MarkL
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
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- 257
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- 31
Late start: 12:10PM! Trail to Height of Land well packed. Also well packed beyond HoL, but after a while, it turned right to head directly for a crossing point of Rocky Branch. The most recent, and only visible tracks turned right rather than following the trail down to the flowing body of water with the shelter on the other side. At times the tracks were pretty well blown over, and required some focus to be spotted. --Where the tracks crossed Rocky Branch, the ice bridges seemed quite strong. No signs of previous breakthroughs, and no creaking or other noises when I crossed.
After crossing, tracks were visible for quite a while, but I finally lost them. So I went uphill. I climbed some pretty steep slopes and ended up on a bump that I figured was off the regular route. But there were tracks along the top of that bump, tracks that would have been to my right as I was climbing it. And when I left bump going towards the summit, I saw tracks to the left. Got a view of the summit. Further than I'd hoped, but not higher. Unfortunately, there was at least one, maybe two steep sided bumps in between, requiring a detour. It was 4:20PM. Found and lost previous tracks a few times before losing them for good. I detoured to the right/north of the steep bump ahead. When I thought I was beyond it, I wanted to just go up, but wasn't sure if I'd just hit another bump that wasn't worth climbing. After sunset, but before the light faded completely, I saw a ridge coming from the north, and thought it would be best to aim off a bit to the north, hit the ridge, and hope to find the trail which would be a relatively gradual final ascent. Otherwise, for all I knew, I might hit brutally steep stuff including ledges. In the dark. A few times I'd thought "Ahead of me is a lot of steep side-sloping bushwhacking in the dark in unfamiliar terrain. Wouldn't it be better to start heading back to the car now?" But I figured I had the gear, energy, and will for it. A lot of the will came from not wanting this to be my third unsuccessful try. After maybe 1/2 hour by headlamp, I suddenly came out on the Davis Path! Woo Hoo! From there, it was about 10 minutes to the summit. I didn't see the sign at the jct of the Davis Path with the spur to the summit until the way down. So I was lucky on the way up that at the jct, all I saw was the way of the spur.
Quality summit time? Summit was fairly open, and I looked around for the high point. One side trip didn't turn up an obvious high point, so when I returned from that, I put 3 pole basket marks in the snow in one spot. Eventually finding a cairn, I figured that was it. It was very breezy, but the temperature must have been quite mild because I wasn't getting cold or nipped. I appreciated that, because it took about 15 minutes of looking around to find my original tracks up to the top. Those 3 pole marks helped reorient me after every failed attempt. Once, I thought they were finally blowing over, so I refreshed them. But soon afterward, I found the original 3 marks still in good shape. During that 15 minutes, I found another cairn. I used map and compass to help me find the north, the general direction in which I'd want to head. But I remembered reading in the guide book that it's a spur trail that actually goes to the summit, and I didn't remember which side the spur was on. My map didn't show that little detail. Only on the way down, when I saw the sign pointing right to the summit, did I get the data that with hindsight tells me "of course the spur is on the east side."
Once I found my tracks, I headed down just a bit til trees gave a bit of a windbreak. I thought I'd try a call to my lifeline, to advise him that having summited at 6:22PM, I might get out later than planned. But would there be any signal on "Isolation"? I got 4 bars, but also a digital roaming message and it wasn't dialing. I tried again, and for some reason, it went through. I told NoTrace my situation, including the mild ambient temperature, my ample supply of extra clothing, food, hot soup, and emergency bivy sack. The latter I'd just bought the day before after reading of RickB's experience on Moosilauke. I told him I was pretty sure I could get out that night, but could also manage a night out. I said if I can't get out by 11PM and call you, I'd call the next AM before he left for work. But DON'T call the authorities unless you don't hear from me in the AM.
Retracing my steps required care because it was more sidesloping on steep slopes, but it was still very easy and fast. From summit to that bump with tracks on both sides it took :45. On the way up, with all the compass readings, decision making, and huffing and puffing, it had taken 2:05! Even as I was climbing that bump I knew I didn't want to climb down the way I'd gone up. So I followed the older tracks that were now to my right as I faced downhill. If I lost these, I'd just angle left til I hit my own tracks again. I was able to follow those other tracks quite a way down before losing them. Further than I realized, I guess. Despite angling left/eastward, I never did cross my upward tracks before hitting Rocky Branch. Maybe I had crossed them, but in the area where I did so, they had already blown over. My altimeter indicated that I was at about the same elevation as when I'd crossed on the way up. But it can vary a lot, and I should have asked myself more questions about the altimeter's performance. When I crossed, again the ice was strong, I didn't see my tracks on the other side. I pictured myself being above the original crossing point, so I just hugged the bank as I hiked downstream. I was in the stream quite a bit, and the ice was fine. But still no old tracks. Finally the altimeter was saying I was approaching the elevation where the trail first crosses near the shelter. So maybe I hadn't crossed my blown-over tracks on the way down, and had crossed RB below where I'd walked along it before crossing on the way up. So I guessed at an intercept bearing to cross the route by which I'd first gotten to RB. I was very surprised and relieved to hit my earlier tracks within 10 minutes of starting this bearing! From now on, it's all trail back to the car! Time to party! Out came the PB&honey&cheese pitas, the hot cream of tomato soup, and the raw cookie dough!
I didn't think I could get to the car by 11PM, but thought I'd try a progress report to NoTrace, my lifeline, when I was on the height of land. I got through to him from there at 10PM, and explained that things looked great and that I'd certainly get out tonight. But because "things happen", I would still call him before he left for work the next AM to confirm that I'm out. I got out at 11:25PM. (He get's up very early, so calling him at 11:25 would have woken him.) I signed out at the AMC center in Pinkham Notch, and returned "home" to Hiker's Paradise and a hot shower.
After crossing, tracks were visible for quite a while, but I finally lost them. So I went uphill. I climbed some pretty steep slopes and ended up on a bump that I figured was off the regular route. But there were tracks along the top of that bump, tracks that would have been to my right as I was climbing it. And when I left bump going towards the summit, I saw tracks to the left. Got a view of the summit. Further than I'd hoped, but not higher. Unfortunately, there was at least one, maybe two steep sided bumps in between, requiring a detour. It was 4:20PM. Found and lost previous tracks a few times before losing them for good. I detoured to the right/north of the steep bump ahead. When I thought I was beyond it, I wanted to just go up, but wasn't sure if I'd just hit another bump that wasn't worth climbing. After sunset, but before the light faded completely, I saw a ridge coming from the north, and thought it would be best to aim off a bit to the north, hit the ridge, and hope to find the trail which would be a relatively gradual final ascent. Otherwise, for all I knew, I might hit brutally steep stuff including ledges. In the dark. A few times I'd thought "Ahead of me is a lot of steep side-sloping bushwhacking in the dark in unfamiliar terrain. Wouldn't it be better to start heading back to the car now?" But I figured I had the gear, energy, and will for it. A lot of the will came from not wanting this to be my third unsuccessful try. After maybe 1/2 hour by headlamp, I suddenly came out on the Davis Path! Woo Hoo! From there, it was about 10 minutes to the summit. I didn't see the sign at the jct of the Davis Path with the spur to the summit until the way down. So I was lucky on the way up that at the jct, all I saw was the way of the spur.
Quality summit time? Summit was fairly open, and I looked around for the high point. One side trip didn't turn up an obvious high point, so when I returned from that, I put 3 pole basket marks in the snow in one spot. Eventually finding a cairn, I figured that was it. It was very breezy, but the temperature must have been quite mild because I wasn't getting cold or nipped. I appreciated that, because it took about 15 minutes of looking around to find my original tracks up to the top. Those 3 pole marks helped reorient me after every failed attempt. Once, I thought they were finally blowing over, so I refreshed them. But soon afterward, I found the original 3 marks still in good shape. During that 15 minutes, I found another cairn. I used map and compass to help me find the north, the general direction in which I'd want to head. But I remembered reading in the guide book that it's a spur trail that actually goes to the summit, and I didn't remember which side the spur was on. My map didn't show that little detail. Only on the way down, when I saw the sign pointing right to the summit, did I get the data that with hindsight tells me "of course the spur is on the east side."
Once I found my tracks, I headed down just a bit til trees gave a bit of a windbreak. I thought I'd try a call to my lifeline, to advise him that having summited at 6:22PM, I might get out later than planned. But would there be any signal on "Isolation"? I got 4 bars, but also a digital roaming message and it wasn't dialing. I tried again, and for some reason, it went through. I told NoTrace my situation, including the mild ambient temperature, my ample supply of extra clothing, food, hot soup, and emergency bivy sack. The latter I'd just bought the day before after reading of RickB's experience on Moosilauke. I told him I was pretty sure I could get out that night, but could also manage a night out. I said if I can't get out by 11PM and call you, I'd call the next AM before he left for work. But DON'T call the authorities unless you don't hear from me in the AM.
Retracing my steps required care because it was more sidesloping on steep slopes, but it was still very easy and fast. From summit to that bump with tracks on both sides it took :45. On the way up, with all the compass readings, decision making, and huffing and puffing, it had taken 2:05! Even as I was climbing that bump I knew I didn't want to climb down the way I'd gone up. So I followed the older tracks that were now to my right as I faced downhill. If I lost these, I'd just angle left til I hit my own tracks again. I was able to follow those other tracks quite a way down before losing them. Further than I realized, I guess. Despite angling left/eastward, I never did cross my upward tracks before hitting Rocky Branch. Maybe I had crossed them, but in the area where I did so, they had already blown over. My altimeter indicated that I was at about the same elevation as when I'd crossed on the way up. But it can vary a lot, and I should have asked myself more questions about the altimeter's performance. When I crossed, again the ice was strong, I didn't see my tracks on the other side. I pictured myself being above the original crossing point, so I just hugged the bank as I hiked downstream. I was in the stream quite a bit, and the ice was fine. But still no old tracks. Finally the altimeter was saying I was approaching the elevation where the trail first crosses near the shelter. So maybe I hadn't crossed my blown-over tracks on the way down, and had crossed RB below where I'd walked along it before crossing on the way up. So I guessed at an intercept bearing to cross the route by which I'd first gotten to RB. I was very surprised and relieved to hit my earlier tracks within 10 minutes of starting this bearing! From now on, it's all trail back to the car! Time to party! Out came the PB&honey&cheese pitas, the hot cream of tomato soup, and the raw cookie dough!
I didn't think I could get to the car by 11PM, but thought I'd try a progress report to NoTrace, my lifeline, when I was on the height of land. I got through to him from there at 10PM, and explained that things looked great and that I'd certainly get out tonight. But because "things happen", I would still call him before he left for work the next AM to confirm that I'm out. I got out at 11:25PM. (He get's up very early, so calling him at 11:25 would have woken him.) I signed out at the AMC center in Pinkham Notch, and returned "home" to Hiker's Paradise and a hot shower.
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