Great Pumpkin
Member
Date Hiked: Thursday January 10, 2008
Trail Conditions: Jewell Trail was somewhat soft in the area below the crossing of Clay Brook, but became much more consolidated & consistent (ah, alliteration) the higher we climbed, as long as you stuck to the straight and narrow. Two blowdowns, easily under the first, and equally easily over the second. Above treeline, the packed snow gave way to bare rock interspersed with ice; ditto on the Gulfside. We were able to bareboot to a point slightly south of Sphinx Col (appx 5,000 ft.); we went to crampons thereafter to add some confidence on icy patches, and left them on until we were once again below treeline. The good snow cover that was encountered by Rols, Andy, Tuco, Hiker Bob and Poison Ivy (see Rocks On Top) on 1-5-08 which permitted them to make good use of snowshoes was long gone and hard to find in the Alpine Zone.
Required Equipment:We carried snowshoes and crampons, but used only the irons. Poles of course. First-aid supplies to deal with the aftermath of the attack of the Rock Monster!
Comments:"We fought the rocks, and the rocks won...(sort of). Apologies to the ghost of Bobby Fuller, and credit to Creaky Knees. We started from Marshfield Station at 7:30 a.m., with all peaks obscured by gray clouds, but an Obs forecast for sun later in the day. Saw hints of blue as we barebooted up the Jewell, and the sun burned through the clouds almost simultaneously with our arrival above the Alpine Zone sign, with ever expanding views into Burt Ravine, the Southern Presis, and the bulk of Mt. Clay ahead of us. We reached the Gulfside Trail intersection at about 10:30 a.m., and experienced wind at about 30 mph, increasing to gusts that were probably about 50 mph in Sphinx Col, and at the Jefferson Loop intersection. Jefferson itself was occasionally shrouded by fast moving clouds, but we always had visibility of 5 or 6 cairns at a time (500 to 600'), so on we went. Just before the big cairn, Creaky Knees valiantly warded off the Rock Monster with his face, and wrestled it to the ground (a crampon trip-up), giving some blood for the cause (ouch!). He's listed as probable for the Patriots game tomorrow. We patched him together, quickly scrambled up the last 50' or so to both claim Winter No. 42, ate some quick lunch in the relative calm of the big cairn, then started descending at about 12:45 p.m. Met a bearded fellow in an OR hat a little after 1:00 p.m. who was headed for Jefferson to take in the sunset (!); bon chance mon frere. The return trip across the rocks on the Gulfside and upper Jewell Trail was challenging to me, but the injured Creaky Knees was tougher than low-grade steak, and probably would've finished well ahead of the hour of 5:00 p.m. if he hadn't kindly waited for me. Rest in Peace, Sir Edmund....
Trail Conditions: Jewell Trail was somewhat soft in the area below the crossing of Clay Brook, but became much more consolidated & consistent (ah, alliteration) the higher we climbed, as long as you stuck to the straight and narrow. Two blowdowns, easily under the first, and equally easily over the second. Above treeline, the packed snow gave way to bare rock interspersed with ice; ditto on the Gulfside. We were able to bareboot to a point slightly south of Sphinx Col (appx 5,000 ft.); we went to crampons thereafter to add some confidence on icy patches, and left them on until we were once again below treeline. The good snow cover that was encountered by Rols, Andy, Tuco, Hiker Bob and Poison Ivy (see Rocks On Top) on 1-5-08 which permitted them to make good use of snowshoes was long gone and hard to find in the Alpine Zone.
Required Equipment:We carried snowshoes and crampons, but used only the irons. Poles of course. First-aid supplies to deal with the aftermath of the attack of the Rock Monster!
Comments:"We fought the rocks, and the rocks won...(sort of). Apologies to the ghost of Bobby Fuller, and credit to Creaky Knees. We started from Marshfield Station at 7:30 a.m., with all peaks obscured by gray clouds, but an Obs forecast for sun later in the day. Saw hints of blue as we barebooted up the Jewell, and the sun burned through the clouds almost simultaneously with our arrival above the Alpine Zone sign, with ever expanding views into Burt Ravine, the Southern Presis, and the bulk of Mt. Clay ahead of us. We reached the Gulfside Trail intersection at about 10:30 a.m., and experienced wind at about 30 mph, increasing to gusts that were probably about 50 mph in Sphinx Col, and at the Jefferson Loop intersection. Jefferson itself was occasionally shrouded by fast moving clouds, but we always had visibility of 5 or 6 cairns at a time (500 to 600'), so on we went. Just before the big cairn, Creaky Knees valiantly warded off the Rock Monster with his face, and wrestled it to the ground (a crampon trip-up), giving some blood for the cause (ouch!). He's listed as probable for the Patriots game tomorrow. We patched him together, quickly scrambled up the last 50' or so to both claim Winter No. 42, ate some quick lunch in the relative calm of the big cairn, then started descending at about 12:45 p.m. Met a bearded fellow in an OR hat a little after 1:00 p.m. who was headed for Jefferson to take in the sunset (!); bon chance mon frere. The return trip across the rocks on the Gulfside and upper Jewell Trail was challenging to me, but the injured Creaky Knees was tougher than low-grade steak, and probably would've finished well ahead of the hour of 5:00 p.m. if he hadn't kindly waited for me. Rest in Peace, Sir Edmund....
