Chip
Well-known member
This turned out to be a bit more "interesting" than I had planned. At 11:15, after sleeping late and a large breakfast, I was heading up the Lonesome Lake Trail in my plastic boots carrying my normal winter pack and skis. We agreed that my wife and boys (who planned to ski and board Bretton Woods) would meet me at the base of Cannon at around 4. My plan was to assess how I felt at the Hut and go straight to Cannon or first to North Kinsman, then on to Cannon. I reached the lake and the Hut around 12:15 feeling fine. After a quick stop, exploiting the fruits of my membership (Thanks AMC !) I headed up Fishin' Jimmy towards the ridge. This trail was bare-booted, but some of the steep PUDS were tricky to negotiate. I was at Kinsman Ridge Trail intersection by 2, my feet and back felt fine so I headed for the summit of North K. where I met a group of teen agers and parents from my neck of the woods in CT. I finally put on my crampons and made it quickly back to the Ridge intersection.
It was now 2:30 with 3.2 miles to Cannon. I figured it wouldn't take me 3 hours, if it took an hour and a half, I'd be right on schedule, well maybe a bit behind, but no biggy. At 3 I left a message on my wife's phone that I was half way to Cannon and on schedule. The next section of the trail was much more challenging than I anticipated, with lots of steep Pointless Up and Downs. At 4 I left a message that I was behind schedule. At about 4:15 I reached the trail intersection that drops back to the Hut. I still had a mile to go. Now normally, on my own, it wouldn't matter, but with daylight running out I was afraid my wife wasn't getting my messages and might call for a search. I pressed on, trying to make better time on this tough stretch. At 4:30 my left calf failed to stretch and I felt the "pop"
. CR@P !!! This stinks, I thought. Do I press on, I still have to get down Cannon, or would it be smarter to drop back to the Hut ? I really wanted to make sure my wife knew where I was. I tried 411 to call Cannon, but wasn't connecting. I made the painful decission to call 911 and asked them nicely to get a message to my wife at Cannon that I was an hour behind schedule. This isn't "really what they do" I was informed, I apologized but figured this was better than my wife calling them in another half hour. I pressed on, preferring my right leg, the left was sore but functioning. I soon made the sign below the summit. At the tower my phone finally rang. It was Sergeant Mark Taylor of the Franconia Police Dept ! "Is this Chip ? How are YOU doing ?". Apparently Cannon stops answering their phone at 4 so he told me he'd drive over there and find my wife ! Cool, embarassing, but at least I knew she'd get the message. I need to send Sergeant Mark a thank-you. At the summit at 4:45 it was getting dark fast. I changed out of crampons and into my skis and turned on the headlamp. The top of Cannon was fields of ice followed by patches of deep, blown snow...not ideal. My skis (Atomic Chugach) and bindings (Silvretta 404's) were working great, but my mountaineering boots (Koflach Degre) did not have enough ankle to keep me on edge on ice. Employing Snow Plows, Stem-Christies, side slips, backwards Snow Plows , some actual skiing, falls, swearing and rolls, I made the base under my own power, bumped and bruised and a bit worse for wear, at about 5:20. My wife had not gotten there until 4:30, had made Cannon aware I was up there and then soon met Sergeant Mark. She was less concerned than I anticipated, which was fine.
By 6 I was happily showered, enjoying a tasty beverage and watching The Pats take on the Chargers ! What a difference an hour can make !
It was now 2:30 with 3.2 miles to Cannon. I figured it wouldn't take me 3 hours, if it took an hour and a half, I'd be right on schedule, well maybe a bit behind, but no biggy. At 3 I left a message on my wife's phone that I was half way to Cannon and on schedule. The next section of the trail was much more challenging than I anticipated, with lots of steep Pointless Up and Downs. At 4 I left a message that I was behind schedule. At about 4:15 I reached the trail intersection that drops back to the Hut. I still had a mile to go. Now normally, on my own, it wouldn't matter, but with daylight running out I was afraid my wife wasn't getting my messages and might call for a search. I pressed on, trying to make better time on this tough stretch. At 4:30 my left calf failed to stretch and I felt the "pop"
. CR@P !!! This stinks, I thought. Do I press on, I still have to get down Cannon, or would it be smarter to drop back to the Hut ? I really wanted to make sure my wife knew where I was. I tried 411 to call Cannon, but wasn't connecting. I made the painful decission to call 911 and asked them nicely to get a message to my wife at Cannon that I was an hour behind schedule. This isn't "really what they do" I was informed, I apologized but figured this was better than my wife calling them in another half hour. I pressed on, preferring my right leg, the left was sore but functioning. I soon made the sign below the summit. At the tower my phone finally rang. It was Sergeant Mark Taylor of the Franconia Police Dept ! "Is this Chip ? How are YOU doing ?". Apparently Cannon stops answering their phone at 4 so he told me he'd drive over there and find my wife ! Cool, embarassing, but at least I knew she'd get the message. I need to send Sergeant Mark a thank-you. At the summit at 4:45 it was getting dark fast. I changed out of crampons and into my skis and turned on the headlamp. The top of Cannon was fields of ice followed by patches of deep, blown snow...not ideal. My skis (Atomic Chugach) and bindings (Silvretta 404's) were working great, but my mountaineering boots (Koflach Degre) did not have enough ankle to keep me on edge on ice. Employing Snow Plows, Stem-Christies, side slips, backwards Snow Plows , some actual skiing, falls, swearing and rolls, I made the base under my own power, bumped and bruised and a bit worse for wear, at about 5:20. My wife had not gotten there until 4:30, had made Cannon aware I was up there and then soon met Sergeant Mark. She was less concerned than I anticipated, which was fine.By 6 I was happily showered, enjoying a tasty beverage and watching The Pats take on the Chargers ! What a difference an hour can make !
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