p2piper
New member
Stats
Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
Weather: Sunny, windy, 30's
Miles: 6.2
Steps: 18,790
Trails: Jackson-Webster Trail
I woke up at 3:45 am to be at Nancy's house by 5 am. Usually I am so excited that I wake up and stay awake through anticipation alone, but this time I felt sleepy and disoriented. I even forgot to pack my turkey sandwich. 9 The drive up was mostly in the dark and when the day finally dawned the skies were clear and the temperatures were in the mid to low 30's - moderate for this time of year.
We arrived at the Jackson-Webster trailhead a little before 8am. Dejah, our tw0-year old Yellow Lab trail dog, was ready to go. We started up the trail at 8:10 am. Both of us were quiet although happy to be outside and hiking another Presidential. Originally Nancy's daughter and husband were going to go with us, but the time wasn't right so they stayed home. Another time, another mountain. We reached the junction of the Jackson-Webster Trail loop at 9:10 am. The trail itself was rooty and rocky, but all the mud areas had frozen so we were spared the joy of mud sucking at boots. Instead we had to contend with ice as we climbed higher. We barefooted it up to the summit of Jackson (elevation 4,052), arriving at 10:45 am. The wind was howling and it was great fun (not) to set up the camera for a timed summit shot, but we did it and we were off that summit very quickly. Brrrr...
Back on the trail, the summit of Webster (not a 4,000 footer) looked oh so far away but we knew it was deceiving and that we would be there in no time. On the way to Webster we were greeted by a pair of Grey Jays. I had seen my first one during the Tom, Field, Willey hike but had not know then what they were, nor did I know then that some of them would eat out of a hiker's hand. Like feeding any animal in the wild, I always feel some trepidation, but these Jays won't be killed by Park Rangers for being aggressive food stealers. They might be shooed away or yelled at but we don't call the Rangers to have them tranquilized and moved to a less populated area. So I fed them. And it was very cool watching it fill its beak with three peanuts and a raisin before skittering off to its nearest cache.
The views of Crawford Notch from Webster were spectacular. We were able to stay on the summit for a little longer because we were sheltered from the wind. Winter hiking is really different from summer hiking - sitting on a hot rock and basking in the sun is not an option in the winter. As much as I am enjoying the challenge and extremities of winter hiking, I sometimes miss being able to take off my boots and sit on a rock and just look without feeling anxious about time or temperature.
On the way down my body really started to talk to me. I'm 51 years old and pretty fit - I run two-three times a week, power walk 6 miles of hills twice a week and hike on the weekends. BUT I don't seem to recover from extra effort quickly or easily. Nancy and I ran in Keene's Cranberry Run on Thanksgiving Day. 4.6 miles. We ran our own pace, although it was maybe 30 seconds faster than our regular jogging pace. The last time I ran a race, I blew myself out and have been paying for it ever since. The worst "injury", which still hasn't healed, was a strained Achilles tendon. Although I am not certain it is the Achilles - just near it and on the lateral side. Anyway, I decided to go as fast as I could for the last half mile of the race and off I went. I felt ok even after the race. But as I was descending Webster I started to feel the effects of that race and the lack of time to recover. My knees and ankles were not happy. I used my poles but even so I was painfully slow. [Two days later as I sit here writing this, I still feel the ache in knees and especially my ankles. It's discouraging. I have been working so hard to build a base of fitness and my body can't recover quick enough.]
We reached the Jackson-Webster Trail loop junction at 2:24 pm and the trailhead at 3:28 pm. Both of us felt off today - we were not our usual ebullient, happy, silly, serious, caring, open selves. The worst part was that it didn't feel good to feel off. The best part was that we could feel off together and have that be ok.
41 out of 67
Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
Weather: Sunny, windy, 30's
Miles: 6.2
Steps: 18,790
Trails: Jackson-Webster Trail
I woke up at 3:45 am to be at Nancy's house by 5 am. Usually I am so excited that I wake up and stay awake through anticipation alone, but this time I felt sleepy and disoriented. I even forgot to pack my turkey sandwich. 9 The drive up was mostly in the dark and when the day finally dawned the skies were clear and the temperatures were in the mid to low 30's - moderate for this time of year.
We arrived at the Jackson-Webster trailhead a little before 8am. Dejah, our tw0-year old Yellow Lab trail dog, was ready to go. We started up the trail at 8:10 am. Both of us were quiet although happy to be outside and hiking another Presidential. Originally Nancy's daughter and husband were going to go with us, but the time wasn't right so they stayed home. Another time, another mountain. We reached the junction of the Jackson-Webster Trail loop at 9:10 am. The trail itself was rooty and rocky, but all the mud areas had frozen so we were spared the joy of mud sucking at boots. Instead we had to contend with ice as we climbed higher. We barefooted it up to the summit of Jackson (elevation 4,052), arriving at 10:45 am. The wind was howling and it was great fun (not) to set up the camera for a timed summit shot, but we did it and we were off that summit very quickly. Brrrr...
Back on the trail, the summit of Webster (not a 4,000 footer) looked oh so far away but we knew it was deceiving and that we would be there in no time. On the way to Webster we were greeted by a pair of Grey Jays. I had seen my first one during the Tom, Field, Willey hike but had not know then what they were, nor did I know then that some of them would eat out of a hiker's hand. Like feeding any animal in the wild, I always feel some trepidation, but these Jays won't be killed by Park Rangers for being aggressive food stealers. They might be shooed away or yelled at but we don't call the Rangers to have them tranquilized and moved to a less populated area. So I fed them. And it was very cool watching it fill its beak with three peanuts and a raisin before skittering off to its nearest cache.
The views of Crawford Notch from Webster were spectacular. We were able to stay on the summit for a little longer because we were sheltered from the wind. Winter hiking is really different from summer hiking - sitting on a hot rock and basking in the sun is not an option in the winter. As much as I am enjoying the challenge and extremities of winter hiking, I sometimes miss being able to take off my boots and sit on a rock and just look without feeling anxious about time or temperature.
On the way down my body really started to talk to me. I'm 51 years old and pretty fit - I run two-three times a week, power walk 6 miles of hills twice a week and hike on the weekends. BUT I don't seem to recover from extra effort quickly or easily. Nancy and I ran in Keene's Cranberry Run on Thanksgiving Day. 4.6 miles. We ran our own pace, although it was maybe 30 seconds faster than our regular jogging pace. The last time I ran a race, I blew myself out and have been paying for it ever since. The worst "injury", which still hasn't healed, was a strained Achilles tendon. Although I am not certain it is the Achilles - just near it and on the lateral side. Anyway, I decided to go as fast as I could for the last half mile of the race and off I went. I felt ok even after the race. But as I was descending Webster I started to feel the effects of that race and the lack of time to recover. My knees and ankles were not happy. I used my poles but even so I was painfully slow. [Two days later as I sit here writing this, I still feel the ache in knees and especially my ankles. It's discouraging. I have been working so hard to build a base of fitness and my body can't recover quick enough.]
We reached the Jackson-Webster Trail loop junction at 2:24 pm and the trailhead at 3:28 pm. Both of us felt off today - we were not our usual ebullient, happy, silly, serious, caring, open selves. The worst part was that it didn't feel good to feel off. The best part was that we could feel off together and have that be ok.
41 out of 67
