climbed blue on 12/22 and today on 12/24. conditions HAVE changed due to last nights rain.
on 12/22 four snowshoers packed the powder trail quite well (including me with my extra pounds and short snowshoes). the summit was a winter wonderland with heavily snow-laden trees and the tower clad in thick hoar frost. all stream/boggy areas were easily negotiated.
today (12/24) was different. i was able to bare boot with a few postholes on 1st half of trail. 2nd half of trail i expereienced no postholing while barebooting. streams had become significantly more visible. snow roofs over streams/bogs had become undermined. all tree laden snow-and hoar frost on tower- had been washed away. summit is approx.3700. a light dusting of powder snow is all that was visible. at noon when i left the summit it was in the 20s with gusting winds and snowing hard. there was the beginning of drifting.
also, i found a hiking/ski pole sitting in the middle of rte 28 (between blue mtn lake and inlet). post contact info below w/ descrip if you lost this.
happy holidays!!!
on 12/22 four snowshoers packed the powder trail quite well (including me with my extra pounds and short snowshoes). the summit was a winter wonderland with heavily snow-laden trees and the tower clad in thick hoar frost. all stream/boggy areas were easily negotiated.
today (12/24) was different. i was able to bare boot with a few postholes on 1st half of trail. 2nd half of trail i expereienced no postholing while barebooting. streams had become significantly more visible. snow roofs over streams/bogs had become undermined. all tree laden snow-and hoar frost on tower- had been washed away. summit is approx.3700. a light dusting of powder snow is all that was visible. at noon when i left the summit it was in the 20s with gusting winds and snowing hard. there was the beginning of drifting.
also, i found a hiking/ski pole sitting in the middle of rte 28 (between blue mtn lake and inlet). post contact info below w/ descrip if you lost this.
happy holidays!!!
