Sunday is MadDog Day!

... this can't be good ...
MadDog's Choice, MadDog's Torture, MadDog's Joke.... Whatever it may be, it'll be 100%, Grade A, All Beef MadDog!

[Update 7/6/08 10pm]
We hit Adams and Jefferson via a novel route: from Appalachia, ascended via Sylvan Way to the Amphibrach to the Kings Ravine Trail (and the caves). We traversed to Adams and Jefferson and descended via the Castles to The Link - a remarkable trail for it's lack of use. Pics are posted. [Link]

MadDog's Trip Report:

Nice day out Mutha, thanks for the trip. Yep, the ravine did not live up to the guidebook description. It is essentially a mini-Mahoousuc notch, with some tunneling. It provide some nice extended scrambling, I enjoyed that.

What is kind of interesting, looking back at the day, at the point we popped up out of the ravine, Mutha and I were a bit stalled. Uh, where to next? We talked about Madision, the hut, Adams, etc., and there was no obvious choice given the large amount of daylight we still had. Plus, I think the threshold for exertion and trail travel with this crowd is now getting so high, that anything less than 6 hard hours of trail tromping hardly seems worth doing 2) I have now observed that once you're up on those ridges, no matter how much Madison et al bite it, there is a feeling of incompleteness if you don't cross at least one of the summits. So that's what we did as Mutha noted...and the Castles were very cool.

I really enjoyed the Link because of how little traffic it gets (as a result it has a nicely cushioned floor in most parts - the last 1/2 mile being the exception, it was a mud bog.

Also, I blistered both feet and now know for sure that I have to pre-treat for WY. Looking forward to the end of the week, start of THE trip, and not having to training with mega-loaded packs :-)

Mutha's Trip Report:

The Kings Ravine, touted as one of the greatest, visually stunning places in the Whites was kind of a disappointment ("...one of the most spectacular trails in the White Mountains."). The cave trail was cool and rather difficult (with refreshingly chilling air) but the views from the Castles were much grander. Kings Ravine headwall isn't all that tremendous an elevation gain (i.e., "not as bad as it looks") and as such didn't cause a pucker. Huntington Ravine is more challenging.

The summits were almost completely calm, even in Edmands Col. Sitting for any length of time allowed swarms of bugs to target us.

The Link was really interesting from The Castle Trail to Lowe's Path. After that it was kind of boring but that section was saved by lack of food (MD), lack of water (MZ) and good company (both). I haven't read about it, but it clearly links all the ravines and ridges and crosses all the trails between Bowman and Appalachia and the northern Presi's. The trail is remarkably unused. The rocks are moss covered and slippery and it crosses quite a few absolutely excellent camping sites on rushing rivers and one lovely cascade where it crosses the Israel Ridge trail.

Total Distance: about 15 mi.
Total time: about 9 hrs.
Elevation Gained: about 5,000 ft. (MadDog, elev gain from appalachia to Adams is 4,600ft!)

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Pics are posted! [Link]