--M.
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,220
- Reaction score
- 83
I had a 24-hour pass on Saturday and was looking for a view from inside the Pemi, and so I waited and checked for the results of last week's storm: what a mess! I ended up with an up-&-back to Mt. Willey, from the south (Ethan Pond side). What I had really wanted was to be high in the Eastern Pemi and ski Ethan Pond and then maybe come out through Carrigain Notch, but it was not to be. So I made lemonade with Willey, and it turned out really sweet!
Weather: There was previous snow on the ground (probably even skiable), with a fresh breakable crust, for a total of about six to eight inches at the road to between 18 and 24 inches at the top. There was a beautiful ice glaze over everything; the storm damage was really pretty limited this far north. Lots of trees were glazed, bent over and some broken, but nothing like above and below the NH/MA border.
It had been around 0*F Saturday night (beautiful full-moon opportunities!) and held around 15* much of the morning. The sky was hazier than I expected and it kept the temps down. Visibility, however, was very good, and peekaboo views down the valley spurred me on to the top. It warmed and loosened up somewhat in the afternoon and the water and ice combo made for some tricky footing. I spilled on my ass twice, but with no harm done. Water was very high everywhere in the region (did you see the Merrimack in Manchester?! Wow.), and these trails were no exception. There are no serious crossings on these particular routes, though, so no biggie.
At the top, the wind was enough to invoke the No-Exposed-Skin Rule, and I broke out the goggles and balaclava. I have to admit, it feels a little silly getting all dolled up like that, breathing like Darth Vader and having both ears and eyes covered. I took a ton of photos, and the two outlooks are incredible. There's a real bonus in viewing the same region from multiple peaks; each new view adds so much to the personal library.
Trails: There was an AMC group in front of me who had broken things out to Ethan Pond and up the Willey Range Trail. I finally met them at the parking area on the way out. They reported that one of their number had sprained an ankle, but that they had been able to get out on their own. The trail was broken out with bare boots & what looked like Microspikes. Given the conditions, I didn't feel any ADK-ness about foot-wear and bare-booted until the steep parts around the ladders. I finally broke in a pair of crampons given me last year (thank you very much), and was instantly reminded of the dangers of having Ginsu knives strapped to one's feet: I guess I'll get those new rain-pants after all! I had snowshoes strapped on the pack, and Stabilicers inside it, but never used either. Whether to carry snowshoes is a tricky proposition, but I guess I did the right thing.
There were a few blowdowns to negotiate, especially a pair of over-unders up high, but nothing too bad. As a matter of fact, I think even these two were pre-existing. They'll require ax-work to clear them out.
The trail overall is in good shape. Between the White Mountain Guide and Steve Smith & Mike Dickerman's "The 4000-Footers of the White Mountains," it seemed going in that most proceed north-to-south on this range, and that it might be a bit tricky going up. This puzzled me, in that I would much rather ascend difficult areas than down-climb them, but it was pretty moot in any case. Yes, the ladders section requires careful attention (and maybe some traction would be smart), but there were no sections that a reasonably fit neophyte couldn't negotiate. One could also crack one's skull coming down for breakfast; just be careful. I kicked a good many steps on those ladders.
The trail from the parking area to the Willey Range Trail junction could conceivably be skied, but it would at least require skins, and coming down would be for experts only, on good snow, as the trail is fairly narrow for its rather steep pitch. I know from our June trip that the Ethan Pond Trail west of the Willey trail is fairly easy and would be great skiing in the right conditions. Please don't trash it when the snow comes in, and let me know when those tracks are nicely set! Skiing it yesterday would have been impossible, at least for me.
Lessons Learned This Time: This trip also turned out to be a big opportunity in this area, for multiple reasons. One of them was food. I AGAIN failed to adequately pre-load both carbs, calories as a whole, and liquids before the hike. I also AGAIN failed to get a good night's sleep, which is another common bugaboo. As a result, I was sluggish and slow for the entire morning. I even briefly considered bailing, given my solo status. But I managed to force-feed enough pepperoni, Snickers and Gatorade to overcome. It was worst just around the ladders, which are somewhat steep and challenging when snowed and glazed over.
I also failed to pre-heat my water, an error I had avoided previously, and near-slushy Gatorade is tough to put down sometimes. This is what happens when you decide you don't need your stove. Next time, I'll remember to preheat and insulate it better.
This recurring food and rest issue also had one other result: cold fingers and toes. I have wintered very happily in my Limmers (and have four different glove/mitten/shell "systems"), but this time around, it took getting all the way to the top to finally get the warmth down to my feet. I even tried chemical toe warmers (also a first), and found that if you actually need 'em that bad, it's not enough. It also is VERY noticeable in the boot, and undoing gaiters and balancing like that is a pain. This all reinforced my view that extremity warmth is as much a function of overall hypothermia issues as it is one of gear choices. That said, I was glad to be able to quickly add & subtract layers (and EAT) to address the situation.
Having and beating these problems is infinitely better than having to bail because of them, and hitting the top really made things come together. I had exactly the right gear for the environment, I had gotten some grub inside, and the views were, well, go see. If I can fix my computer, I'll add a photo later.
Lastly, I also continue to have problems getting from the alarm clock to the trail. I woke up on the Kanc at 6:00 and didn't set foot on the Willey Depot train tracks until almost 8:00. This must improve.
Why We Hike: I expected blue-bird skies after the storm, but it was overcast, with shafts of shining lighting up specific areas. Seeing Carrigain Notch, and an island of sunlight spilling over Mount Lowell, across the notch and up Signal Ridge, gave me exactly what I had come out for. I stood and memorized the eastern Pemi, map and camera in gloved hands, looking out through restricting goggles.
A few years ago, a friend and I did a June trip from Falling Waters to the Osgood tent-sites, and I really wanted to see the high plateau again in winter. While I would have preferred to ski it (did anyone see Thoreau Falls after Thursday's rains?), seeing it from above was transcendent. The high drama of the wind and the silly headgear made it seem childishly fun, and I was in a much better mood as I lingered one last minute on the Pressie side before descending.
I met a guy just as I came off the top and wondered how long before he overtook me on the way down. But, as often happens, my afternoon was stronger than the morning, and it wasn't until the parking lot that he caught up. He asked if I had ever heard of a website called "Views From the Top," 'cause he had discovered it the night before and it had good info on current conditions! Well, I guess now he's famous (right?).
This turned out to be a pretty good trip, if a little bit shoe-horned in (Happy Holidays?). The storm called its own shots as usual, but I was able to make something out of it. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to meet more VFTT-ers (who may have been forced to cancel and clean up storm damage), but I can provide at least a little trail data for them to use the next time around, and, to be honest, I sometimes prefer hiking alone. It was torture starting out weak, but I was pleased to have been there before and know how to get past it.
I also would have preferred to include Field and Tom, but it was plenty for one day, and I still made the drive back to Massachusetts without incident. What in the world is wrong with the Buffalo Bills? I suppose it's better if the Patriots themselves beat the Jets. But can they? I guess we'll tune in and see.
Next month's trip will be a full weekender, hopefully with more snow, but this was a great way to end the hiking year. Good luck getting out there!
--Mike
Weather: There was previous snow on the ground (probably even skiable), with a fresh breakable crust, for a total of about six to eight inches at the road to between 18 and 24 inches at the top. There was a beautiful ice glaze over everything; the storm damage was really pretty limited this far north. Lots of trees were glazed, bent over and some broken, but nothing like above and below the NH/MA border.
It had been around 0*F Saturday night (beautiful full-moon opportunities!) and held around 15* much of the morning. The sky was hazier than I expected and it kept the temps down. Visibility, however, was very good, and peekaboo views down the valley spurred me on to the top. It warmed and loosened up somewhat in the afternoon and the water and ice combo made for some tricky footing. I spilled on my ass twice, but with no harm done. Water was very high everywhere in the region (did you see the Merrimack in Manchester?! Wow.), and these trails were no exception. There are no serious crossings on these particular routes, though, so no biggie.
At the top, the wind was enough to invoke the No-Exposed-Skin Rule, and I broke out the goggles and balaclava. I have to admit, it feels a little silly getting all dolled up like that, breathing like Darth Vader and having both ears and eyes covered. I took a ton of photos, and the two outlooks are incredible. There's a real bonus in viewing the same region from multiple peaks; each new view adds so much to the personal library.
Trails: There was an AMC group in front of me who had broken things out to Ethan Pond and up the Willey Range Trail. I finally met them at the parking area on the way out. They reported that one of their number had sprained an ankle, but that they had been able to get out on their own. The trail was broken out with bare boots & what looked like Microspikes. Given the conditions, I didn't feel any ADK-ness about foot-wear and bare-booted until the steep parts around the ladders. I finally broke in a pair of crampons given me last year (thank you very much), and was instantly reminded of the dangers of having Ginsu knives strapped to one's feet: I guess I'll get those new rain-pants after all! I had snowshoes strapped on the pack, and Stabilicers inside it, but never used either. Whether to carry snowshoes is a tricky proposition, but I guess I did the right thing.
There were a few blowdowns to negotiate, especially a pair of over-unders up high, but nothing too bad. As a matter of fact, I think even these two were pre-existing. They'll require ax-work to clear them out.
The trail overall is in good shape. Between the White Mountain Guide and Steve Smith & Mike Dickerman's "The 4000-Footers of the White Mountains," it seemed going in that most proceed north-to-south on this range, and that it might be a bit tricky going up. This puzzled me, in that I would much rather ascend difficult areas than down-climb them, but it was pretty moot in any case. Yes, the ladders section requires careful attention (and maybe some traction would be smart), but there were no sections that a reasonably fit neophyte couldn't negotiate. One could also crack one's skull coming down for breakfast; just be careful. I kicked a good many steps on those ladders.
The trail from the parking area to the Willey Range Trail junction could conceivably be skied, but it would at least require skins, and coming down would be for experts only, on good snow, as the trail is fairly narrow for its rather steep pitch. I know from our June trip that the Ethan Pond Trail west of the Willey trail is fairly easy and would be great skiing in the right conditions. Please don't trash it when the snow comes in, and let me know when those tracks are nicely set! Skiing it yesterday would have been impossible, at least for me.
Lessons Learned This Time: This trip also turned out to be a big opportunity in this area, for multiple reasons. One of them was food. I AGAIN failed to adequately pre-load both carbs, calories as a whole, and liquids before the hike. I also AGAIN failed to get a good night's sleep, which is another common bugaboo. As a result, I was sluggish and slow for the entire morning. I even briefly considered bailing, given my solo status. But I managed to force-feed enough pepperoni, Snickers and Gatorade to overcome. It was worst just around the ladders, which are somewhat steep and challenging when snowed and glazed over.
I also failed to pre-heat my water, an error I had avoided previously, and near-slushy Gatorade is tough to put down sometimes. This is what happens when you decide you don't need your stove. Next time, I'll remember to preheat and insulate it better.
This recurring food and rest issue also had one other result: cold fingers and toes. I have wintered very happily in my Limmers (and have four different glove/mitten/shell "systems"), but this time around, it took getting all the way to the top to finally get the warmth down to my feet. I even tried chemical toe warmers (also a first), and found that if you actually need 'em that bad, it's not enough. It also is VERY noticeable in the boot, and undoing gaiters and balancing like that is a pain. This all reinforced my view that extremity warmth is as much a function of overall hypothermia issues as it is one of gear choices. That said, I was glad to be able to quickly add & subtract layers (and EAT) to address the situation.
Having and beating these problems is infinitely better than having to bail because of them, and hitting the top really made things come together. I had exactly the right gear for the environment, I had gotten some grub inside, and the views were, well, go see. If I can fix my computer, I'll add a photo later.
Lastly, I also continue to have problems getting from the alarm clock to the trail. I woke up on the Kanc at 6:00 and didn't set foot on the Willey Depot train tracks until almost 8:00. This must improve.
Why We Hike: I expected blue-bird skies after the storm, but it was overcast, with shafts of shining lighting up specific areas. Seeing Carrigain Notch, and an island of sunlight spilling over Mount Lowell, across the notch and up Signal Ridge, gave me exactly what I had come out for. I stood and memorized the eastern Pemi, map and camera in gloved hands, looking out through restricting goggles.
A few years ago, a friend and I did a June trip from Falling Waters to the Osgood tent-sites, and I really wanted to see the high plateau again in winter. While I would have preferred to ski it (did anyone see Thoreau Falls after Thursday's rains?), seeing it from above was transcendent. The high drama of the wind and the silly headgear made it seem childishly fun, and I was in a much better mood as I lingered one last minute on the Pressie side before descending.
I met a guy just as I came off the top and wondered how long before he overtook me on the way down. But, as often happens, my afternoon was stronger than the morning, and it wasn't until the parking lot that he caught up. He asked if I had ever heard of a website called "Views From the Top," 'cause he had discovered it the night before and it had good info on current conditions! Well, I guess now he's famous (right?).
This turned out to be a pretty good trip, if a little bit shoe-horned in (Happy Holidays?). The storm called its own shots as usual, but I was able to make something out of it. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to meet more VFTT-ers (who may have been forced to cancel and clean up storm damage), but I can provide at least a little trail data for them to use the next time around, and, to be honest, I sometimes prefer hiking alone. It was torture starting out weak, but I was pleased to have been there before and know how to get past it.
I also would have preferred to include Field and Tom, but it was plenty for one day, and I still made the drive back to Massachusetts without incident. What in the world is wrong with the Buffalo Bills? I suppose it's better if the Patriots themselves beat the Jets. But can they? I guess we'll tune in and see.
Next month's trip will be a full weekender, hopefully with more snow, but this was a great way to end the hiking year. Good luck getting out there!
--Mike
