MadRiver
New member
It sounded so good on paper. We would forgo the usual route to Gray Knob and Crag Camp via Lowe’s Path and instead take Air Line to Short Line to Randolph to Hincks.
The trip started out well enough. We arrived at the Appalachia parking lot around 8:00am grabbed our packs and headed out. The Air Line Trail wasn’t overly packed out. It was as if only one person had come along since the last storm and that person wasn’t wearing snowshoes, so following their footsteps was difficult at best. Eventually that individual turned around so we had to break trail from there on in, which was easier than trying to overlay our snowshoes on his tracks.
Pauline and I took turns breaking trail as we began to ascend the mountain. One issue that would come back to haunt me later was the fact that I was using my old wooden snowshoes and not aluminum snowshoes that I had hiked in two weeks earlier. Although breaking trail in my wooden shoes allowed Pauline and John an easier time than if someone with smaller shoes were breaking trail, it did become a little tiring at times, but I continued as long as my shoes achieved traction.
Eventually we reach some sections of the trail that required some degree of climbing and my snowshoes were not up to the challenge. Even though I had retrofitted my shoes with cleats, the snow was too light and fluffy to allow my shoes to gain a foothold. Each time I attempted to climb, I slid back. The only course of action open to me at this point was to remove my shoes and bare boot up the incline and then put on my shoes again. This ritual was repeated over and over again as I fell far behind John and Pauline.
To add to my already deteriorating strength, the mountain gods saw fit to throw a few spruce traps my way to make certain I was totally wet and exhausted as I crawled my way to Crag Camp. At this point John and Pauline were nowhere in sight so I shouted out a few choice obscenities in their direction for good measure just in case they were within earshot.
My agonizingly slow progress was beginning to sap my strength as my gloves were now frozen solid after repeatedly fighting to get a foot hold in waist deep snow. What should have taken a half hour to traverse was now coming closer to three hours. Given the time of day it was too late to turn back, so I had no alternative but to keep going and hope I make Crag before running out of steam. Since our original plan to summit Adams after arriving at Crag Camp had long since evaporated, my only goal now was just to make it to Crag before nightfall. Yes boys and girls, it was getting that late where nightfall was going to be a consideration, if not a hindrance, in arriving at Crag Camp.
When I finally arrived at Crag Camp at 4:30pm there were welcoming hugs and talk of a rescue being mounted, yet I saw no evidence of that claim. Pauline was safely in her bag trying to get warm and John was doing calisthenics in attempts to warm up as well. I make a couple (ok, a lot) of comments about leaving me to die on the mountain, but eventually let it pass.
I knew in my heart that they would have eventually come looking for me, not out of loyalty or concern mind you, but because I was carrying the stove, fuel, pots, food, and wine. Weather they would have just taken those items out of my pack and left my frozen body on the side of the trail, I cannot say.
One vital piece of information that was never conveyed to Pauline, not out of spite or malice, but just forgetfulness, was that Crag Camp had no heat. Her decision not to accept my wife’s 0 degree down bag instead of her 25 degree synthetic bag would come back to haunt her as she repeatedly tried to warm up. Her space blanket and her bag were not enough to overcome the cold so she just remained in her bag trying to keep warm.
After stripping off my wet clothes and changing into my warmer and dryer clothing, I started to make dinner. My wife had made pot roast for our little adventure in the mountains. Although pot roast is good and hearty, it is also very very heavy. As much as we loved the dinner, dragging it up the side of a mountain in winter with inadequate snowshoes wasn’t the brightest choice of cuisines. Since Pauline was still cold when dinner was ready, I offered her my down bag and furry bomber hat so she would be warm while she had dinner. We all sat and ate while enjoying the views of the ravine as it captured the light of the setting sun.
After dinner the caretaker came over and we chatted for a bit before he headed back to Gray Knob for the evening. One small piece of information that he mentioned in passing was that he headed up Lowe’s Path at 3:30pm after being in an automobile accident earlier in the day. I looked at my watch and realized that he made the trip in an hour and a half, which left me with a sinking feeling. It is not so much I could have ever matched that type of hiking, it was just the vast difference in the trail choices that we made. One lesson that this little misadventure has taught me is always go with your original plan and wooden snowshoes look better on a wall than in the mountains.
During our wine and cheese portion of the evening, Pauline mentioned that she had some chocolates in the bunk room and gave me a look like I would surely go get them rather than make her get out of “my” warm bag. I dutifully obliged and went to retrieve the chocolates but couldn’t help asking out loud “Pauline, are they the chocolates that are next to your feminine hygiene products”? Pauline let out a scream that could have been heard all the way to Gray Knob. I half expect the care taker to show up thinking that there was an emergency.
Around 8:30pm we all got ready for bed. Pauline was in my bag (I didn’t have the heart to ask for it back) with her space blanket, my bomber hat, and her head lamp. She looked like a furry smurf who was about to go spelunking. I asked her about her bedtime gear and she assured me that it was needed in case she had to pee. I mentioned the pee bottle concept, but she declined the offer.
The next morning I made breakfast and we all packed up and cleaned the cabin of all evidence of our stay. Although the cabin was colder than Gray Knob, I did like the roominess and the view of King’s Ravine, so much so we all made plans to return in the warmer months. I did have a fleeting thought of leaving my snowshoes behind as decoration for the cabin, but not without the permission from the caretaker.
We headed out towards Gray Knob around 7:30am wearing our crampons instead of our snowshoes since the trail was so well packed. I briefly stopped at the spring to fill up but my filter would not draw any water into the pump. I tried several times before giving up and heading out. I had a little water from the night before and I knew that we would be off the mountain in 2 ½ hours so I didn’t bother to ask the caretaker if he could spare some water especially after the conversation with him last night about thru-hikers looking for free food. After a brief rest, we headed down Lowe’s Path.
Since it was Saturday and a gorgeous day in the mountains, I knew we would encounter a few people heading to the cabin or Mt. Adams. Little did we realize that we would meet half the northeast hiking population that morning? It started out with two day hikers who said Pauline looked like a little red bear wearing my bomber hat, which didn’t go over too well with Pauline given her only thought at that moment was to get the Hell off the mountain. We next encountered a group of ten or more hikers heading to Gray Knob. We exchanged pleasantries and continued down the mountain.
Somewhere after the third large group had gone by one of the guys said to me “that gal needs to warm up”. Initially I wasn’t sure if he meant that Pauline was cold or just not friendly. I mentioned this to Pauline when we reach the road and she said she gave hellos to the first and second group of ten but by the time she reached the third and fourth group of ten she was fresh out of hellos. I can see her point. Each time we met a group we would try and step off the trail without going up to our waist in snow. I realize that since we were only three, it was easier for us to yield than a group of ten. However, by the fifth or sixth group, you started getting a little tired.
As the fates would have it, we reached the road 2 ½ hours after leaving Crag Camp. I half expected Pauline to ask me why it took so long to get to Crag Camp the day before and so soon to get out. I’m thankful she didn’t ask because I was too tired for the explanation. After buying some water at Lowe’s store we sent Pauline off to hitch a ride to John’s car that was parked at Appalachia. Ten minutes later she arrived back at the store and we headed home.
The trip started out well enough. We arrived at the Appalachia parking lot around 8:00am grabbed our packs and headed out. The Air Line Trail wasn’t overly packed out. It was as if only one person had come along since the last storm and that person wasn’t wearing snowshoes, so following their footsteps was difficult at best. Eventually that individual turned around so we had to break trail from there on in, which was easier than trying to overlay our snowshoes on his tracks.
Pauline and I took turns breaking trail as we began to ascend the mountain. One issue that would come back to haunt me later was the fact that I was using my old wooden snowshoes and not aluminum snowshoes that I had hiked in two weeks earlier. Although breaking trail in my wooden shoes allowed Pauline and John an easier time than if someone with smaller shoes were breaking trail, it did become a little tiring at times, but I continued as long as my shoes achieved traction.
Eventually we reach some sections of the trail that required some degree of climbing and my snowshoes were not up to the challenge. Even though I had retrofitted my shoes with cleats, the snow was too light and fluffy to allow my shoes to gain a foothold. Each time I attempted to climb, I slid back. The only course of action open to me at this point was to remove my shoes and bare boot up the incline and then put on my shoes again. This ritual was repeated over and over again as I fell far behind John and Pauline.
To add to my already deteriorating strength, the mountain gods saw fit to throw a few spruce traps my way to make certain I was totally wet and exhausted as I crawled my way to Crag Camp. At this point John and Pauline were nowhere in sight so I shouted out a few choice obscenities in their direction for good measure just in case they were within earshot.
My agonizingly slow progress was beginning to sap my strength as my gloves were now frozen solid after repeatedly fighting to get a foot hold in waist deep snow. What should have taken a half hour to traverse was now coming closer to three hours. Given the time of day it was too late to turn back, so I had no alternative but to keep going and hope I make Crag before running out of steam. Since our original plan to summit Adams after arriving at Crag Camp had long since evaporated, my only goal now was just to make it to Crag before nightfall. Yes boys and girls, it was getting that late where nightfall was going to be a consideration, if not a hindrance, in arriving at Crag Camp.
When I finally arrived at Crag Camp at 4:30pm there were welcoming hugs and talk of a rescue being mounted, yet I saw no evidence of that claim. Pauline was safely in her bag trying to get warm and John was doing calisthenics in attempts to warm up as well. I make a couple (ok, a lot) of comments about leaving me to die on the mountain, but eventually let it pass.
I knew in my heart that they would have eventually come looking for me, not out of loyalty or concern mind you, but because I was carrying the stove, fuel, pots, food, and wine. Weather they would have just taken those items out of my pack and left my frozen body on the side of the trail, I cannot say.
One vital piece of information that was never conveyed to Pauline, not out of spite or malice, but just forgetfulness, was that Crag Camp had no heat. Her decision not to accept my wife’s 0 degree down bag instead of her 25 degree synthetic bag would come back to haunt her as she repeatedly tried to warm up. Her space blanket and her bag were not enough to overcome the cold so she just remained in her bag trying to keep warm.
After stripping off my wet clothes and changing into my warmer and dryer clothing, I started to make dinner. My wife had made pot roast for our little adventure in the mountains. Although pot roast is good and hearty, it is also very very heavy. As much as we loved the dinner, dragging it up the side of a mountain in winter with inadequate snowshoes wasn’t the brightest choice of cuisines. Since Pauline was still cold when dinner was ready, I offered her my down bag and furry bomber hat so she would be warm while she had dinner. We all sat and ate while enjoying the views of the ravine as it captured the light of the setting sun.
After dinner the caretaker came over and we chatted for a bit before he headed back to Gray Knob for the evening. One small piece of information that he mentioned in passing was that he headed up Lowe’s Path at 3:30pm after being in an automobile accident earlier in the day. I looked at my watch and realized that he made the trip in an hour and a half, which left me with a sinking feeling. It is not so much I could have ever matched that type of hiking, it was just the vast difference in the trail choices that we made. One lesson that this little misadventure has taught me is always go with your original plan and wooden snowshoes look better on a wall than in the mountains.
During our wine and cheese portion of the evening, Pauline mentioned that she had some chocolates in the bunk room and gave me a look like I would surely go get them rather than make her get out of “my” warm bag. I dutifully obliged and went to retrieve the chocolates but couldn’t help asking out loud “Pauline, are they the chocolates that are next to your feminine hygiene products”? Pauline let out a scream that could have been heard all the way to Gray Knob. I half expect the care taker to show up thinking that there was an emergency.
Around 8:30pm we all got ready for bed. Pauline was in my bag (I didn’t have the heart to ask for it back) with her space blanket, my bomber hat, and her head lamp. She looked like a furry smurf who was about to go spelunking. I asked her about her bedtime gear and she assured me that it was needed in case she had to pee. I mentioned the pee bottle concept, but she declined the offer.
The next morning I made breakfast and we all packed up and cleaned the cabin of all evidence of our stay. Although the cabin was colder than Gray Knob, I did like the roominess and the view of King’s Ravine, so much so we all made plans to return in the warmer months. I did have a fleeting thought of leaving my snowshoes behind as decoration for the cabin, but not without the permission from the caretaker.
We headed out towards Gray Knob around 7:30am wearing our crampons instead of our snowshoes since the trail was so well packed. I briefly stopped at the spring to fill up but my filter would not draw any water into the pump. I tried several times before giving up and heading out. I had a little water from the night before and I knew that we would be off the mountain in 2 ½ hours so I didn’t bother to ask the caretaker if he could spare some water especially after the conversation with him last night about thru-hikers looking for free food. After a brief rest, we headed down Lowe’s Path.
Since it was Saturday and a gorgeous day in the mountains, I knew we would encounter a few people heading to the cabin or Mt. Adams. Little did we realize that we would meet half the northeast hiking population that morning? It started out with two day hikers who said Pauline looked like a little red bear wearing my bomber hat, which didn’t go over too well with Pauline given her only thought at that moment was to get the Hell off the mountain. We next encountered a group of ten or more hikers heading to Gray Knob. We exchanged pleasantries and continued down the mountain.
Somewhere after the third large group had gone by one of the guys said to me “that gal needs to warm up”. Initially I wasn’t sure if he meant that Pauline was cold or just not friendly. I mentioned this to Pauline when we reach the road and she said she gave hellos to the first and second group of ten but by the time she reached the third and fourth group of ten she was fresh out of hellos. I can see her point. Each time we met a group we would try and step off the trail without going up to our waist in snow. I realize that since we were only three, it was easier for us to yield than a group of ten. However, by the fifth or sixth group, you started getting a little tired.
As the fates would have it, we reached the road 2 ½ hours after leaving Crag Camp. I half expected Pauline to ask me why it took so long to get to Crag Camp the day before and so soon to get out. I’m thankful she didn’t ask because I was too tired for the explanation. After buying some water at Lowe’s store we sent Pauline off to hitch a ride to John’s car that was parked at Appalachia. Ten minutes later she arrived back at the store and we headed home.
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