Trek to Mt. Crawford, Plus Two Bushwhack Side-Trips

BOTTOM LINE:  Hiked to summit of Mt. Crawford, and then continued eastward for a few tenths of a mile beyond the summit to do two short bushwhacks off the Davis Path.  One foray was to a cliff dubbed by Steve Smith as "Razor's Edge", and the other was to the south slope of Crawford Dome.

DETAILS:

In early spring, it's often challenging for me to come up with suitable options for outdoor adventures.  Although there is still a ground cover of snow, the warmer weather generally makes the snow unsuitable for any enjoyable cross-country skiing.  Snowshoeing is still an option, but the sun-softened snow can cling and clump, thus making each step seem like lifting leg weights.  And then as spring progresses, the snow melt can raise water levels and cause issues with brook crossings.

As dismal and foreboding as the foregoing paragraph might sound, there are still some outdoor adventures in the early days of spring that can be enjoyed with some thoughtful planning.

My decision to hike to Mt. Crawford was based upon the knowledge that the trail (Davis Path) is generally well-travelled and therefore would likely require little if any trail-breaking.  Also, the brook crossings on this trail are rarely problematic at any time of year.  And lastly, since the overnight temperature was below freezing, I figured that the snowpack should remain relatively firm and non-clinging, at least until mid-day when the temperature was expected to rise into the low 40s.

In planning this trek,  I had thoughts of possibly extending the hike by continuing eastward beyond Mt. Crawford to visit Mt. Resolution.  However, on the morning of the hike, I received an e-mail from Steve Smith reminding me of yet another possibility which was to bushwhack to a cliff that he had dubbed as "Razor's Edge".  Although I'd never been there, I knew where to find it from the description in his November 2012 blog.  Steve's suggestion also prompted me to consider including yet another bushwhack to a nearby spot known as Crawford Dome.  I'd been there before, but never during wintry conditions (Click HERE for report of my previous trek to Crawford Dome.)

There were no real issues with the hike to Mt. Crawford other than some annoying postholes created by someone who apparently decided to hike the trail without snowshoes.  Some of the postholes were incredibly deep!  It had to have been a very uncomfortable hike.

Following my hike to the summit of Mt. Crawford, conditions were such that I opted to continue eastward along the Davis Path and do the short bushwhack to Razor's Edge.  The snowpack was relatively firm, and the cliff was found with no problem.  It was an enjoyable mini-adventure which provided unique views of the Razor Brook Valley.

Since the snowpack was relatively firm for the trek to Razor's Edge, I then decided to continue onward and do a bushwhack to the cliffs at the northwestern end of Crawford Dome.  Well, that didn't work out nearly as well!

Not only had the air temperature risen, but also the approach to Crawford Dome is predominately south facing.  These factors resulted in a very soft snowpack.  Once I began sinking thigh-deep on a frequent basis, I knew it was time to call it quits (or fold 'em, as I like to say).   But before giving up, I did manage to make it to a ledge which provided some very pleasant views.  And, much to my surprise, there was one segment of the ledge that was completely free of snow!

PHOTOS:

Shown below are some snapshots taken during this adventure.

Approaching the first open ledges en route to summit of Mt. Crawford

Snapshot taken on final approach to summit of Mt. Crawford  (looking northeasterly toward Stairs Mtn and southern Presidential Range)

Looking northward up the Crawford Notch from summit of Mt. Crawford

A vista similar to preceding photo, but looking a bit more westerly

Southward view from summit of Mt. Crawford looking toward Mt. Chocorua and peaks in Sandwich Range

Extreme zoom of Stairs Mtn with peaks in the Carter-Wildcat Range peaking through the gap between Stairs Mtn and Mt. Resolution

Looking southward down Razor Brook Valley from the cliff dubbed by Steve Smith as "Razor's Edge".  (Several decades ago, the Razor Brook Trail traversed this valley and connected with the Davis Path.)

A vista similar to preceding photo, but looking a bit more westerly

Extreme zoom of Mt. Chocorua

The snowpack was fairly firm for the bushwhack to "Razor's Edge" cliff.  (However, snowpack had softened considerably by time I started next bushwhack to Crawford Dome.)

Snowpack became too soft to comfortably continue all the way to Crawford Dome, but at least managed to get part way and had pleasant views of Mt. Resolution, Stairs Mtn, and 'peeks of peaks' in Presidential Range.

As they say in real estate, "location, location, location"! Much to my surprise, there was one segment of this south facing ledge that had huge expanses of snow-free rock.

This snapshot was taken on my descent from Crawford Dome.  It's being shown merely because I thought it was one of the most attractive vistas I've seen that includes the Attitash alpine ski slopes.

For those interested in the locations of my three destinations, each spot is marked with a red "X" on the map (click/tap to enlarge)

~ THE END ~