King Ravine Saturday July 30th 2016

I got an early start on Saturday morning.  Driving up from Quincy through Franconia notch is always a pleasure.  As I came up route 3 there were clouds lying in the valleys creating a scene of tranquil beauty.

I was heading for the King Ravine.  My plan for the day was to hike up into the ravine via Airline from Appalachia, connect with the Shortline trail and take that to the King Ravine trail.

It was a quiet morning on the trail.  I was anxious to get to the ravine and admittedly was impatient during the first part of the hike.  It is interesting how the state of one's mind going into a hike can drastically color the experience.  Where last week coming up Airline I was relaxed and basking in the cool greenery of the hardwoods, today I was focused on the ravine and dull to the impressions on the first leg of the hike.

Soon the trail became wilder and rougher and I began to feel the excitement of a new adventure about to unfold.

Mossy falls and the cascades below them are something out of a fairy tale book.

Once you get up onto the floor of the ravine there are endless scenes that fascinate and captivate.

It was thrilling to be down amongst these gargantuan boulders that I had seen last week from up on Durand Ridge.

House sized boulders...

Seeing these gigantic boulders strewn over the floor of the ravine turns the mind to contemplating the forces of time and nature that placed them here.

Because the floor of the ravine is above 3000ft you get unique views of the boulders on the floor and the mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see. 

The scarred steeps of Nowell ridge provide interesting details for closer observation.

After spending some time taking in the views of the ravine from the junction of the King Ravine trail Elevated and Subway branches, I headed up the Chemin Des Dames.  This was the hight point of the hike and my ultimate destination for the day.  I had been reading about it and new it would be an exciting challenge.

The trail winds through the side of the boulder field, presenting many interesting scrambles.  A few of the scrambles were on the difficult side.

This was one of my favorite shots of the day.  Two mammoth boulders guarding the entrance to a lost world.

The Chemin Des Dames put me in mind of the Spellman trail on Monadnock stood on end and intensified several degrees.

Climbing up the trail, there were plenty of wild and rugged vistas.

I would  recommend this trail to the adventurous hiker.  The effort required is amply rewarded with unique views out of the ravine.

The trail runs up beside this Talus Slide for a while before ultimately crossing into it.

Still more wonderful views out of the ravine.

Scrambling up through this Talus field was like playing in the world's best jungle gym.  Careful foot placement was especially important here.  

I was continually stopping to look back and take in the views.  I took a ton of pictures, but was constantly aware that should I drop my phone down in between these rocks it would in all likelihood be gone forever.

A neat place wear the trail through these fractured rocks.

Looking up over the last stretch.

The trail skirts this slab to the left and passes beneath the overhanging crag in the upper right of the picture.  I found the trail easy to follow with cairns and blazes placed in just the right places to the hiker on track.

Finally topping out on Durand Ridge.  What a wild, steep, rugged and beautiful trail!  I will certainly be back here again!

The Crescent Range from the upper section of Durand Ridge.

One highlight of the day was when this Pine Marten poked his head out to have a look see along Valley Way.  A nice incident to break up the monotony of the inevitable walk out to the car.