Kevin Judy and Emma
Well-known member
8/18-19/07
East Royce 3114’
3 Miles 1700' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
We always hike something on or near our anniversary. This year we again got to hike on the actual date, with it falling on a Saturday. We wanted to do a backpack to one of the 4000' footers left on my 3x list, but due to a recent ankle injury we weren't sure of Jude's capability while heavily laden for overnight. The answer was to opt for something short and sweet. We had not been into Evan's Notch this year and were due for a trip. Last year I decided to change the name to Kevin's Notch. It is my notch now. If you are reading this, you will from now on refer to it as Kevin's Notch. You do not need my permission to hike or camp there, but you do have to use your best "Leave no trace" skills while there! If I catch you leaving empty plastic bottles, cigarette butts or beer cans around you'll be banned from any further priveleged use in Kevin's Notch. Those are the rules, love 'em or stay out of my notch! I love this notch the best, because the type of people who need to be told these things don't go there, or they only go there once and don't go back because there's no Dunkin' Donuts, Mickey D's or Clark's Bears/ Storyland. This is the notch for the people who truly love the mountains and the wilderness and could care less for the "Attractions" you find in or near the other notches. If I bump into people there I am at ease because I know they are there because they love to hike and love the mountains and want to be away from all the things that, in my opinion, detract from the White Mountain experience. I'm sure nobody who is taking the time to read this needs to be told to carry out what they carry in, so I apologize for my little rave because I know those reading this are not the ones I should be preaching to. OK, yes, I got sidetracked, I'll come down off my soapbox now and tell you about our trip. We made the short, steep climb to the summit of East Royce where we spent the night. Unseasonably cold temperatures were forecast, though it was predicted the skies would clear and the winds die down overnight. We arrived on the summit around 6PM and set up camp, had some supper, then set off to the north ledge to watch the sunset over Wild River Valley. There was some dramatic sunlight through the clouds, but by the time it was ready to set, the clouds had doused any color which might have been. The gray skies soon gave way to darkness, and the winds did die down as predicted. Two people and a small dog kept the small backpacking tent cozy warm over night as the temps dropped into the thirties. We awoke around 3AM for the inevitable pee break and were amazed as always at the myriad of stars. The sky was so clear and the stars so bright it was as though there was no atmosphere to dull their luminosity. We again awoke just before daybreak in time to quickly dress and run back over to the north ledge to watch the sunrise over the Caribou - Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Behind us the cloudbank which had never lifted from the Carters was lit up with the morning colors and provided a show equal to the sunrise itself. At times like this I wish my head would swivel like an owl's. I never know which way to look, and want to look in every direction at once! As the sun started to climb the sky, we went over to the south ledge again and made some tea as we watched the surrounding mountains turn from shadow to light. After our tea and some breakfast bars we broke camp and reluctantly headed back down the mountain. We ran into several hikers coming up. "Did you camp the night on the mountaintop?" "Yeah." "Wasn't it cold?" "Nah." "What about the wind?" "Not that bad." I guess by the look on their faces they were impressed. I just laughed to myself. We're not exactly what I would call Hardcore!
Photos here:
http://ghostflowers.com/white_mtns3000/eastroyce8181907/eastroyce8181907.html
KD Talbot
East Royce 3114’
3 Miles 1700' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
We always hike something on or near our anniversary. This year we again got to hike on the actual date, with it falling on a Saturday. We wanted to do a backpack to one of the 4000' footers left on my 3x list, but due to a recent ankle injury we weren't sure of Jude's capability while heavily laden for overnight. The answer was to opt for something short and sweet. We had not been into Evan's Notch this year and were due for a trip. Last year I decided to change the name to Kevin's Notch. It is my notch now. If you are reading this, you will from now on refer to it as Kevin's Notch. You do not need my permission to hike or camp there, but you do have to use your best "Leave no trace" skills while there! If I catch you leaving empty plastic bottles, cigarette butts or beer cans around you'll be banned from any further priveleged use in Kevin's Notch. Those are the rules, love 'em or stay out of my notch! I love this notch the best, because the type of people who need to be told these things don't go there, or they only go there once and don't go back because there's no Dunkin' Donuts, Mickey D's or Clark's Bears/ Storyland. This is the notch for the people who truly love the mountains and the wilderness and could care less for the "Attractions" you find in or near the other notches. If I bump into people there I am at ease because I know they are there because they love to hike and love the mountains and want to be away from all the things that, in my opinion, detract from the White Mountain experience. I'm sure nobody who is taking the time to read this needs to be told to carry out what they carry in, so I apologize for my little rave because I know those reading this are not the ones I should be preaching to. OK, yes, I got sidetracked, I'll come down off my soapbox now and tell you about our trip. We made the short, steep climb to the summit of East Royce where we spent the night. Unseasonably cold temperatures were forecast, though it was predicted the skies would clear and the winds die down overnight. We arrived on the summit around 6PM and set up camp, had some supper, then set off to the north ledge to watch the sunset over Wild River Valley. There was some dramatic sunlight through the clouds, but by the time it was ready to set, the clouds had doused any color which might have been. The gray skies soon gave way to darkness, and the winds did die down as predicted. Two people and a small dog kept the small backpacking tent cozy warm over night as the temps dropped into the thirties. We awoke around 3AM for the inevitable pee break and were amazed as always at the myriad of stars. The sky was so clear and the stars so bright it was as though there was no atmosphere to dull their luminosity. We again awoke just before daybreak in time to quickly dress and run back over to the north ledge to watch the sunrise over the Caribou - Speckled Mountain Wilderness. Behind us the cloudbank which had never lifted from the Carters was lit up with the morning colors and provided a show equal to the sunrise itself. At times like this I wish my head would swivel like an owl's. I never know which way to look, and want to look in every direction at once! As the sun started to climb the sky, we went over to the south ledge again and made some tea as we watched the surrounding mountains turn from shadow to light. After our tea and some breakfast bars we broke camp and reluctantly headed back down the mountain. We ran into several hikers coming up. "Did you camp the night on the mountaintop?" "Yeah." "Wasn't it cold?" "Nah." "What about the wind?" "Not that bad." I guess by the look on their faces they were impressed. I just laughed to myself. We're not exactly what I would call Hardcore!
Photos here:
http://ghostflowers.com/white_mtns3000/eastroyce8181907/eastroyce8181907.html
KD Talbot
