Mount Jefferson: Putting all of our trust into the traction of our boots
Mount Jefferson was the second to last cabin hike of my journey. I wanted to hike at least seven miles over to the surrounding mountains after hiking, but that dream was short lived once I realized how intense this hike was going to be.
The trail-head is pretty difficult to find. I don’t know if that was due to my subpar navigational skills or the dirt road with no obvious indication that you should turn down it, but we had a tough time. Of course, the ride up wasn’t all bad. When driving to Jefferson, you will pass gas stations leading up all the way to your final turn onto the trailhead road, so don’t stress about a lack of restrooms or food. Jefferson also neighbors the famous “Mount Washington”, which means that the town around the mountain is lively and nice due to the booming tourist industry in the area.
Once you have made it to the trailhead, you have two options for parking. First, if you made it to the trail early enough, you can park in the parking lot. However, if you are like me and you have trouble getting up at the crack of dawn or before, you can park on the road, which is what most people end up doing. From there, you can walk on into the woods to begin your hike.
The beginning of the hike was nice. The trail had a slow and steady incline through an abundance of gorgeous foliage. My mom’s cousin Will was my hiking buddy for this adventure and he is a fast hiker, so I was running up most of the beginning of the trail. After about an hour or two of hiking, we had our first view of Mount Jefferson in all its glory.
Standing at 5,712′ Jefferson was the tallest and most difficult mountain I hiked this summer. It was also one of the most enjoyable. Once you catch a glimpse of Jefferson through the trees, you will have another hour of hiking before you make it to the main look out, and from there you will begin your hike up the actual mountain. This lookout is stunning, and a great place to stop, drink water, eat lunch, and snap a few pictures. Soon enough, though, you will need to continue your journey to the summit.
From the lookout, there is another half a mile of calm forest hiking before you approach the rocks. I have never bouldered anything this intense besides maybe the Mahoosuc Notch two years prior to this hike. The rocks are tame at first, just remember not to look down, there are crevices underneath the boulders that are remarkably easy to fall into. At the beginning, there are still trees and roots to hold onto, just in case you do fall, so I wasn’t too worried. Then came the hard part.
We came out of the woods to a trail of rocks that seemed to loop around a huge cliff-like structure. We followed the trail, expecting it to wind up the side of the cliff, but alas, the trail was in fact… the cliff. This wasn’t an intense cliff or anything, nothing you would need ropes or any kind of training for, but it was a cliff nonetheless. After a while of climbing on all fours, we thought we had seen the end of it, but no. The trail was sheer rock for about two more miles.
The rocks were pretty intense, and as the title of this post suggests, we were truly putting all of our trust into the traction of our boots. My boots are my favorite thing I own. They are waterproof Oboes, and I wear them on every journey I take. On this hike, I had to put my trust in my boots to the test. We were walking up sheer rock faces with all of our weight on our feet, praying we wouldn’t slip down the mountain. If you are thinking about hiking Mount Jefferson, I would suggest skipping the flip flops (yes, we saw someone wearing flip flops, and yes, he did turn around halfway up) and wearing hiking boots if you own them (or at least a good pair of sneakers).
At some points, it was pretty difficult to find the trail, as the blazes and cairns are scarce in some areas, but we made it up with only a few close calls where we almost hiked off a cliff. After climbing through castles and towers of rocks, and listening to the Mount Washington train go up and down the mountain next to us, we finally made it to the summit.
The top is pretty anti-climactic, as the majority of the hike is exposed, but making it to the top was still one of the best moments of my life. The view from all sides is absolutely stunning. Facing back towards the trail, you will see everything you just hiked up, the gorgeous, red-roofed Mount Washington Hotel, and the Presidentials all the way into the horizon. To your left is Mount Washington, boasting a vintage train and a huge weather observatory visible from the Jefferson summit, and to your right and behind you are miles and miles of mountains.
Of course, just like Mount Washington, the weather at the summit is pretty horrendous. Make sure you bring gear for all types of weather, as the forecast changes in the blink of an eye, but prepare especially for wind. When we were at the summit, we realized a huge storm was rolling in, and decided it was time to pack up and make our way back down the trail to avoid getting caught on an exposed trail in a potential thunderstorm.
The hike down was not terrible, and it took about half the time the hike up did. The hike down did involve a lot of sliding down the rocks and trying to figure out where on earth the trail was going. Sliding may have not been the best idea though, as my shorts did in fact rip. Once you find a rhythm in your hiking, you will back into the trees in no time. The hike back from the tree line is a breeze, and soon enough, you will have finished your hike up Mount Jefferson.
This hike may not be long, but it is difficult. One of the most important pieces of advice I can give to those hiking Mount Jefferson is to be prepared for anything. From crazy winds and weather, to a fall down a cliff, anything can happen on Mount Jefferson. I would also say don’t dwell on all the rocks, and the next cliff or anything, focus on what’s around you whether it’s the people, the wildlife, the views, just look up from where you are hiking every once in a while and it just might be worth it.
For Those Who Wander 