What a glorious day! Ed and I planned to climb Boott Spur on the south side of Mt. Washington, preceding a descent via the Glen Boulder trail. Anyone who hasn’t done it is missing out!
The Boott Spur trail is steep, with two false summits– both well above treeline. It rises roughly 3,000 feet in well under 4 miles, typically requiring frequent breaks for anyone not in peak condition. Views into Tuck’s Ravine graced us sporadically, while looking north allowed us to see Lion’s Head and the Alpine Garden Trail. We saw a few people, including a lone woman who is part of a rescue crew on the other side of the whites, a dad with his young son, and a group of three descending from the Lakes of the Clouds hut. Ed and I certainly noticed the hesitancy in their step– not even descenders move very quickly on this trail.
At the top of Boott Spur, we stopped for some time to enjoy the view, snacks, the breeze, and an utterly calm feeling. Due to our late start, nobody else was up there at the same time as Ed and me. In fact, we saw nobody the entire rest of the day despite 2.5 more hours of hiking, and a trip past Glen Boulder– which is visible from 302, as one heads north towards Pinkham Notch.
Before we knew it, daylight faded, and thus, we had to skip the typically mandatory photographs of us moving the Boulder. All told, it was a fantastic day spent on some good trails with a great friend.
*Check out our Instagram for photos of the day!