Trail Report: Seek the Peak Hike 5

By Chris Nichols

June 23, 2025 – Summit 5 of 17

“Mountain weather is subject to rapid changes and extreme conditions…” that’s the lead sentence for the Higher Summits Forecast. Since I typically leave my house well before the morning forecast is released, I had looked at the forecast from the night before. Mainly in the clear, with temps in the low 70’s and wind 25 – 35. A pretty good forecast and the possibility of experiencing a new daily high sounded like fun.

One of the many water crossings.

I decided I would go up the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail again, as it is probably my favorite trail. Rain from the day before left things damp down low, and the rocks were slick as I began my ascent after the Gem Pool. The water levels were a bit lower than my last climb up Ammo, so water crossing were easier. As I climbed, I could see the summit was in a cloud, but the forecast suggested that was temporary.

The Gem Pool.

The hut, always a welcome sight after a strenuous climb.

I had some nice views during the climb up through the ravine, but by the time I reached the Lakes of the Cloud Hut, I was just below the cloud base. After a brief stop, I climbed up into the cloud. It’s amazing how different everything looks when your visibility is limited. The trail I’ve hiked at least 10 times is a foreign land, filled with landmarks I don’t recognize. Visibility was roughly from cairn to cairn. At times, I questioned whether I had missed a turn, though my GPS map told me I was on track. On the plus side, limited visibility makes each stretch short and manageable. When I passed the sign directing me to the top, I knew I was close. When I reached the gravel at the top, I still couldn’t see anything (including the buildings, which were less than 15 feet away).

Some interesting clouds looking back on the valley.

The summit.

The summit was not crowded, though the Cog was running multiple trains, so I grabbed my photo and headed inside to say hello to the summit team. There was no visibility, so I didn’t try to take any scenic photos.

I took the Cog path down again; it’s not a bad hike with trekking poles. I met a couple who had taken the Cog up and were hiking down. Temps had reached the upper 80’s by the time I reached the base. Total hiking time (ignoring just my time at the summit), was 5 hours and 20 minutes, which may be my fastest round trip ever.

This is Chris’s 18th year participating in Seek the Peak. He has summited Mount Washington a total of 17 times, so as a challenge this year, he’s aiming to hike Mount Washington 17 times this summer ahead of Seek the Peak weekend. You can follow along on his trail reports on mountwashington.org/journal, and you can learn more about Chris, who is also a steward for the event, on his fundraising page here.