alpinista
Active member
I had initially planned on doing a section of the LT during a week off. But with work and a few other obligations interfering, I cut it down to an overnight backpack to Nauman Tentsite in Crawford Notch.
It had been five years since I was last in this neck of the woods _ and since November that I'd done any hiking at all, let alone a backpack. This was a nice leisurely hike to get a gear shakedown and get my legs/shoulders/back/everything else back in shape.
I parked my Bug at the Mt. Clinton Trail and headed up the connector to Crawford Path. It was gray and overcast, but the rain held off for the most part. I felt pokey the whole way, stopping every five minutes to catch my breath, or grab some water or a shot of chocolate GU.
About three quarters of the way toward the Mizpah Cut-off, I started running into ribbons of snow and slowed down even more. I was kicking myself the whole way thinking I was totally out of shape and way behind "book time." It took me under 1.5 hours to get to the cut-off, and in my mind, I thought that's how long it should take to get all the way to the actual tentsite. (In fact, I was right on the nose of "book time." Wahoo!)
Some members of the Mizpah hut croo passed me with their packs stocked up with bacon and other food. At the tentsite, I found that there still was no caretaker, and I was the only person there for the night. Sweet! In fact, there weren't any guests at the hut either. So late at night, I heard the hut croo dancing and singing and laughing up a storm while I was tucked away in my tent, with raindrops cascading down.
Funny how the last time I was here, it also was rainy and misty. Does this spot every dry out???
I woke up early in the morning, cooked up some breakfast, then did a mini tour of the tentsite to check out the other platforms. I think my favorite is the one that has two ladders that lead to platform #2, which sits up on a hill. As I was breaking down my tent, a little visitor came my way: a baby fox! I only wish I'd had my camera handy. He got up on a rock and peered at me for quite a while. He was probably wondering why a human was in his little corner of the world, when he'd had it all to himself for quite a few months now.
The tentsite, by the way, was littered with lots of hiker trash. Most of it I carried out -- including a giant bag filled with empty food pouches, cigarette butts (yuck!) and various wrappers. (I did find a penny though, too, which I pocketed as a good luck charm...)
I was torn between descending by way of Mt. Jackson or heading up to Pierce and back down Crawford Path. I opted for Pierce since I'd heard the skies would clear and I wanted to see what this mountain looked like when there was a view. The last time I was here, I was stuck in a giant cloud.
Sure enough, on top of Pierce, it was mostly clouds -- but occasionally blue sky would break out, and I could see the outline of Ike and the tippy-top of Big George off in the distance.
Made it back down in book time again, even with a brief stop at Gibbs Falls, and stopping along the way to check out what I believe was a grouse. Didn't see a single soul all day long.
Awesome to be back on the trails!
Pix can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/album/359468593nSITep
It had been five years since I was last in this neck of the woods _ and since November that I'd done any hiking at all, let alone a backpack. This was a nice leisurely hike to get a gear shakedown and get my legs/shoulders/back/everything else back in shape.
I parked my Bug at the Mt. Clinton Trail and headed up the connector to Crawford Path. It was gray and overcast, but the rain held off for the most part. I felt pokey the whole way, stopping every five minutes to catch my breath, or grab some water or a shot of chocolate GU.
About three quarters of the way toward the Mizpah Cut-off, I started running into ribbons of snow and slowed down even more. I was kicking myself the whole way thinking I was totally out of shape and way behind "book time." It took me under 1.5 hours to get to the cut-off, and in my mind, I thought that's how long it should take to get all the way to the actual tentsite. (In fact, I was right on the nose of "book time." Wahoo!)
Some members of the Mizpah hut croo passed me with their packs stocked up with bacon and other food. At the tentsite, I found that there still was no caretaker, and I was the only person there for the night. Sweet! In fact, there weren't any guests at the hut either. So late at night, I heard the hut croo dancing and singing and laughing up a storm while I was tucked away in my tent, with raindrops cascading down.
Funny how the last time I was here, it also was rainy and misty. Does this spot every dry out???
I woke up early in the morning, cooked up some breakfast, then did a mini tour of the tentsite to check out the other platforms. I think my favorite is the one that has two ladders that lead to platform #2, which sits up on a hill. As I was breaking down my tent, a little visitor came my way: a baby fox! I only wish I'd had my camera handy. He got up on a rock and peered at me for quite a while. He was probably wondering why a human was in his little corner of the world, when he'd had it all to himself for quite a few months now.
The tentsite, by the way, was littered with lots of hiker trash. Most of it I carried out -- including a giant bag filled with empty food pouches, cigarette butts (yuck!) and various wrappers. (I did find a penny though, too, which I pocketed as a good luck charm...)
I was torn between descending by way of Mt. Jackson or heading up to Pierce and back down Crawford Path. I opted for Pierce since I'd heard the skies would clear and I wanted to see what this mountain looked like when there was a view. The last time I was here, I was stuck in a giant cloud.
Sure enough, on top of Pierce, it was mostly clouds -- but occasionally blue sky would break out, and I could see the outline of Ike and the tippy-top of Big George off in the distance.
Made it back down in book time again, even with a brief stop at Gibbs Falls, and stopping along the way to check out what I believe was a grouse. Didn't see a single soul all day long.
Awesome to be back on the trails!
Pix can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/album/359468593nSITep
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