Double Bow
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- Apr 29, 2005
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Not one to slow down just because I finished the 48, on Friday I went with Gator, Zak, Kathy, and Tucker the Hiking Hound to do the Hancocks, a mere 39 days after having done them for the first time. This was strictly for social reasons (although doing it in a different month and season IS kind of cool and). Kathy and Zak had also done them before but Gator and Tucker needed them for their lists. It turns out that they both have the same number left. It may be a photo finish!
We had a late start time. We had planned to meet at 10:30 but, we weren't actually all together until 11 and that's when we hit the trail. The rain we had driving uo made us wonder if we would get dumped on or not. When I did them on May 30th, it was a cold, wet, spring day with no views. I was hoping that my "summer climb" of them would be different. Fortunately for us all, it was. It wound up being nice and dry and we did have views (albiet hazy ones) and the water crossings were MUCH easier! That was a blessing.
We went up the south loop since that was what I had done before and I had been there the most recently. We are all pretty strong hikers but, that grade sure can slow you down! Glad to reach the south peak, we took in the view from the lookout and chilled out for a few minutes enjoying a snack. We then cruised across the ridge to the north peak and checked out the view from the lookout there, which I hadn't bothered going to in May. It was very nice.
On the way down the north loop, we stopped suddenly when we saw an area with some trees that had recently been broken in half and saw a wench and cable system set up. Off the trail about ten feet, we saw a tarp and a hard hat. We called over and heard no responce. Zak went over to investigate this strange sight. If I've learned anything from TV and the movies, I know not to do that and that when you see a hard hat like that, there's usually a severed head in it!
Strangely enough, that was not the case this time.
Zak told us that the hard hat and equipment under the tarp said "AMC Trail Crew". We were able to figure out that the wench was being used to move boulders and that the trees had been destroyed to access the boulders and get them out to the trail. The trail was certainly in need of work, it being so badly eroded.
A little farther down, on the side of a tree you could only see if you were coming up that way, we saw a sign warning that trail work was going on Monday through Friday and that hikers should not proceed due to serious risk of severe injury or death! it also had a phone number to call if you had questions. A sign like this might have been helpful at the trailhead! Although there wasn't a head in the hard hat, it was Friday and so the crew should have been there. It made us wonder where they were and what might have happened to them...
The rest of the hike was uneventful (aside from the mad dash across the Kanc) and we all made it safely back to our cars and then to the Woodstock Inn for dinner. Hopefully, the trail crew also made it back to their cars.
A big congrats to Gator and Tucker on a job well done! You will be done before you know it!!
We had a late start time. We had planned to meet at 10:30 but, we weren't actually all together until 11 and that's when we hit the trail. The rain we had driving uo made us wonder if we would get dumped on or not. When I did them on May 30th, it was a cold, wet, spring day with no views. I was hoping that my "summer climb" of them would be different. Fortunately for us all, it was. It wound up being nice and dry and we did have views (albiet hazy ones) and the water crossings were MUCH easier! That was a blessing.
We went up the south loop since that was what I had done before and I had been there the most recently. We are all pretty strong hikers but, that grade sure can slow you down! Glad to reach the south peak, we took in the view from the lookout and chilled out for a few minutes enjoying a snack. We then cruised across the ridge to the north peak and checked out the view from the lookout there, which I hadn't bothered going to in May. It was very nice.
On the way down the north loop, we stopped suddenly when we saw an area with some trees that had recently been broken in half and saw a wench and cable system set up. Off the trail about ten feet, we saw a tarp and a hard hat. We called over and heard no responce. Zak went over to investigate this strange sight. If I've learned anything from TV and the movies, I know not to do that and that when you see a hard hat like that, there's usually a severed head in it!
Strangely enough, that was not the case this time.Zak told us that the hard hat and equipment under the tarp said "AMC Trail Crew". We were able to figure out that the wench was being used to move boulders and that the trees had been destroyed to access the boulders and get them out to the trail. The trail was certainly in need of work, it being so badly eroded.
A little farther down, on the side of a tree you could only see if you were coming up that way, we saw a sign warning that trail work was going on Monday through Friday and that hikers should not proceed due to serious risk of severe injury or death!
it also had a phone number to call if you had questions. A sign like this might have been helpful at the trailhead! Although there wasn't a head in the hard hat, it was Friday and so the crew should have been there. It made us wonder where they were and what might have happened to them...The rest of the hike was uneventful (aside from the mad dash across the Kanc) and we all made it safely back to our cars and then to the Woodstock Inn for dinner. Hopefully, the trail crew also made it back to their cars.
A big congrats to Gator and Tucker on a job well done! You will be done before you know it!!
