Jewell Trail — Attraction in Thompson and Meserve's Purchase

The Appalachian Mountain Club Trail guide says this is the easiest way to climb up Mount Washington because they say it's rarely steep and there are no rock scrambles. I haven't climbed up other trails to compare, but I came across two other hikers who told me that Tuckerman Ravine Trail is a cakewalk compared to Jewell Trail and Gulfside Trail because there's not as much Rock hopping as they described it. What may not be a rock scramble for one person, is a rock scramble for someone else. For someone who may be tall and young and very agile maybe they don't have to use their hands and get on all fours to get up some of these rocks, but people of shorter stature, or in my case someone who has to rely on poles to hike, rock hops do become rock scrambles when you have to drop your poles and get on all fours to get up the rocks. That said other than being a long way up to Mount Washington, parts of the trail aren't that bad. But the closer you get to the junction with Gulfside Trail, the rockier it gets and you just may have to use your hands and some interesting balancing techniques to continue...

This was my first time up Mt Washington but I really enjoyed this trail. It is consistently very steep and when above treeline is a lot of scrambling up medium sized rocks. Yes, it is long (distance wise) but has some great views and doesn't require any crazy hiking skill. You definitely need to be in good shape and familiar with hiking on rocks. Some reviews say it's a 4hr hike, my wife and I didn't stop too often and managed to do it in 3.5hrs. Definitely recommend, just keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly! Bring a camelbak, layers (it was 47 degrees on July 8th), and food.

Tips: Park at the Cog railroad, get there early. The trail head is a bit hidden, it's across the Cog tracks near the station. Cross the river (there is a tree across it as of July 2019 that comes in handy for this). The trail never flattens out, be ready. We took the Cog down but don't count on that, you can only buy a one way at the top of there is space. Follow the Carins...

I started this trail from Jefferson Notch Rd. The trail doesn't officially start there, but rather the connector trail does, is. 7 miles to the trail. There's a sign clearly marking the start. It's a beautiful and pleasant hike through many different tree species. There are cat walks in multiple areas and a brook crossing. Once on Jewell trail, I did about an hour gently climbing uphill before ultimately turning around. You can hear the train whistle of the Mt Washington tram as this trail pretty much runs next to it. This was my 'rest day hike' wanting an easy hike with minimal rock or boulder scrambles as I had done Eisenhower and Franklin the day before. It's super peaceful, barely any hikers and the scenery is awesome. I could spend hours on this trail at low elevation in the fall months. Would definitely do this again but I understand the hike farther up Jewell is much more step and demanding. I don't think it's an...