Millen Hill and Mt Dartmouth are two trailless peaks adjoining to Mt Jefferson within the White Mountains Presidential Vary. Millen Hill is on the New Hampshire 200 highest record, whereas Mt Dartmouth is on the 100 highest record and the tougher of the 2 peaks to climb. Whereas I’d have been snug solo bushwhacking to Millen Hill, I’ve been somewhat intimidated by Mt Dartmouth, which is a way more tough peak to climb based mostly on earlier studies by different hikers. So I used to be glad to group up with two associates for the ascent of each peaks, Invoice and Lynn, on the day of the Summer time Solstice.
We met that morning on the Cap Ridge Trailhead on Mt Jefferson, which at 3000′, is the very best trailhead within the White Mountains and the shortest path to summit Jefferson. Solely we have been headed west and off-trail as an alternative of east and up the Caps Ridge Path. Earlier than setting out, we utilized copious quantities of bug dope and made certain we had our head nets shut at hand earlier than heading into the forest and into the insect armageddon we have been more likely to encounter. In regular years, mosquito and black fly season are likely to taper off by Father’s Day within the Whites, however this 12 months has been something however regular. The one pores and skin I had displaying on this hike have been the information of my fingers in my fingerless gloves, and solely as a result of I’d mislaid the skinny Gorilla Grip Gloves I wish to put on on buggy bushwhacks.
Bushwhacking out to Millen Hill was a reasonably easy whack, though we bumped into lots of forest particles on the way in which out. Whereas the contours on the map make it seem like the route is a gradual slope, there was a large number of small gullies and rocky outcrops to hike round and over en route. Invoice had been out to Millen earlier than and reported that his earlier journey has been a simple one, however we needed to work so much more durable on ours. On hindsight, I feel we dropped too far south on the way in which to the height and a extra northerly route would have been far more open. Nonetheless, we made it to the summit in beneath an hour in good spirits, signed the log e book, and rehydrated earlier than setting off to climb Dartmouth, the massive peak of the day.
Invoice had some beta that prompt we observe the 3100′ contour alongside the east aspect of Dartmouth earlier than climbing to the summit, so we set off towards the Millen-Dartmouth Col hoping to cross it on the southeast aspect. The woods right here have been fairly open and we made good time.
We have been all sporting ABC watches, so staying on the 3100′ contour was fairly easy. ABC stands for Altitude-Barometer-Compass and the advantage of largest good thing about sporting one, no less than from my perspective, is that you may inform the place you might be on a topographic map based mostly in your altitude and elevation.
However strolling alongside a contour isn’t straightforward, notably if it’s alongside a steep slope as a result of one leg is larger than the opposite and it might probably get actually tiring to stroll this fashion. As well as, we needed to always jog round blown-down timber and rocky outcrops that jutted out from the hillside, forcing us to achieve or lose elevation to stroll round them. Add within the warmth and bugs and effectively, it’s a draining mixture.
After we acquired far sufficient north to go to the summit, Invoice led the way in which, choosing his approach by the rocky hillside and rotten vegetation underfoot. It wasn’t straightforward. The topo made it seem like there was a plateau beneath the summit, however the actuality was barely totally different. There was a despair beneath the summit plateau stuffed with blown-down timber that we needed to clamber over to get to the opposite aspect. I hate one of these terrain and took a faceplant right here, painfully stubbing the massive toe of my left foot within the course of. It harm a lot that I assumed I’d damaged the toe. However I made a decision to maintain my shoe on to comprise any swelling moderately than taking it off to examine the toe and threat not with the ability to put it again on. It lastly feels fairly regular now, just a few days later.
After we acquired by the blowdowns, Invoice shortly discovered a faint herd path to the summit canister the place we signed the logbook and wolfed down some meals, being cautious to eat with our head nets on. The insect stress was merely insane, a indisputable fact that was additionally recorded within the logbook entries we scanned.
The toughest a part of a bushwhack, in my expertise, isn’t attending to a summit, however getting again out once more moderately near the place you began. That meant retracing our route by descending to the 3100′ contour after which side-hilling all the way in which again the way in which we’d come. It’s straightforward to lose your focus although, so it’s essential to be vigilant throughout this part of the hike, checking your bearings and elevation lest you fall off beam or right into a terrain lure that requires an arduous climb again uphill.
We did fall off beam briefly throughout this part of the hike, but it surely’s one thing I do know I do usually so I’m looking out for it. We caught it quickly sufficient and acquired again heading in the right direction shortly, side-hilling again the way in which we’d come, solely this time with the opposite leg larger than the opposite. However I’ll be the primary to confess it, I used to be beat drained after we acquired again to the automobiles on the finish of this bushwhack. It’d taken us shut to six hours to hike 6 miles with solely 1000′ of elevation acquire, which simply goes to indicate how a lot more durable off-trail mountain climbing is than while you’re on-trail and have a superb tread to observe.
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