BrentD22
New member
Mt. Chocorua via Liberty Trail
Set out from the last house on Paugus Rd. for the Liberty Trail Head. When I reached the trail head kiosk I decided snow shoes would not be necessary and was very happy to see the trail already packed out. The temps where not too cold and the wind was very calm.
I started up the trail. The first 2 miles have some ups and downs, which kinda tic you off because you gain elevation only to drop back down, then to gain it back again. The next .8 miles or so is a constant uphill climb. You then reach the Hammonds Trail. The trail sign “claims” .5 miles to Jim Liberty Cabin. It feels a lot longer than that. Granted it is steep, but that is defently not .5 miles. That darn .5 miles kicked my ash. The cabin was a great site! The view was even better.
I started to set up my bunk for the night, melt snow for water, cook some lunch, clean up the cabin some, and other fun camp stuff. After about 45 minutes Dick and his wife came up day hiking. We chatted for a few and they went back down Liberty Trail. They did not summit because the trail was not packed out and it was getting somewhat late.
After some lunch I set out for the summit of Chocorua. The summit cone is so daunting in many ways. The large rock on the east side of the summit that looks as if it is going to come crashing down at any moment, the cliffs, and the snow fields on the south side. As I said the trail was not packed out, but the snow had a hard upper crust to it that required only crampons. I went only about .1 of a mile when I was not completely sure where the trail went. I decided to go uphill hoping to find some kind of trail marker or obvious sign of the trail. After about 15 minutes of hard steep climbing I came across a copper plate fastened to the rock with a name on it (can’t remember the name) with a note of this mans ashes being spread at this point. The trail/non-trail I was on took me right up the south side of the summit cone. I soon realized that there was no way I was on the correct path. I reached a rock face that I would normally want rope to climb. I then turned around and went back to the cabin. Disappointed, but curious about the copper plate that I found that was certainly off the trail.
Soon a couple arrived at the cabin and one of them had a good sense of where the trail went from previous trips. They both had on full packs, but did not want to stay at the cabin Saturday night because of reports that it was going to get down to -20 or so. After talking to the couple and discussing the route up the summit cone I decided to attempt the summit the next morning. I would follow their boot/crampon marks in the snow.
That night was COLD! I went outside for about an hour and stared down at the valley and up in the sky deep in thought about so many things. After becoming very cold I decided it was time to go to bed. Good thing I was in the cabin away from the wind. I had some company in a little mouse that tried to get into my trash bag that was hanging from the ceiling. I had a good plan to keep the little guy out of my food bag. I brought some glow sticks and put one hanging from the stuff sack and hung the stuff sack from a nail hanging from the ceiling. Later in the night the mouse made lots of noise with my trash bag for about 20 seconds, so I put a glow stick on the trash bag and guess what? Neither my food bag nor the trash bag where bothered again. Maybe that’s the way to scare off the little mice, glow sticks! At least the little guy added some entertainment for the night. I forgot a book so I say thank you little mouse thank you. Saturday night marked the first time I’ve ever read a shelter log from cover to cover. I also wrote about a full page in it as well. I found an entry from Peakbagger from Gathering 6.75 (Wonalancet Cabin) about a year ago. Another odd VFTT note, of all the people I saw this weekend on the mountain, 14 or so I knew of at least 4 of them that where members of VFTT. That was just from discussions where VFTT came up. I am not sure about how many where and did not mention it?!?!
That night I got very little sleep because of the cold. The next morning I woke up to bugger snot freezing temps. After fully waking up I ate some breakfast, cleaned up, packed my gear, and prepared for a summit attempt.
The summit attempt was made WAY easier by the couple that summited the day before. I followed their tracks all the way up. The summit was windy, but less so than I expected. I hung out and took in the views from the top for about 45 minutes. Saw Washington/Presidentials, Whiteface, Sandwich Range, Chocorua Lake, White Lake, and I also saw what I think was the ocean. I looked south southeast and wondered if it really was the ocean. It could have been nothing else other than the ocean. I said to myself “WOW I CAN SEE THE OCEAN FROM HERE”. The 360° view was heavenly! I then hiked down mounted my pack on my back and started down the trail.
The way down the trail I kept wondering why I felt the way I felt. All night the same odd feeling and I couldn’t figure it out. When I reached my jeep I laid back and closed my eyes and figured out what I was feeling. I loved being up in the mountains, but something was missing. My mother who just passed away in December, my wife and 3 kids at home, my father, my sisters, cousins, and friends could not see me in a place where I was so happy to be alive. At that moment I decided that the next time I go hiking I was going to bring one of those people to introduce them to this wonderful world along with a poem for my Mom. That way when I return from the mountains I don’t have to say, “it’s so hard to explain how great it is” and “if you could have only seen the view”. Next time we will talk about the view together! I will also read the poem out-loud on the summit that way I can be as close to my Mom as possible making sure she can hear me loud and clear! Next time Jeff (best friend) will be saying “wow that was great” and “wow the view was amazing”, “why didn’t you take me up there before” instead of me talking about it for hours on end.
The trails where packed down below the cabin. Above the cabin the snow had a hard crust on it, but there was some soft snow drifts tucked in behind rocks and ledges. The summit had very little snow on it (wind blown). The views had no limit and the wind was steady, but not fierce. It was COLD, but that’s to be expected and to be honest welcome in winter. It’s no fun to pack all those insulating layers, carry them up the mountain, and then not have to use them or worst use them when I don’t need them and sweat like a pig. Either way the trip could have only been better if I had a friend to experience it with!
Set out from the last house on Paugus Rd. for the Liberty Trail Head. When I reached the trail head kiosk I decided snow shoes would not be necessary and was very happy to see the trail already packed out. The temps where not too cold and the wind was very calm.
I started up the trail. The first 2 miles have some ups and downs, which kinda tic you off because you gain elevation only to drop back down, then to gain it back again. The next .8 miles or so is a constant uphill climb. You then reach the Hammonds Trail. The trail sign “claims” .5 miles to Jim Liberty Cabin. It feels a lot longer than that. Granted it is steep, but that is defently not .5 miles. That darn .5 miles kicked my ash. The cabin was a great site! The view was even better.
I started to set up my bunk for the night, melt snow for water, cook some lunch, clean up the cabin some, and other fun camp stuff. After about 45 minutes Dick and his wife came up day hiking. We chatted for a few and they went back down Liberty Trail. They did not summit because the trail was not packed out and it was getting somewhat late.
After some lunch I set out for the summit of Chocorua. The summit cone is so daunting in many ways. The large rock on the east side of the summit that looks as if it is going to come crashing down at any moment, the cliffs, and the snow fields on the south side. As I said the trail was not packed out, but the snow had a hard upper crust to it that required only crampons. I went only about .1 of a mile when I was not completely sure where the trail went. I decided to go uphill hoping to find some kind of trail marker or obvious sign of the trail. After about 15 minutes of hard steep climbing I came across a copper plate fastened to the rock with a name on it (can’t remember the name) with a note of this mans ashes being spread at this point. The trail/non-trail I was on took me right up the south side of the summit cone. I soon realized that there was no way I was on the correct path. I reached a rock face that I would normally want rope to climb. I then turned around and went back to the cabin. Disappointed, but curious about the copper plate that I found that was certainly off the trail.
Soon a couple arrived at the cabin and one of them had a good sense of where the trail went from previous trips. They both had on full packs, but did not want to stay at the cabin Saturday night because of reports that it was going to get down to -20 or so. After talking to the couple and discussing the route up the summit cone I decided to attempt the summit the next morning. I would follow their boot/crampon marks in the snow.
That night was COLD! I went outside for about an hour and stared down at the valley and up in the sky deep in thought about so many things. After becoming very cold I decided it was time to go to bed. Good thing I was in the cabin away from the wind. I had some company in a little mouse that tried to get into my trash bag that was hanging from the ceiling. I had a good plan to keep the little guy out of my food bag. I brought some glow sticks and put one hanging from the stuff sack and hung the stuff sack from a nail hanging from the ceiling. Later in the night the mouse made lots of noise with my trash bag for about 20 seconds, so I put a glow stick on the trash bag and guess what? Neither my food bag nor the trash bag where bothered again. Maybe that’s the way to scare off the little mice, glow sticks! At least the little guy added some entertainment for the night. I forgot a book so I say thank you little mouse thank you. Saturday night marked the first time I’ve ever read a shelter log from cover to cover. I also wrote about a full page in it as well. I found an entry from Peakbagger from Gathering 6.75 (Wonalancet Cabin) about a year ago. Another odd VFTT note, of all the people I saw this weekend on the mountain, 14 or so I knew of at least 4 of them that where members of VFTT. That was just from discussions where VFTT came up. I am not sure about how many where and did not mention it?!?!
That night I got very little sleep because of the cold. The next morning I woke up to bugger snot freezing temps. After fully waking up I ate some breakfast, cleaned up, packed my gear, and prepared for a summit attempt.
The summit attempt was made WAY easier by the couple that summited the day before. I followed their tracks all the way up. The summit was windy, but less so than I expected. I hung out and took in the views from the top for about 45 minutes. Saw Washington/Presidentials, Whiteface, Sandwich Range, Chocorua Lake, White Lake, and I also saw what I think was the ocean. I looked south southeast and wondered if it really was the ocean. It could have been nothing else other than the ocean. I said to myself “WOW I CAN SEE THE OCEAN FROM HERE”. The 360° view was heavenly! I then hiked down mounted my pack on my back and started down the trail.
The way down the trail I kept wondering why I felt the way I felt. All night the same odd feeling and I couldn’t figure it out. When I reached my jeep I laid back and closed my eyes and figured out what I was feeling. I loved being up in the mountains, but something was missing. My mother who just passed away in December, my wife and 3 kids at home, my father, my sisters, cousins, and friends could not see me in a place where I was so happy to be alive. At that moment I decided that the next time I go hiking I was going to bring one of those people to introduce them to this wonderful world along with a poem for my Mom. That way when I return from the mountains I don’t have to say, “it’s so hard to explain how great it is” and “if you could have only seen the view”. Next time we will talk about the view together! I will also read the poem out-loud on the summit that way I can be as close to my Mom as possible making sure she can hear me loud and clear! Next time Jeff (best friend) will be saying “wow that was great” and “wow the view was amazing”, “why didn’t you take me up there before” instead of me talking about it for hours on end.
The trails where packed down below the cabin. Above the cabin the snow had a hard crust on it, but there was some soft snow drifts tucked in behind rocks and ledges. The summit had very little snow on it (wind blown). The views had no limit and the wind was steady, but not fierce. It was COLD, but that’s to be expected and to be honest welcome in winter. It’s no fun to pack all those insulating layers, carry them up the mountain, and then not have to use them or worst use them when I don’t need them and sweat like a pig. Either way the trip could have only been better if I had a friend to experience it with!
