docross
In Memoriam to a Deceased Member
Al Dwyer and I, working on our NE HH peaks in winter, did this hike via the Blueberry Ledge trail to the junction with the Kate Sleeper trail, and thence to the insignificant summit of East Sleeper, about 500 feet or less from the KS trail. We left the parking lot at 8:10.
As I mentioned in my Trail Conditions report, BL trail was thoroughly broken out up to the ledges. At the well-known spot where the trail takes a sharp left around a helpful tree and continues uphill, snow was thick and bonded well to the rock; we scrambled up with snowshoes getting a good grip.
Rewarded with terrific views, we continued up the exposed ledges to the junction with the McCrillis trail. This did not appear to have been broken out. We proceeded to the Kate Sleeper junction, and had a sandwich, then headed toward E. Sleeper.
The trail had been sort of broken by someone with huge snowshoes and a large stride. Since then, the snow had frozen solid, so unless we jumped from one of his footprints to the next, it was difficult going. However, less than half way to the Downes Brook trail, he had turned back, so we more-easily continued, breaking through a couple inches of crust to a nice grippy surface below.
The blue-blazed trail had a few blowdowns and took some careful navigating to follow, but 90 minutes later we stood on the summit of E Sleeper, #84 in winter for me.
Returning to the junction of the Rollins trail, (we tried to pack the trail down, but what-the-hey, there were only 2 of us
), we headed for Whiteface summit, scored it and u-turned.
Al was comfortable returning down the ledges on his snowshoes (good, because he had left his crampons in the car on purpose), but, being a weenie, I changed into my new Black Diamond 10 pointers, when we again reached the Kate Sleeper/Rollins junction. Strapping my shoes on the pack, we descended over the ledges, side-stepping in some places, but really much easier than I had anticipated.
As we were congratulating ourselves, I discovered to my horror that I had dropped one of my snowshoes. Totally angry at myself, but not at all willing to leave half a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents on the trail, I retraced my steps to guess where? Nearly back to the Kate Sleeper junction. Argh! If I never see that junction again, it will be fine with me! Al followed me slowly, but had reached the top of the ledges and met me as I was returning.
That little escapade added at least 400 vertical feet, half a mile or more, and 45 minutes to our outing, making the total vertical close to 5000' for the day, more or less.
The rest of the trip was an anticlimax, and we reached the car before we needed headlamps, around 5:30. Nobody else had parking in the lot that day, and the only "people" we saw was a large black Newfie at one of the houses near the trailhead. I don't think it was Brutus!
As I mentioned in my Trail Conditions report, BL trail was thoroughly broken out up to the ledges. At the well-known spot where the trail takes a sharp left around a helpful tree and continues uphill, snow was thick and bonded well to the rock; we scrambled up with snowshoes getting a good grip.
Rewarded with terrific views, we continued up the exposed ledges to the junction with the McCrillis trail. This did not appear to have been broken out. We proceeded to the Kate Sleeper junction, and had a sandwich, then headed toward E. Sleeper.
The trail had been sort of broken by someone with huge snowshoes and a large stride. Since then, the snow had frozen solid, so unless we jumped from one of his footprints to the next, it was difficult going. However, less than half way to the Downes Brook trail, he had turned back, so we more-easily continued, breaking through a couple inches of crust to a nice grippy surface below.
The blue-blazed trail had a few blowdowns and took some careful navigating to follow, but 90 minutes later we stood on the summit of E Sleeper, #84 in winter for me.
Returning to the junction of the Rollins trail, (we tried to pack the trail down, but what-the-hey, there were only 2 of us
), we headed for Whiteface summit, scored it and u-turned.Al was comfortable returning down the ledges on his snowshoes (good, because he had left his crampons in the car on purpose), but, being a weenie, I changed into my new Black Diamond 10 pointers, when we again reached the Kate Sleeper/Rollins junction. Strapping my shoes on the pack, we descended over the ledges, side-stepping in some places, but really much easier than I had anticipated.
As we were congratulating ourselves, I discovered to my horror that I had dropped one of my snowshoes.
Totally angry at myself, but not at all willing to leave half a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents on the trail, I retraced my steps to guess where? Nearly back to the Kate Sleeper junction. Argh! If I never see that junction again, it will be fine with me! Al followed me slowly, but had reached the top of the ledges and met me as I was returning.That little escapade added at least 400 vertical feet, half a mile or more, and 45 minutes to our outing, making the total vertical close to 5000' for the day, more or less.
The rest of the trip was an anticlimax, and we reached the car before we needed headlamps, around 5:30. Nobody else had parking in the lot that day, and the only "people" we saw was a large black Newfie at one of the houses near the trailhead. I don't think it was Brutus!
