Hike: 2019 Presi Traverse

A few weeks before traveling out to California to complete our three-year section hike of the John Muir Trail, Jeff and I did a single-day Presi Traverse. It was Jeff’s first time doing a Presi, and though I had attempted it a few times I had yet to complete a single-day for my Northeast Ultra 8 list. The day started out cloudy, but cleared up by the time we hit Mount Washington.

Coming down Mount Washington toward Lakes of the Cloud there were some shirtless bros flexing in the trail. Since I was cruising, I hopped up on some rocks off the trail to get around them. When I jumped down to the trail again I rolled my right ankle, heard a pop, and collapsed to the ground. To their credit, the bros asked if I was okay. I mumbled I was fine, recovered and acted like I’d just walk it off. In truth I was worried about the pop and the amount of pain. By Lake of the Clouds I was thinking about possibly bailing or getting a rescue. But after stopping to take a load of ibuprofen and drinking a bunch of water, I was feeling like it would be possible to complete the hike, despite how quickly my ankle swelled up.

I grinded the remaining 9 miles of the hike, softening each step with lots of help from my trekking poles. I considered bailing again at Mount Pierce, which would still have been a full Presi Traverse. But at that point the pain was gone, so Jeff and I completed the traverse with Jackson tacked on. I just hoped that my ankle would recover in time for our JMT hike. Since it was hard to diagnose fleshy injuries from an x-ray, my doctor believed that I tore a ligament on the front of my ankle and suggested I stay off my feet as much as possible for the next few months. Of course I still went on our JMT trip.

ROUTE

Dropped vehicle at Webster-Jackson Trail parking off Route 302 in Hart’s Location, NH
Parked at Appalachia Trailhead parking off Route 2 in Randolph, NH
Hiked Valley Way Trail to intersection with Watson Path
Left on Watson Path to Madison summit
Right on Osgood Trail to Madison Spring Hut
Left on Star Lake Trail to Adams summit
Left on Lowes Path to intersection with Gulfside Trail
Left on Gulfside Trail to intersection with Mount Jefferson Loop Trail
Right on Mount Jefferson Loop Trail to Jefferson summit and to intersection with Gulfside Trail
Right on Gulfside Trail to intersection with Mount Clay Loop Trail
Left on Mount Clay Loop Trail to Clay summit and to intersection with Gulfside Trail
Left on Gulfside Trail to intersection with Trinity Heights Connector
Left on Trinity Heights Connector to Washington summit
Right on Crawford Path to intersection with Mount Monroe Loop Trail
Right on Mount Monroe Loop Trail to Monroe summit and to intersection with Crawford Path
Right on Crawford Path to intersection with Franklin Spur Trail
Left on Franklin Spur Trail to Franklin summit and to intersection with Crawford Path
Left on Crawford Path to intersection with Mount Eisenhower Loop Trail
Right on Mount Eisenhower Loop Trail to Eisenhower summit and to intersection with Crawford Path
Right on Crawford Path to intersection with Webster Cliff Trail
Left on Webster Cliff Trail to Pierce summit and to Jackson summit
Right on Webster-Jackson Trail to parked car