Jefferson (Winter #30) via Jewell, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, ~11 miles, 4150', 8:00. This was a Hiker Ed grid trip for Peter Crane's #576. Congratulations to Peter!
During Wednesday's Tripyramid trip, Ed & I received confirmation that Hiker Ed's group would tackle Jefferson on New Year's Eve for a grid finish on the blue moon. Not something that happens very often... might be the only one ever in a blue moon. Thirteen snowshoe-clad, warmly greeted and heartily handshaked hikers left the Cog at 7am to take advantage of a weather window in the morning. The forecast was spot on for the day. The temps were in the mid-teens and the wind was WSW 20-30MPH with clouds lowering through the day and a chance of snow after 1pm. We ascended the Jewell trail under semi-blue skies with high clouds. At the lookout, all the high peaks were still in the clear for a quick snack break.
View toward Washington from Jewell Trail, Monroe-Eisenhower / Willey Range
At treeline we took break number two and layered up for the 2.5 miles of exposure. Snowshoes were still the ticket, although Hiker Ed says there was less snow than on 12/24's trip to Washington. With careful foot placement one could mostly avoid bare rock. The snow conditions were mixed - powder, crust, ice, saturated and frozen, etc. The cairns, while visible, were coated in ice. We picked our way along Clay and down to Sphinx Col, across Monticello Lawn and onto the Jefferson Loop where Peter took the lead. Until now the wind came mainly from behind, and some put on goggles and balaclavas for the final ascent. The train of hikers picked their way carefully to the summit and down the other side to the giant cairn for a snack break, and the choice of crampons for the return. I left my snowshoes on. At this point, Jefferson was just at the bottom of the clouds, with Washington, Adams, and all of Franconia Ridge gone. The first snowflakes were starting to fly. My camera went away for the rest of the trip.
Across the Pemi to Franconia Ridge, The Target in sight
I donned the balaclava and my new goggles (Siege from Native Eyewear) which worked pretty well from an ice and fog point of view. They remain untested during a strenous ascent when I am pumping out heat, but they stayed quite clear. By Sphinx Col, the snow was flying good, but not enough to make travel difficult. Those descending in crampons left an occasional post hole, and I found a spruce trap even wearing snowshoes. At the campsite just below treeline, we had lunch and chatted for a while, and Peter talked about hiking the grid, beginning in 1969. From here it was a quick snowshoe down the well-broken Jewell and back to Base Station.
Jefferson and Adams from Gulfside below Clay, Ascending the south end of the Jefferson Loop
All photos
Tim
During Wednesday's Tripyramid trip, Ed & I received confirmation that Hiker Ed's group would tackle Jefferson on New Year's Eve for a grid finish on the blue moon. Not something that happens very often... might be the only one ever in a blue moon. Thirteen snowshoe-clad, warmly greeted and heartily handshaked hikers left the Cog at 7am to take advantage of a weather window in the morning. The forecast was spot on for the day. The temps were in the mid-teens and the wind was WSW 20-30MPH with clouds lowering through the day and a chance of snow after 1pm. We ascended the Jewell trail under semi-blue skies with high clouds. At the lookout, all the high peaks were still in the clear for a quick snack break.
View toward Washington from Jewell Trail, Monroe-Eisenhower / Willey Range
At treeline we took break number two and layered up for the 2.5 miles of exposure. Snowshoes were still the ticket, although Hiker Ed says there was less snow than on 12/24's trip to Washington. With careful foot placement one could mostly avoid bare rock. The snow conditions were mixed - powder, crust, ice, saturated and frozen, etc. The cairns, while visible, were coated in ice. We picked our way along Clay and down to Sphinx Col, across Monticello Lawn and onto the Jefferson Loop where Peter took the lead. Until now the wind came mainly from behind, and some put on goggles and balaclavas for the final ascent. The train of hikers picked their way carefully to the summit and down the other side to the giant cairn for a snack break, and the choice of crampons for the return. I left my snowshoes on. At this point, Jefferson was just at the bottom of the clouds, with Washington, Adams, and all of Franconia Ridge gone. The first snowflakes were starting to fly. My camera went away for the rest of the trip.
Across the Pemi to Franconia Ridge, The Target in sight
I donned the balaclava and my new goggles (Siege from Native Eyewear) which worked pretty well from an ice and fog point of view. They remain untested during a strenous ascent when I am pumping out heat, but they stayed quite clear. By Sphinx Col, the snow was flying good, but not enough to make travel difficult. Those descending in crampons left an occasional post hole, and I found a spruce trap even wearing snowshoes. At the campsite just below treeline, we had lunch and chatted for a while, and Peter talked about hiking the grid, beginning in 1969. From here it was a quick snowshoe down the well-broken Jewell and back to Base Station.
Jefferson and Adams from Gulfside below Clay, Ascending the south end of the Jefferson Loop
All photos
Tim
