Mt. Pierce (4310)

Trail: Crawford Path

Date: March 19 2005
Attending: Shawn White, Simone, & John Chicoine

Miles: 5-mile Round trip Time: 2.75hrs up, 4.5hrs. total

AMC huts, / shelters / camping site:

Weather: Mid 20’s at base, 20’ish on summit with winds gusting 40 – 55mph, bright and sunny

Another visit to a good friend: We don’t spend time up here. Life is changing, Gabe is hiking with us less and less and we just don’t do this enough. This hike was absolutely memorable. One for the books! The recent big snow falls of 2 feet of pure powder have left this trail a magical mystery tour.


From the base on up to the summit our path had hardly been traveled by more than a small hand full of Snow-Showers. To step off the 18 inch wide path pressed down into the landscape just a few inches deep was accompanied by a quick plunge into snow powder up to your hips and even deeper. The trees hadn’t shaken any of their snowy covered icing yet, (they looked like candy trees covered thick with white frosting in a ginger bread scene). The sun lit up the forests with glimmering diamonds of light reflecting off the sparkling surface of the snow from head to foot. Towards the summit where the sun and cold air had played their special magic, icicles hung from the branches like on a picture perfect Christmas tree.

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

The day couldn’t have been better for hiking; It just the right temperature that we could feel the cold all round us biting at the very surface of our skin, but not enough to make us feel cold inside, (untill we broke tree level). The mountain air was crisp and chilled and it filled our lungs like it needed to be there. Few places in our world (simone’s and mine, those others of us that do this), offer the kind of calling to come and do nothing but be there. It is a process that escapes all but a very few people. To invest the effort to climb the side of a mountain for several hours; to reach a summit where there is “nothing to do” (in the standards of the world). To brave bone chilling winds and icy trails to stand quietly and serenely and just let your eyes take in God’s marvelous handiwork and let your spirit be renewed by the assurance that surely this is no accident of chaos and chance.

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

On the summit we were able to stand with our backs against the wind and convince ourselves that we had each found adequate shelter against the chill to enjoy what seemed like the better part of a 1/2 hour looking at the surrounding mountains. We had almost unobstructed 360 degree views that are usually blocked by trees just tall enough to block the view, but today the snow was deep enough that the trees tops were just barely up to our knees. The 5ft. tall summit cairn was just a single rock protruding through the surface of the snow. (Simone couldn’t resist and had to sit on it for lunch.) We managed to take our ritual few pictures at the summit and trail sign, but at the cost of instantly and painfully frozen fingers as I fumbled for the button on the camera. Shawn and Simone waisted very little time covering the several hundred yard dash facing into the wind until you reach tree cover, but I was not so wise, attempting to snap the last few irresistible shots.

These pictures that are nothing more than disappointing reminders of how futile a photograph’s attempt is at capturing the majesty and beauty of the grandeur of the White Mountains, will have to serve as reminders that we will have to do this again. Soon! And with friends (or maybe new-bes, hopefully converts to this addiction.) Until next time!

Links to all the pierce hikes:

  1. Pierce 1 – (2014, Carrie, Winter)
  2. Pierce 2 – (2013, Ben, Winter)
  3. Pierce 3 – (2010, Tyler, Winter)
  4. Pierce 4 – (2000, Gabe, Winter)
  5. Pierce 5 – (2002, Shawn, Gabe, Winter)
  6. Pierce 6 – (2004, Gary, Shawn, Gabe, Winter)
  7. Pierce 7 – (2004, Dale, Chris, Fletcher, Gabe, Spring)
  8. Pierce 8 – (2005, Shawn, Gabe, Winter)
  9. Pierce 9 – (First summit, 1999, Winter)

May God Bless !!!