Blue day on Carrigain via Signal Ridge, Monday 2/16

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blaze

Active member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
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Location
Scarborough, Maine
Date of Hike: Monday 2/16/2009

Trail Conditions: Sawyer River Road was firm but skiable this morning. The lower stretches of Signal Ridge Trail had thawed and re-frozen, making for very solid but slightly slick footing. Microspikes or Stabilicers would have worked well here.

Looser and deeper snow at higher elevations. No new blowdowns of significance. All water crossings are solid - no bushwhacking necessary. Sawyer River Road had loosened up by midday, making for a wonderful and fast ski back out to route 302.

Looks like somebody’s used the Carrigain Notch Trail.

Special Equipment Required: Snowshoes. On the ascent, I put them on at ~1950’ and left them on until returning to Sawyer River Road… more out of inertia than real need, once I dropped below the spot where I’d put them on.

Comments: I’ve been out fairly regularly of late, but this was my first “blue day” in quite some time, and I didn’t realize how much I needed a day like this until I was above treeline, soaking up the sun and the long, clear views from the summit platform. Nearly dead calm on top – the goggles, shell mitts, and other alpine-zone accoutrements remained in my pack. I just re-donned my chapeau and some sunglasses.

There were two particularly “gregarious” (that is to say, shameless) grey jays on the summit. We worked out a system… they let me get really close to them with my camera, and in return they were rewarded with Clif Bar fragments and some hot cocoa poured out on the platform railing, creating a cocoa/snow slush which they consumed with great gusto. They know a meal ticket when they see one.

Started skiing 7:24 AM, back in the parking lot 12:58 PM. An outstanding day.

Photos: www.pbase.com/jonathantr.

Sawyer River Road Low-Tech Ski-Cam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KATR5BllDdg. Neither of the Millers (Bode or Warren) has anything to fear from me.
 
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