Some Different Viewing Perspectives on the Crawford Notch (02-Nov-2009)

[1HappyHiker]

The evening before this trek, I wasn't certain if I'd be hiking the following day since I was feeling too disorganized to get organized for a hike! Well, finally by very late morning I eventually got my act together. However, with the late start and the shorter daylight hours, I had a very compressed time frame for hiking.

So, with the time available, I guesstimated that I might be able to do two short bushwhacks in the Crawford Notch area that have been on my mind for awhile. As it turns out, I was able to complete both whacks, but with only an ounce of daylight to spare!

Here are two mini-reports for each of these bushwhacks.

Whack #1: Ledge Near Sawyer Rock Picnic Area

This was a somewhat steep whack. However, it was very short (about 1.0 mile round-trip) and it was through very open woods the entire distance. From this ledge (about 1,860 feet elevation), there are some unique perspectives.

The first snapshot is looking northward. Hart Ledge is prominent in the foreground, and the Crawford Notch area is in the background.

This next snapshot is looking northwesterly, and just to name a few, Mt. Carrigain is the high peak to the far left, and Mt. Willey is on the far right.

The next photo features an up-close view of the entire mass of Mt. Tremont.

The photo below is pretty much self-explanatory. This sign is at the spot where I parked, and it provides a brief history of Sawyer Rock.

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Whack #2: Rockslide on North End of Mt. Tremont

For this second bushwhack of the day, I pulled out of the Sawyer Rock Picnic area and drove a very short distance up Route 302 and parked at the Fourth Iron Tentsite.

This whack was not as steep as the first whack, but it was twice the distance, i.e. about 2 miles round-trip. And like the first bushwhack, this trek was also through very open woods for the entire distance.

The rockslide is massive. I was only on the lower portion of it at about 2,100 feet elevation. However, the top of the slide is at about 2,200 feet. I was totally bummed when I realized that I forgot to take a snapshot of the slide itself. Oh well! Since it's such an easy bushwhack, I suspect I'll return there at some point in time.

From this rockslide there is a somewhat unique viewing angle for the Crawford Notch area. The two snapshots below were taken from the rockslide looking northward. The first one is slightly zoomed, and the second shot is not zoomed.

Slightly Zoomed

Not Zoomed

1HappyHiker

[CHRIS]

Great t/r and wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[KD Talbot]

I always love your TRs. You visit such little known places! The view from the slide on Tremont looking north into Crawford Notch is exceptional. I can't think of too many places where you can get a view of the eastern side of the Southern Presidentials all the way from Webster to Boott Spur! Would make a stunning winter pano worthy of any wall! Thanks!

KDT

[Snow Miser]

Beautiful photos and great TR, as usual! Thanks so much for sharing.

[Anna LeBlanc]

Thank you for those wonderful pictures John.I'm sure you're taking me places I would never get to otherwise.

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Anna

[1HappyHiker]

Chris, Kevin, Bob, Anna: Thank you guys for all your nice words. And it's gratifying to know that I can bring some measure of pleasure to folks like you by sharing my adventures to lesser-known places.

The view from the slide on Tremont looking north into Crawford Notch is exceptional. I can't think of too many places where you can get a view of the eastern side of the Southern Presidentials all the way from Webster to Boott Spur!

Kevin, by no means is this intended as self "back patting", but I also particularly liked the view from the rockslide on the north end of Mt. Tremont. From that vantage point, evidence of current things (like roads, etc) are barely visible. So I sort of imagined myself seeing the Crawford Notch how it might have looked back in the 1700's when Timothy Nash was working to bring the first horse through the Notch to fulfill his bargain with Governor Wentworth.