slowandsteady
New member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2005
- Messages
- 144
- Reaction score
- 13
Tim, Dennis, and I were in Jackson to ski for the long weekend. I'm not that enthusiastic about downhill skiing and my knee was recovering from being hit by a runaway skier at Attitash on Christmas. New Years Day the boys were happily skiing at Wildcat, and left me in Jackson, carless, to XC Ski - unfortunately JXN XC Trails had taken a hit from the recent rains and did not benefit from more recent snows and were marginal. After XC skiing at Prospect Farm Saturday I wanted to try something different.
Decided to try a short winter hike and also my first solo hike. Although I solo backcountry XC ski, I wasn't sure I'd be comfortable hiking by myself (and I was worried about whether my knee was going to be OK) so I wanted a short route where I could bail out quickly if I felt uncomfortable. I considered Doublehead but decided to climb Black Mountain instead where I knew I could make a loop with the XC trails if I felt energetic. Called the boys and let them know what I was planning and got a ride up Carter Notch Road to Melloon Road and walked to the Black Mountain Ski Trail. Put on snowshoes for the climb via cabin to summit. The Ski Trail, which rises 1500 feet in about 1.7 miles, was bare in spots but mostly covered in old Styrofoam snow, broken in by previous postholing barebooters. I can't imagine anyone using this as a ski trail until there has been significantly more snowfall. Lots of open water crossings (lost count after 15) but all the blowdowns from previous storms had been cleared. After climbing a bit I savored the complete quiet, broken only by the sound of my snowshoes, and the sun peaking through the trees, dusted by a bit of new powder, and Mt Washington peaking out from the clouds to the Northwest. I realized I wasn't the least bit uncomfortable and it was kind of fun being out there by myself.
There is a great view of Carter Notch, Wildcat Ridge, Carter Dome, and the Baldfaces and northward from Black Mountain's summit. From the summit down to East Pasture (XC trail) I was the first person to break trail (save a moose). I had planned to snowshoe down the East Pasture Trail to Black Mountain Road (JXN XC was encouraging snowshoeing due to marginal skiing conditions) but instead took the East Pasture Loop the long way around to the Bald Land Trail and back to Black Mountain downhill area (also closed) and then a combination of road walk and snowshoe trails (where there was snow) back to Jackson.
Ok so not a terribly adventurous hike, not a 4000-footer, not even a 3000-footer and only about two miles out of thirteen was on a trail (as opposed to the logging roads/XC trails) but it felt like a hike and I did not see anyone from 8:30 in the morning until early afternoon. This for me was about overcoming a bit of a hurdle - both the solo hiking and the hiking in winter. It also felt good making the best of conditions at hand; they'll be plenty of power for XC later on in the winter.
Decided to try a short winter hike and also my first solo hike. Although I solo backcountry XC ski, I wasn't sure I'd be comfortable hiking by myself (and I was worried about whether my knee was going to be OK) so I wanted a short route where I could bail out quickly if I felt uncomfortable. I considered Doublehead but decided to climb Black Mountain instead where I knew I could make a loop with the XC trails if I felt energetic. Called the boys and let them know what I was planning and got a ride up Carter Notch Road to Melloon Road and walked to the Black Mountain Ski Trail. Put on snowshoes for the climb via cabin to summit. The Ski Trail, which rises 1500 feet in about 1.7 miles, was bare in spots but mostly covered in old Styrofoam snow, broken in by previous postholing barebooters. I can't imagine anyone using this as a ski trail until there has been significantly more snowfall. Lots of open water crossings (lost count after 15) but all the blowdowns from previous storms had been cleared. After climbing a bit I savored the complete quiet, broken only by the sound of my snowshoes, and the sun peaking through the trees, dusted by a bit of new powder, and Mt Washington peaking out from the clouds to the Northwest. I realized I wasn't the least bit uncomfortable and it was kind of fun being out there by myself.
There is a great view of Carter Notch, Wildcat Ridge, Carter Dome, and the Baldfaces and northward from Black Mountain's summit. From the summit down to East Pasture (XC trail) I was the first person to break trail (save a moose). I had planned to snowshoe down the East Pasture Trail to Black Mountain Road (JXN XC was encouraging snowshoeing due to marginal skiing conditions) but instead took the East Pasture Loop the long way around to the Bald Land Trail and back to Black Mountain downhill area (also closed) and then a combination of road walk and snowshoe trails (where there was snow) back to Jackson.
Ok so not a terribly adventurous hike, not a 4000-footer, not even a 3000-footer and only about two miles out of thirteen was on a trail (as opposed to the logging roads/XC trails) but it felt like a hike and I did not see anyone from 8:30 in the morning until early afternoon. This for me was about overcoming a bit of a hurdle - both the solo hiking and the hiking in winter. It also felt good making the best of conditions at hand; they'll be plenty of power for XC later on in the winter.
