w7xman
Active member
First off, thanks to the VFTT Community for helping plan this.
I took off up the Stony Brook Trail around noon yesterday, a bit nervious about my first solo winter overnight. I was confident I had the gear and experience, but the back of your mind is always casting doubt. Moreover, I was confident that I had chosen the right day and right (good) weather for a sunrise from the ledges of Moriah, and the lack of a companion wasn't going to stop me...
The trail up was pretty easy, largely snowshoepacked, but it was soft, and the occasional barebooter had slopped things up a bit. I made the junction by about 4:30. I was tired, but turned left instead of towards the shelter for some slackpack scouting of the ledges I was told about. Round the corner, and whoa...great view to the east. A good bit further up I came to an outcropping with a 270 view...and needed to go no further.
I tossed around the idea of skipping the shelter and bivying near the ledge, but I didn't want to do anything outside of my already outside of my comfort, and hoofed to to the shelter. Must have just missed 'Mats Roing' on his record attempt as I descended the imp shelter spur.
Standard issue shelter night, except I had the hardest time getting my sodie can stove to boil up some snow...but it all worked eventually.
4AM...alarm...scramble, pack...and out.
What a joy it was to be on the Carter Moriah trail under near calm winds on this 'warm' winters night with the stars bright over head. I made quick time, and got back to the Moriah ledges well before sunrise. I think I moved a bit too quick though, as My feet, damp despite new socks, had begun to blister.
Long story short...pictures are worth a thousand words, and I had about 5 minutes of great light before the sky went quickly grey. I was happy with my five minutes of shooting.
Not wanting to risk my feet further, I went back down, foregoing summiting Moriah, and made it down by 10AM.
Preliminary Pics here: Rough RAW edits on a bad monitor, can't wait to see what these really hold!!!
http://public.fotki.com/w7xman/mount-moriah-hike-temp/
I took off up the Stony Brook Trail around noon yesterday, a bit nervious about my first solo winter overnight. I was confident I had the gear and experience, but the back of your mind is always casting doubt. Moreover, I was confident that I had chosen the right day and right (good) weather for a sunrise from the ledges of Moriah, and the lack of a companion wasn't going to stop me...
The trail up was pretty easy, largely snowshoepacked, but it was soft, and the occasional barebooter had slopped things up a bit. I made the junction by about 4:30. I was tired, but turned left instead of towards the shelter for some slackpack scouting of the ledges I was told about. Round the corner, and whoa...great view to the east. A good bit further up I came to an outcropping with a 270 view...and needed to go no further.
I tossed around the idea of skipping the shelter and bivying near the ledge, but I didn't want to do anything outside of my already outside of my comfort, and hoofed to to the shelter. Must have just missed 'Mats Roing' on his record attempt as I descended the imp shelter spur.
Standard issue shelter night, except I had the hardest time getting my sodie can stove to boil up some snow...but it all worked eventually.
4AM...alarm...scramble, pack...and out.
What a joy it was to be on the Carter Moriah trail under near calm winds on this 'warm' winters night with the stars bright over head. I made quick time, and got back to the Moriah ledges well before sunrise. I think I moved a bit too quick though, as My feet, damp despite new socks, had begun to blister.
Long story short...pictures are worth a thousand words, and I had about 5 minutes of great light before the sky went quickly grey. I was happy with my five minutes of shooting.
Not wanting to risk my feet further, I went back down, foregoing summiting Moriah, and made it down by 10AM.
Preliminary Pics here: Rough RAW edits on a bad monitor, can't wait to see what these really hold!!!
http://public.fotki.com/w7xman/mount-moriah-hike-temp/
