The statement that “Mt Madison isn’t easy” will be the utter truth for some, but not all, this we acknowledge. For some it’d be an easy peasy breezy thing. But let’s tweak the circumstances a bit. Let’s add in winds that were at the time approaching 70 miles per hour on nearby Mt Washington (a place known for its extreme weather), just across the Great Gulf Wilderness. That changes things a bit, right? Still easy peasy breezy for many, but with a lot more emphasis on breezy now is all. We can all handle a little car surfing down I-93 at 70, right? That is, after all, what a steady 70 mile per hour wind is like. But we’re all big, burly adults so we got this! Even with some crazy gusts!
What?! Weren’t not all big, burly adults? One of the team is in fact only 9 years old and has a weight of 65 pounds before factoring in his pack weight! While the winds weren’t quite that high on the 5366′ Mt Madison itself, they were indeed cranking to be sure, and Redline Guide Pat Ferland — very experienced in such conditions — did help keep our younger guest on his feet, or at least on the mountain. Well done, the team making it all the way to the summit and back. Here are a few photos Pat grabbed during their trip.
The wilder part of the experience begins.
This is serious.
The environment is exceptional.
It is gnarly above treeline.
Impressive summit. No long views, to be sure, but this was a different experience.