lx93
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- Sep 19, 2005
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***SNOWSHOES STILL VERY MUCH NEEDED FOR SPAULDING MT.**
Arm, Gaiagirl & I started out from the Sugarloaf Ski Resort parking lot using the ski trails. At first we were worried because even though it had been 70% blue sky from breakfast til the trailhead, we started to see a few ominous dark clouds upon bagging Sugarloaf. Fortunately, they never amounted to anything other than sometimes reducing the view.
Winds never gusted above 40mph (on Abram), or above 30-ish mph on Sugarloaf, whose view was marred only by the microwave tower, etc. Both aforementioned peaks were extremely exposed. We were able to take a little breather inside a large building on Sugarloaf, and Abram also has a much, much smaller shelter, really not a building but kind of like a cellar entrance. Spaulding had a little bit of view, but extremely little exposure.
I put on my Stabilicers shortly before the Sugarloaf summit, Gaiagirl bare-booted most of the trip & Arm wisely wore snowshoes most of the trip. I say wisely because due to the warm temps & the AT apparently receiving so little traffic here, Gaiagirl & I were sinking thru past our knees every 10 steps on the 6.3 mile part between Sugarloaf & Abram. I don't think either one of us will ever do an Oct.-Apr. hike w/o snowshoes again!
Along this stretch, there was a plaque on the RH (West) commemorating the finishing of the AT. It was also interesting learning many things from Arm, an extremely experienced hiker, and Gaiagirl, a biologist, like depressions where moose had bedded down (look for all the hair) and where moose had eaten lunch by chewing away the bark from trees (they eat the part beneath as protein).
There is a geological marker marking Sugarloaf's summit, a wooden sign marking Spaulding's, and an abandonded fire tower w/ a sign marking Abram's summit. The view from Abram is spectacular.
The descent from Abram was sometimes hard to follow, but we were greatly helped by Arm's having done it before. We were glad to be descending Abram last, for the Fire Warden's Trail would be better described as a swamp- the drainage is EXTREMELY poor, blazes few.
About a mile from the summit, there is the fire warden's cabin, where Arm presented me w/ a very thoughtful gift for completing the New England 67 four-thousand footers.
All in all, a great hike; I'm glad for having been priviledged to finish with such great partners!
Arm, Gaiagirl & I started out from the Sugarloaf Ski Resort parking lot using the ski trails. At first we were worried because even though it had been 70% blue sky from breakfast til the trailhead, we started to see a few ominous dark clouds upon bagging Sugarloaf. Fortunately, they never amounted to anything other than sometimes reducing the view.
Winds never gusted above 40mph (on Abram), or above 30-ish mph on Sugarloaf, whose view was marred only by the microwave tower, etc. Both aforementioned peaks were extremely exposed. We were able to take a little breather inside a large building on Sugarloaf, and Abram also has a much, much smaller shelter, really not a building but kind of like a cellar entrance. Spaulding had a little bit of view, but extremely little exposure.
I put on my Stabilicers shortly before the Sugarloaf summit, Gaiagirl bare-booted most of the trip & Arm wisely wore snowshoes most of the trip. I say wisely because due to the warm temps & the AT apparently receiving so little traffic here, Gaiagirl & I were sinking thru past our knees every 10 steps on the 6.3 mile part between Sugarloaf & Abram. I don't think either one of us will ever do an Oct.-Apr. hike w/o snowshoes again!
Along this stretch, there was a plaque on the RH (West) commemorating the finishing of the AT. It was also interesting learning many things from Arm, an extremely experienced hiker, and Gaiagirl, a biologist, like depressions where moose had bedded down (look for all the hair) and where moose had eaten lunch by chewing away the bark from trees (they eat the part beneath as protein).
There is a geological marker marking Sugarloaf's summit, a wooden sign marking Spaulding's, and an abandonded fire tower w/ a sign marking Abram's summit. The view from Abram is spectacular.
The descent from Abram was sometimes hard to follow, but we were greatly helped by Arm's having done it before. We were glad to be descending Abram last, for the Fire Warden's Trail would be better described as a swamp- the drainage is EXTREMELY poor, blazes few.
About a mile from the summit, there is the fire warden's cabin, where Arm presented me w/ a very thoughtful gift for completing the New England 67 four-thousand footers.
All in all, a great hike; I'm glad for having been priviledged to finish with such great partners!
