Mt. Starr King, Mt. Waumbek via Starr King Trail
Date of Hike: Monday, March 30, 2009
Trail Conditions: Spring snow, soft blue ice, mud, running water, powder
Special Equipment Required: Light traction, perhaps small snowshoes
Comments:
I believe I am the first to park in the summer parking lot this year. There's still a decent sized snowbank in the way, so if you have a car, better to park on the other side of US 2 for another week or two.
First section of the Starr King Trail, from the parking lot to where the trail turns to the right and heads to the hardwood glade, was running water, mud, and slush/soft blue ice. I attempted to bareboot at first, but found Microspikes made for a much easier ascent.
The hardwood glade was mostly spring snow with a dusting of new snow on top. Some running water and slush. Minimal postholing if you stay on the center of the trail.
The rest of the ascent to Starr King (with the exception of the very top) was pretty solid. Minimal postholing if you stay on the middle of the trail.
Beyond Starr King, it's a bit of a mess. 1-2" inches of new powder, covering a game of monorail minesweeper. I considered putting on my snowshoes, but the monorail was quite narrow in parts, so they would have been more of a bother than an asset. Generally, sticking to the very center was good enough, but I did add a few new postholes to the collection.
Your name: rocket21
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
Date of Hike: Monday, March 30, 2009
Trail Conditions: Spring snow, soft blue ice, mud, running water, powder
Special Equipment Required: Light traction, perhaps small snowshoes
Comments:
I believe I am the first to park in the summer parking lot this year. There's still a decent sized snowbank in the way, so if you have a car, better to park on the other side of US 2 for another week or two.
First section of the Starr King Trail, from the parking lot to where the trail turns to the right and heads to the hardwood glade, was running water, mud, and slush/soft blue ice. I attempted to bareboot at first, but found Microspikes made for a much easier ascent.
The hardwood glade was mostly spring snow with a dusting of new snow on top. Some running water and slush. Minimal postholing if you stay on the center of the trail.
The rest of the ascent to Starr King (with the exception of the very top) was pretty solid. Minimal postholing if you stay on the middle of the trail.
Beyond Starr King, it's a bit of a mess. 1-2" inches of new powder, covering a game of monorail minesweeper. I considered putting on my snowshoes, but the monorail was quite narrow in parts, so they would have been more of a bother than an asset. Generally, sticking to the very center was good enough, but I did add a few new postholes to the collection.
Your name: rocket21
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
