Mizpah Hut & the Southern Presidentials

September 2000

PhDs newly arrived at Mizpah hut

Topo of Crawford Notch & the Southern Presidentials

In the new Millenium, the PhDs continued their practice of doing a major overnight hike at the end of the summer.   The success of the Greenleaf Hut experience in 99 was still on everyone's mind, and we decided to try another AMC Hut.
Mizpah Springs is one of the more isolated huts, located in the southern Presidentials.   Not as challenging a climb as Greenleaf, the hut is most easily accessible from the northern entry to Crawford Notch. (see topo map)

So, on a Friday in mid September, we met at our usual starting point in the shadow of Big Blue, and crowded into one car for the 3hour ride north to Crawford Notch.    A couple of stops along the way to get last minute provisions, and we arrived at the trailhead.   A quick group shot for the record, and we were off on the 2.7 mile hike to the Hut.
The Crawford Path is a well traveled trail, with bridges on the stream crossings & plaques on the rocks.   Log walks take you over the wetlands.   The elevation gain is barely noticeable, there were no steep places.   The enire hike is in the woods, with no breakouts or far off views.

After a while, we arrived in the vicinity of the Hut.   There are tent platforms nearby.   Then, the Hut appears.   It seems enormous & out of place; surrounded by a small area of cleared flat land just south of the steep southern slope of Mt. Pierce.
We checked in, got bunk assignments and stowed some gear.   The Hut was not full, but there were other groups moving in.    We were anxious to get out on the trail to Pierce, where we would have views above treeline.

The trail was steep but short to the rounded top of Pierce.    From here, a view of the Dry River basin revealed one of the most remote & isolated areas of the White Mountains.   We remained on the summit for a while, amazed at the friendliness of the Canadian Jays, who were fearless of humans in pursuit of a possible meal.
The view north from Pierce was grand, with successively higher peaks along a ridge leading eventually to Washington.    Washinghton displayed a frost line at 5800 feet.    After a rest, which included a memorial ceremony by Matt for a fallen mentor, we decided to hike further to Eisenhower (4960), an additional 1.5 miles.
The summit of Eisenhower was even more rounded than Pierce. A large pile of rocks served as a summit marker & platform for a group shot.   The views of the larger Presidentials was impressive.   From here the view of Pierce revealed a low flat knoll.   The return trip was along the same ridge path. We followed a group of lady hikers who were also residing at the Hut.

Back at the Hut, Dave distributed snacks and we sat around for a while, ending up outside on the ledges smoking cigars.   We met 2 interesting women, Martha & Leonora, who were on the first part of a Presidential traverse.
The evening activities featured the expected hosting from the Hut staff.    It was a much less entertaining than the previous year's show at Greenleaf.   The Mizpah staff was only 3, and seemed like local yokels.   Following after dinner conversation with the women, we turned in for the night, but not without an extended silly period of giggles & jokes.

The next morning was foggy at the Hut.    After breakfast & bidding farewell to the various ladies, we set out on the return trip, a path to Mt Jackson.   After a mile in the woods, we arrived at the summit of Jackson in the fog.   From there, the trail turned north thru the old woods, and ledges & eventually crossing the silver cascade stream & following the top of the wall of Crawford Notch.   There were views of the notch, and of Saco Lake. At last, we were down, and a short walk back to the parking lot near Crawford house completed the circuit.   The following year, Mizpah Hut was revisited as a family event.   There were no hut trips for the next 2 years, until the Wife Hike to the Zealand Hut in 2003.
(click here for an outstanding panorama of Crawford Notch, taken from Mt willard in winter)