia.

“Air Line” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

AMC This trail, completed in 1885, is the shortest route to Mt. Adam’s from a highway. The trail runs from the Appalachia parking area (plowed in winter) on US 2 - 2.0 mi. east of the western jct. with Durand Rd. by Lowe’s Store and 0.8 mi. west of the jct. with Pinkham B Rd. (Dolly Copp Rd.) - up Durand Ridge to the summit. The middle section is steep and rough, and the sections on the knife-edged crest of Durand Ridge and above tree line are very exposed to weather, but afford magnificent views.

        The blue-blazed trail, running in common with Valley Way at first, begins at Appalachia and crosses Presidential Rail Trail to a fork near the edge of a power-line clearing, where Air Line leads right and Valley Way left. In 40 yd., just after Air Line enters the woods, the Link diverges right. Air Line crosses Sylvan Way at 0.2 mi. and Beechwood Way and Beechwood Brook at 0.6 mi. At 0.8 mi. from Appalachia, Short Line diverges right, and at 0.9 mi., Air Line enters Randolph Path, coincides with it for 20 yd., and then diverges left uphill. At 1.6 mi., there may be water in a spring 30 yd. left (east) of the trail. From here, Air Line becomes quite steep and rough for 0.5 mi. then eases up and reaches a site once known as Camp Placid Stream (water unreliable) at 2.4 mi. Here, Scar Trail enters on the left, coming up from Valley Way.

        At 3.0 mi., after a moderate climb, Air Line emerges from the scrub, and at 3.1 mi., yellow-blazed Upper Bruin comes up left from Valley Way. Air Line now ascends over the bare, ledgy crest of Durand Ridge, known as the Knife Edge, passing over crags that drop off sharply into King Ravine on the right and descend steeply, but not precipitously, into Snyder Glen on the left. At 3.2 mi., just south of the little peak called Needle Rock, Chemin des Dames comes up from King Ravine. Air Line now climbs steadily up the ridge toward Mt. Adam’s. From several points along the upper part of this ridge, one can look back down the ridge for a clear demonstration of the difference between the U-shaped glacial cirque of King Ravine on the left (west) and the ordinary V-shaped brook valley of Snyder Glen on the right (east). At 3.5 mi., Air Line Cutoff diverges left (southeast) to Madison Spring Hut, which is visible from this jct. in clear weather. [...].

        Air Line now departs a little from the edge of the ravine, going left of the jutting crags at the ravine’s southeast corner, and rises steeply. In this section, if visibility is poor, be especially careful in following the trail. At 3.7 mi., Air Line passes the Gateway of King Ravine, where King Ravine Trail diverges right and plunges between two crags into that gulf. Here, there is a striking view of Mt. Madison. In 60 yd., Air Line enters Gulfside Trail, turns right, and coincides with it for 70 yd. on the high plateau at the head of the ravine. Then Air Line diverges to the left (southwest), passing northwest of Mt. Quincy Adams. Marked by blue blazes and cairns, it climbs steadily and at time steeply up a rough way over large, angular stones to the summit of Mt. Adam’s. Here, Air Line meets Lowe’s Path and Star Lake Trail. 

        Descending from the summit, Air Line follows cairns slightly east of north down the rocky cone of the mountain.

"Lowe's Path" from White Moutnain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

RMC [...]. Spur Trail joins on the left, 100 yd. below Thunderstorm Junction (large cairn), the major intersection with Gulfside Trail at 4.4 mi.; Great Gully Trail enters Gulfside Trail, Lowe's Path climbs moderately southeast up the jumbled rocks of the cone of Mt. Adams, passing the jct. where Israel Ridge Path enters right at 4.5 mi. Climbing almost due east over the rocks (follow cairns carefully), Lowe's Path reaches the summit of Mt. Adams at 4.7 mi., where the trail meets Air Line and Star Lake Trail. 

        Descending from the summit, Lowe's Path leads slightly north of west.

"Gulfside Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

RMC/WMNF This trail, the main route along the Northern Presidential ridge crest, leads from Madison Spring Hut to the summit of Mt. Washington. The trail threads its way through the principal coils, avoiding the summits of the Northern Presidentials, and offers extensive, ever-changing views. Elevations range from about 4,800 ft. close to the hut to 6,288 ft. on the summit of Mt. Washington. Gulfside Trail was named by J. Rayner Edmands, who, starting in 1892, located and constructed the greater part of the trail, sometimes following trails that had existed before. All but about 0.8 mi. of the trail was once a graded path, and parts were paved with carefully placed stones - a work cut short by Edmands’s death in 1910. Gulfside Trail is part of the AT, except for a very short segment at the south end. For its entire distance, the trail forms the northwestern boundary of the Great Gulf Wilderness, although the trail itself is not within the Wilderness. It is well marked with large cairns, many topped with yellow-painted stone, and while care must be used, it can often be followed even in dense fog. […].

Part I. Madison Spring Hut - Edmands Col 

The trail begins on the northwest side of Madison Spring Hut and runs 35 yd. northwest to a jct. where Valley Way diverges right. Here Gulfside Trail swings left and leads southwest through a patch of scrub. The trail then aims to the right (north) of Mt. Quincy Adams and ascends its steep, open north slope. At the top of this slope, at 0.3 mi., on the high plateau between King Ravine and Mt. Quincy Adams, Gulfside Trail is joined from the right by Air Line, which in turn was just joined by King Ravine Trail. Here, you have striking views back to Mt. Madison and into King Ravine at the Gateway, a short distance down on the right. Gulfside Trail and Air Line coincide for 70 yd., and then Air Line branches left toward the summit of Mt. Adams. Much of Gulfside Trail for about the next 0.5 mi. is paved with carefully placed stones. It rises moderately southwest, then becomes steeper, and at 0.9 mi. from Madison Spring Hut, reaches a grassy lawn, marked by a large and prominent cairn. The RMC has made recent improvements in this area to better define the trails. Entering Gulfside Trail on the right, 8 yd. before reaching the cairn, is Great Gully Trail, coming up across the slope from the southwest corner of Kind Ravine. At the cairn, Gulfside Trail is crossed by Lowe’s Path, ascending on the right (northwest) from Lowe’s Store on US 2 to the summit of Mt. Adams. About 100 yd. down Lowe’s Path, Spur Trail branches right for Crag Camp. The summit of Mt. Adams is 0.3 mi. from the jct. (left, southeast) via Lowe’s Path; a round trip to the summit requires about 30 min.

“Madison Spring Hut (AMC)” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

For more than 130 years, AMC’s White Mountain hut system has offered hikers bunks for the night in spectacular locations, with home-cooked dinners and breakfasts, cold running water, and composting or waterless toilets. In 1888, at Madison Spring (4,795 ft.), a little north of the Adams-Madison col, AMC built a stone hut. The present hut, rebuilt and improved after a fire in 1940 and reconstructed in 2010 and 2011, accommodates 52 guests in two bunkrooms. Lodging, with with meals included, is available for a fee; reservations are highly recommended (603-466-2727; outdoors.org/destinations). Limited drinks, snacks, and gear are available for purchase by day visitors. The hut is open to the public from early June to mid-September. It is 6.0 mi. from the summit of Mt. Washington via Gulfside Trail and 6.8 mi. from Lakes of the Clouds Hut via Gulfside Trail, Westside Trail, and Crawford Path. In bad weather, the best approach (or exit) is via Valley Way, which is sheltered to within a short distance of the hut. Nearby points of interest include Star Lake and the Parapet, a crag overlooking Madison Gulf. Pets are not permitted in the hut.

“Osgood Trail” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

AMC […]. Osgood Trail ascends to the summit of Mt. Madison at 3.3 mi., where Watson Path enters on the right. (in the reverse direction, Osgood Trail descends almost due east, and Watson Path descends northeast.) Osgood Trail follows the crest of the ridge west past several large cairns, drops off to the left (south), and continues to descends westward just below the ridge crest and above the steep slopes falling off into Madison Gulf on the left. Soon Osgood Trail crosses to the north side of the ridge and descends steeply, and 30 yd. before the trail reaches the front of Madison Spring Hut, Pine Link joins on the right.

“Valley Way” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

AMC This is the most direct and easiest route from the Appalachia parking area (plowed in winter) on US 2 - 2.0 mi. east of the western jct. with Durand Rd. by Lowe’s Store and 0.8 mi. west of the jct. with Pinkham B Rd. (Dolly Copp Rd.) - to Madison Spring Hut. The trail is well sheltered almost to the door of the hut. The parking area is a stop on the AMC Hiker Shuttle. In bad weather, this si the safest route to or from the hut. J. Rayner Edmands constructed the trail in his unmistakable style from 1895 to 1897, using parts of earlier trails constructed by Laban Watson and Eugene Cook.

        Blue-blazed Valley Way, coinciding with Air Line at the start, begins at Appalachia and crosses Presidential Rail Trail to a fork, where Valley Way leads to the left and Air Line to the right across a power-line clearing. Just into the woods, Maple Walk diverges left, and at 0.2 mi., Sylvan Way crosses. Valley Way soon enters the WMNF, and 0.5 mi., Fallsway comes in on the left; it soon departs on the left for Tama Fall and Brookbank and then reenters Valley Way at 0.6 mi. - a short but worthwhile loop.

        Valley Way leads nearer Snyder Brook and is soon joined form the right by Beechwood Way. About 30 yd. above this jct., Brookside continues straight. Valley Way turns right and climbs 100 yd. to the crossing of Randolph Path at 0.9 mi., and continues to climb at a comfortable grade high above Snyder Brook, crossing several small brooks at their confluence at 1.4 mi. before swinging east, then south. At 2.1 mi., Scar Trail branches right, leading to Air Line via Durand Scar, an excellent outlook on Scar Loop only about 0.2 mi. above Valley Way (well worth the small effort required to visit it). At 2.4 mi., Watson Path crosses, leading left to the summit of Mt. Madison. Valley Way angles up the rather steep slopes of Durand Ridge at a moderate grade considerably above the stream. At 2.8 mi., Lower Bruin enters left, coming up from Bruin Rock and Duck Fall. At 3.2 mi., a side path on the right leads 150 yd. to Valley Way Tentside. Soon the trail passes a spring to the right. At 3.3 mi., Upper Bruin branches steeply right, leading in 0.2 mi. to Air Line at the lower end of the knife-edged crest of Durand Ridge.

        Now Valley Way becomes teen and rough and approach nearer to Snyder Brook. High up in the scrub, the trail swings to the right, away from the brook, and then swings back toward the stream and emerges from the scrub close to the brook, reaching a jct. with Air Line Cutoff 45 yd. below Madison Spring Hut. Valley Way ends in another 10 yd. at a jct. with Gulfside Trail, which continues another 35 yd. to the hut. From the hut, the summit of Mt. Madison can be reached by ascending 0.5 mi. on Osgood Trail.

        Descending, follow Gulfside Trail 35 yd. northwest from the hut to a jct. where Valley Way diverges right (north) as Gulfside Trail bears left (southwest). Bear right in another 10 yd. where Air Line Cutoff diverges left.

“Geography” from White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022) 

The upper part of the mass of the Northern Presidentials is covered with rock fragments; above 5,000 ft., there are no trees and little scrub. The southwest side of the range is dominated by the Great Gulf and the two smaller cirques that branch off from it, Jefferson Ravine and Madison Gulf. Many ridges and valleys radiate from this range on the north and west sides, the most important being, from north to south: Mt. Madison’s Osgood Ridge, Howker Ridge, Bumpus Basin, Gordon Ridge, and the ravine of Snyder Brook, which is shared with Mt. Adams; Mt. Adams’s Durand Ridge, King Ravine, Norwell Ridge, Cascade Ravine, Israel Ridge, and Castle Ravine, which is shared with Mt. Jefferson [...].

        Mt. Adams (5,797 ft.), the second highest of the New England summits, has a greater variety of interesting features than any other New England mountain except Katahdin: its sharp, clean-cut profile; its large area above treeline; its inspiring views, the finest being across the Great Gulf to Mts. Washington, Jefferson, and Clay; it's great northern ridges (sharp, narrow Durand Ridge and massive, broad-spreading Norwell Ridge); and its five glacial cirques. These consist of King Ravine and the four that Mt. Adams shares with its neighbors: the Great Gulf, Jefferson Ravine, Madison Gulf, and Castle Ravine. The two most prominent of the several lesser summits and crags of Mt. Adams are Mt. Sam Adams (5,584 ft.), a rather flat mass to the west, and Mt. Quincy Adams, or J. Q. Adams (5,408 ft.), a sharp, narrow shark-fin ridge to the north. A northwestern spur of Mt. Adams, formerly called Adams 4, was renamed in 2010 as Mt. Abigail Adams (5,353 ft.).

        The farthest northeast of the high peaks of the Presidential Range, Mt. Madison (5,363 ft.) is remarkable for the great drop of more than 4,000 ft. to the river valleys east and northeast from its summit. The drop to the Androscoggin River in Gorham (4,580 ft. in about 6.5 mi.) is probably the closest approach in New England, except at Katahdin, or a major river to a tall mountain. The views south and southwest ot the neighboring Presidential peaks and into the Great Gulf are superb; the distant view is excellent in all other directions. Mt. Madison’s two northern ridges, Gordon Ridge and Howker Ridge, enclose Bumpus Basin, a trailless glacial cirque. Osgood Ridge extends southeast toward the lower Great Gulf.

Photo Album