SteveHiker
New member
Hancocks on Saturday
Despite a chilly start, Saturday was one of the finest days in the mountains this year. Perfectly clear blue skies all day and once the sun got high enough pretty warm as well (or maybe it was just me). I had not been to the Hancocks in over 3 years, and at the time didn't expect to ever return. It was an overcast damp day last time and there was little memorable about the mountains themselves. Mostly I remember being able to hear the bass from the Soulfest in Lincoln that day and really that's about it. I don't remember seeing the Arrow Slide at all that day, and I'm really not sure how I missed it. But upon seeing it, I now have a reason to go back to the Hancocks, just to climb that slide. It looks like fun. I won't bore you with the details of the trails, other than to say the streams were easy to cross and there's a lot, I mean a lot, of mud between Middle and South Hancock. There were a lot of people when we got to the summit of North, including a familar face, Geneva, who I met on HikerBob's 48th last year. She was there with her husband. It's always nice to run into someone you've met before on the trails. Doesn't happen often, but the more people I meet, the more likely it becomes.
Pictures here
Willey on Sunday
Willey? How did you end up with just Willey? Well, back in May, Christa did her first two 4k's: Tom and Field. There was so much rotten snow at the summit of Field that we decided not to continue, and there you have it. At the time I wasn't really paying attention to which peaks I was repeating and didn't think much of it at the time. Around Labor Day, I added things up and saw I was close. If things had gone a little better, the Jefferson Jam would have been it, and I would have finally had a large group at the completion of a list. Oh well. At least we saw MtnPa and MtnMama right below the summit.
Unfortunately, we didn't stay too long at the summit. Of all the 48, there are only 2 that I've never had good weather at the summit. Willey and Hale. In fact whenever I even get near Willey, bad weather tends to happen. This time was no different. Instead of the usual route from Crawford Depot, we opted to take Kedron Flume, as we've been trying to hit the 4k's from a different trail than I did the first time. It was cold at Willey House Sunday morning, but once out of the breeze from the notch, it wasn't bad at all. Another clear day just like the day before. The trail up to the Kedron Flume is a nice one, and the Flume itself was nice too. I'm thinking a carspot at Arethusa, and then a trip across Kedron Flume, Ethan Pond trail to Ripley and then Ripley over to Frankenstein and Arethusa would be a great foliage/waterfall hike. Maybe next year.
The Willey Range trail has gotten a bad rap though. It was fine on the descent and if I hadn't hiked the day before, the up part probably wouldn't have been bad either. The bigger issue for me was that it got cloudier the higher we got and the temperature dropped rapidly. At the summit, no sooner did I take a bite of lunch then the snow flurries came. Not knowing what we were in for, we didn't hang around long. The snow didn't amount to much, and the sun played peek-a-boo most of the way down. Not an ideal way to cap an accidental round of 48, but not the worst either.
Pictures here
Etc.
This weekend marked the halfway point for Christa, and now I've done them all twice. To everyone who missed me this time around, only 38 more to go for round #3!
Despite a chilly start, Saturday was one of the finest days in the mountains this year. Perfectly clear blue skies all day and once the sun got high enough pretty warm as well (or maybe it was just me). I had not been to the Hancocks in over 3 years, and at the time didn't expect to ever return. It was an overcast damp day last time and there was little memorable about the mountains themselves. Mostly I remember being able to hear the bass from the Soulfest in Lincoln that day and really that's about it. I don't remember seeing the Arrow Slide at all that day, and I'm really not sure how I missed it. But upon seeing it, I now have a reason to go back to the Hancocks, just to climb that slide. It looks like fun. I won't bore you with the details of the trails, other than to say the streams were easy to cross and there's a lot, I mean a lot, of mud between Middle and South Hancock. There were a lot of people when we got to the summit of North, including a familar face, Geneva, who I met on HikerBob's 48th last year. She was there with her husband. It's always nice to run into someone you've met before on the trails. Doesn't happen often, but the more people I meet, the more likely it becomes.
Pictures here
Willey on Sunday
Willey? How did you end up with just Willey? Well, back in May, Christa did her first two 4k's: Tom and Field. There was so much rotten snow at the summit of Field that we decided not to continue, and there you have it. At the time I wasn't really paying attention to which peaks I was repeating and didn't think much of it at the time. Around Labor Day, I added things up and saw I was close. If things had gone a little better, the Jefferson Jam would have been it, and I would have finally had a large group at the completion of a list. Oh well. At least we saw MtnPa and MtnMama right below the summit.
Unfortunately, we didn't stay too long at the summit. Of all the 48, there are only 2 that I've never had good weather at the summit. Willey and Hale. In fact whenever I even get near Willey, bad weather tends to happen. This time was no different. Instead of the usual route from Crawford Depot, we opted to take Kedron Flume, as we've been trying to hit the 4k's from a different trail than I did the first time. It was cold at Willey House Sunday morning, but once out of the breeze from the notch, it wasn't bad at all. Another clear day just like the day before. The trail up to the Kedron Flume is a nice one, and the Flume itself was nice too. I'm thinking a carspot at Arethusa, and then a trip across Kedron Flume, Ethan Pond trail to Ripley and then Ripley over to Frankenstein and Arethusa would be a great foliage/waterfall hike. Maybe next year.
The Willey Range trail has gotten a bad rap though. It was fine on the descent and if I hadn't hiked the day before, the up part probably wouldn't have been bad either. The bigger issue for me was that it got cloudier the higher we got and the temperature dropped rapidly. At the summit, no sooner did I take a bite of lunch then the snow flurries came. Not knowing what we were in for, we didn't hang around long. The snow didn't amount to much, and the sun played peek-a-boo most of the way down. Not an ideal way to cap an accidental round of 48, but not the worst either.
Pictures here
Etc.
This weekend marked the halfway point for Christa, and now I've done them all twice. To everyone who missed me this time around, only 38 more to go for round #3!
And congrats to Christa for reaching the 1/2 way point on her quest for the 48. 
