We couldn't have had a better hiking day, a real gem for mid-September, without the summit fog and dampness a day on either side, for this grueling 10-hour, 10+ mile hike to bag Monroe and Washington. The route took us up the new relocated section of the lower part of the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, to the "Gem Pool", then steeply up and out of the woods into the alpine zone and finally to the Lakes of the Clouds hut. Most of us dropped our packs at the hut for the quick 20-minute hike up to Monroe. Below, after the return to the hut, are Steve, Marie, Deb, Andy, Dick, Chris, and Pam. Not in the photo are Pat, Michele, and Charlie.
After the 1.5 mile, 1300 ft hike from the hut to the Washington summit, we had more lunch at the summit building. Then it was time for the long five-mile descent. A short distance north on the Crawford path took us to a crossing of the Cog Railway track. Here, at the track, are Dick, Charlie, Marie, Michele, Pat, and Deb (pic by Andy). Pam, Chris, and Steve had moved on ahead, to go over Mt Clay, over to Mt Jefferson, and down by a different route. That peak above Dick in the photo is Mt Jefferson, and to the right is Mt Sam Adams, a bump on the shoulder of Mt Adams just off the right edge of the photo.
