HikerAmiga
New member
2-19-06:
McRat posted a hike via the A-Z and Avalon Trail to attempt Willey and Field for yesterday, Sunday, 2-19-06. Hikerfast and I obliged and we all enthusiastically started our trek shortly after 9am from the Highland Center.
The morning air was oh so crisp and cold—in the single digits I seem to recall and the wind chills were way below zero so we bundled up quite well. Hikerfast helped me with my instep crampons and he had to keep warming his hands as it was biting cold!
Well, a few hundred yards into our hike on the A-Z trail, my left crampon came loose. Hikerfast tightened it for me and noted that a screw was missing (from the crampon, not him)
After a few dozen yards, again and again, the scenario repeated itself and after about the 5th attempt at tightening my crampon, I thought to myself. “Gee, if this keeps up, I am going to hold up this hike and poor McRat will not be able to make his peaks”. Also, each time that Hikerfast tightened my left crampon, did I mention that my left ankle bone also started to hurt as a result of having bruised it with new boots weeks ago?
Well, this combination of irritants early on, I thought, was a bad omen and I noticed McRat looking at me with doubtful eyes. So, I decided to abort this hike and head back and seek the warmth of the Highland Center thus allowing my hiking buddies to complete their hike without a hindrance on my part. I somehow convinced Hikerfast that it was in everyone’s best interest and I turned back while they pushed on.
Well, despite the bad crampon I get back down to the A-Z trail start and while checking out the trails directory, I noted that the Willard Trail seemed like a nice little, short hike off to the left at about 1.4 miles to Mt Willard (elevation 2,804 ft). I figure, “Gee, it’s 10:45 in the AM and I could at least get a short, little hike and get some exercise today”. So I take off and lo and behold, a very leisurely hike indeed in some very pretty woods, very easy grade and in about one 1.25 hours I was at the summit enjoying some very nice views, though somewhat foggy but still I could imagine how spectacular these would be on a fine, sunny day.
After about 15 mins and a few pics, back down I headed and in another hour's time or so, I was back at the trail start and again checking out the trails directory when a man and his young daughter, about 11 years old came down and we started chatting. They told me they’d just summitted Mt. Tom and I thought, "Mt Tom, huh--A 4,000 footer?” After that very leisurely hike up Willard and down, I noted that my faulty crampon was still on and functional and I reasoned that I was feeling quite energetic and motivated so, “why not? Why not get in a 4k while my hiking buddies were busy doing their trek?” So off I went, happily!
Well, by this time it was about 2pm and while I noted the late hour to start this trek, I figured that I’d probably run into Hikerfast and McRat on their way back and, at the very least, I’d get to hike quite a ways up before I met up with them. Otherwise, I’d work hard to summit before it got too late and be able to meet up with them back at the Highland Center where they expected that I would be.
Well, unfortunately, being a novice, I underestimated my abilities and the length of the hike and it took me a bit longer to summit than I would have liked: 2:45 hours. At this rate, I never ran into Hikerfast and McRat and somehow into the hike, I anticipated this so I left them voicemails and wrote messages on the snow along the way: i.e. “Nilsa---> Mt Tom, 2:20pm”.
At about 5pm, I headed down from Mt Tom and realized that I’d not make it back before dark and did my best to rush back, though I slowed down very cautiously on the steeper, icy parts of the Mt Tom Spur Trail. There was one particularly steep section that I really fretted but somehow got down from it with a little prayer and inching down using my crampons as brakes while sitting slanted. Now, time and time again, I marveled at how my crampons were holding up especially the broken one which by now was a bit looser but still hanging on and functional. It started getting dark and I was starting to realize that quite possibly my little solo winter hiking adventure might not have been such a good idea especially given the late hour and the cold temps and of course, my lack of experience and dysfunctional gear. Well, I know what you may be thinking right now about my lack of good judgment, and I will tell you that in retrospect, I agree! You are correct to think that I had been foolish!
All I can say is that somehow earlier that day, despite my earlier failure to adequately keep up with my hiking buddies, I became very optimistic and enthused about making the best of the situation and somehow wound up making 2 peaks in one day, one of which was a 4k which I needed and despite a bad crampon, had a marvelous hiking experience solo in the dead of winter with icy, steep conditions in some places where my skills were tested.
Well, at about 5:30pm when it started to get dark, I thought surely Hikerfast and McRat had finished their trek and were looking for me at the Highland Center and I hoped that they’d seen my messages along the trail and/or heard my voicemails.
When I finally got to the Highland Center’s parking area at about 6:30pm, my phone rings and it was a “603” area code so I realized that someone in NH was looking for me! I missed that call along with 2 prior ones! When I dialed back, it was the Highland Center calling. Apparently I was reported missing and Hikerfast was about to take off looking for me and was soliciting help from other hikers. A staff member encouraged him to wait saying that in most cases, the hiker would come down eventually safely.
Once I saw that call come in, I knew I was in for a lecture and felt badly for causing any undue worry!! I had realized a bit earlier in my hike that I had miscalculated the length of the 2nd hike (Mt Tom) and I wasn’t going to make it down before dark and certainly not before Hikerfast and McRat came down. My gut told me that surely they’d be worried for me considering I was hiking alone and I am clearly inexperienced with faulty gear.
Though I was successful, I have to admit that they were right to worry and I’ve learned a valuable lesson early on in my hiking experience. I especially realize that I should always try to be where I have said that I’d be.
Luckily, I did have fun and I am not sorry for that. I learned that I hike quite "warm" in very cold weather though in otherwise ideal conditions. I took some pics but in the interest of time while doing my 2nd hike up towards Mt Tom, I took no pics up the trail until I got to the spur junction where I took a pic of the sign. Later, on the summit, I took multiple pics. This because I truly had hoped that if I hurried, I might run into Hikerfast and McRat and we’d come down together.
My pics are here: http://community.webshots.com/album/547798393GkSicR
Please note, I really have learned my lesson but you can lecture me if you’d like and hopefully I won’t be tempted again to stray unecessarily.
McRat posted a hike via the A-Z and Avalon Trail to attempt Willey and Field for yesterday, Sunday, 2-19-06. Hikerfast and I obliged and we all enthusiastically started our trek shortly after 9am from the Highland Center.
The morning air was oh so crisp and cold—in the single digits I seem to recall and the wind chills were way below zero so we bundled up quite well. Hikerfast helped me with my instep crampons and he had to keep warming his hands as it was biting cold!
Well, a few hundred yards into our hike on the A-Z trail, my left crampon came loose. Hikerfast tightened it for me and noted that a screw was missing (from the crampon, not him)
After a few dozen yards, again and again, the scenario repeated itself and after about the 5th attempt at tightening my crampon, I thought to myself. “Gee, if this keeps up, I am going to hold up this hike and poor McRat will not be able to make his peaks”. Also, each time that Hikerfast tightened my left crampon, did I mention that my left ankle bone also started to hurt as a result of having bruised it with new boots weeks ago?
Well, this combination of irritants early on, I thought, was a bad omen and I noticed McRat looking at me with doubtful eyes. So, I decided to abort this hike and head back and seek the warmth of the Highland Center thus allowing my hiking buddies to complete their hike without a hindrance on my part. I somehow convinced Hikerfast that it was in everyone’s best interest and I turned back while they pushed on.
Well, despite the bad crampon I get back down to the A-Z trail start and while checking out the trails directory, I noted that the Willard Trail seemed like a nice little, short hike off to the left at about 1.4 miles to Mt Willard (elevation 2,804 ft). I figure, “Gee, it’s 10:45 in the AM and I could at least get a short, little hike and get some exercise today”. So I take off and lo and behold, a very leisurely hike indeed in some very pretty woods, very easy grade and in about one 1.25 hours I was at the summit enjoying some very nice views, though somewhat foggy but still I could imagine how spectacular these would be on a fine, sunny day.
After about 15 mins and a few pics, back down I headed and in another hour's time or so, I was back at the trail start and again checking out the trails directory when a man and his young daughter, about 11 years old came down and we started chatting. They told me they’d just summitted Mt. Tom and I thought, "Mt Tom, huh--A 4,000 footer?” After that very leisurely hike up Willard and down, I noted that my faulty crampon was still on and functional and I reasoned that I was feeling quite energetic and motivated so, “why not? Why not get in a 4k while my hiking buddies were busy doing their trek?” So off I went, happily!
Well, by this time it was about 2pm and while I noted the late hour to start this trek, I figured that I’d probably run into Hikerfast and McRat on their way back and, at the very least, I’d get to hike quite a ways up before I met up with them. Otherwise, I’d work hard to summit before it got too late and be able to meet up with them back at the Highland Center where they expected that I would be.
Well, unfortunately, being a novice, I underestimated my abilities and the length of the hike and it took me a bit longer to summit than I would have liked: 2:45 hours. At this rate, I never ran into Hikerfast and McRat and somehow into the hike, I anticipated this so I left them voicemails and wrote messages on the snow along the way: i.e. “Nilsa---> Mt Tom, 2:20pm”.
At about 5pm, I headed down from Mt Tom and realized that I’d not make it back before dark and did my best to rush back, though I slowed down very cautiously on the steeper, icy parts of the Mt Tom Spur Trail. There was one particularly steep section that I really fretted but somehow got down from it with a little prayer and inching down using my crampons as brakes while sitting slanted. Now, time and time again, I marveled at how my crampons were holding up especially the broken one which by now was a bit looser but still hanging on and functional. It started getting dark and I was starting to realize that quite possibly my little solo winter hiking adventure might not have been such a good idea especially given the late hour and the cold temps and of course, my lack of experience and dysfunctional gear. Well, I know what you may be thinking right now about my lack of good judgment, and I will tell you that in retrospect, I agree! You are correct to think that I had been foolish!
All I can say is that somehow earlier that day, despite my earlier failure to adequately keep up with my hiking buddies, I became very optimistic and enthused about making the best of the situation and somehow wound up making 2 peaks in one day, one of which was a 4k which I needed and despite a bad crampon, had a marvelous hiking experience solo in the dead of winter with icy, steep conditions in some places where my skills were tested.
Well, at about 5:30pm when it started to get dark, I thought surely Hikerfast and McRat had finished their trek and were looking for me at the Highland Center and I hoped that they’d seen my messages along the trail and/or heard my voicemails.
When I finally got to the Highland Center’s parking area at about 6:30pm, my phone rings and it was a “603” area code so I realized that someone in NH was looking for me! I missed that call along with 2 prior ones! When I dialed back, it was the Highland Center calling. Apparently I was reported missing and Hikerfast was about to take off looking for me and was soliciting help from other hikers. A staff member encouraged him to wait saying that in most cases, the hiker would come down eventually safely.
Once I saw that call come in, I knew I was in for a lecture and felt badly for causing any undue worry!! I had realized a bit earlier in my hike that I had miscalculated the length of the 2nd hike (Mt Tom) and I wasn’t going to make it down before dark and certainly not before Hikerfast and McRat came down. My gut told me that surely they’d be worried for me considering I was hiking alone and I am clearly inexperienced with faulty gear.
Though I was successful, I have to admit that they were right to worry and I’ve learned a valuable lesson early on in my hiking experience. I especially realize that I should always try to be where I have said that I’d be.
Luckily, I did have fun and I am not sorry for that. I learned that I hike quite "warm" in very cold weather though in otherwise ideal conditions. I took some pics but in the interest of time while doing my 2nd hike up towards Mt Tom, I took no pics up the trail until I got to the spur junction where I took a pic of the sign. Later, on the summit, I took multiple pics. This because I truly had hoped that if I hurried, I might run into Hikerfast and McRat and we’d come down together.
My pics are here: http://community.webshots.com/album/547798393GkSicR
Please note, I really have learned my lesson but you can lecture me if you’d like and hopefully I won’t be tempted again to stray unecessarily.
Last edited:
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