onestep
New member
Saturday 04-07-07
Pliny Mtn – 3606’. After having AAA pull me back onto the Ingerson Road, and finally finding a safe place to park my off-road-Taurus, I started hiking North up the old Priscilla Brook Trail. The first mile and a half of this discontinued trail is actually an old logging road. A lot of blow downs have fallen across the ‘trail’. That and a foot of fresh powder made for interesting snowshoeing.
The old road eventually peters out as it starts to swing towards the East. From there on up to the col on the North side of Pliny I more or less followed the old trail through open woods. Occasional bits of old flagging confirmed I was on course.
From the col to the summit is a beautiful open woods bushwhack! It really doesn’t get any easier than this. I arrived at the well defined wooded summit and started my search for the jar. I was told that it was missing… but I was also told that last year it was hanging on a tree that was leaning at a 45 degree angle and “once that tree falls, you’ll never find the jar.” Well, putting these facts together I concluded that the jar must be somewhere along the large fallen and mostly buried tree whose roots mark the highpoint. After a little bit of snow removal there it was… buried under a foot of snow and attached to the side of the tree! I was unable to remove the PVC canister to re-hang it.
Once back to my car I headed over to hike Mt Martha (Cherry Mtn) – 3563’ via the Cherry Mtn trail on Rt 115. The parking lot at the trail head was not plowed out. Traffic on 115 was light, so I positioned my car perpendicular across 115 and made a running start up the unplowed access road. You’d think after this mornings ‘incident’ I’d be more prudent…
The Cherry Mtn trail was not broken out. A foot of powder over a hard base made for good snowshoeing. There where only a couple of blow downs along the trail, easy to duck under. At 1.5 miles I reached the junction with the side trail leading up to the summit. I was surprised to see that that this was a well used snowmobile trail! I would meet two snow machines on my way up. Phew.
Sunday 04-08-07
After spending the night in N Conway, JimC & I headed out to ‘whack Mt Kancamagus – 3763’. We discussed several routes up the mountain and decided on a direct shot up from the Kanc. We started at a point approx 1 mile west of Lily Pond, on the W side of the stream that drains the col south of the summit. We ascended the shoulder of the ridge through mostly open woods. We crossed 2 rather thick spruce bands on our way up, neither of which lasted very long.
The snow was deep and the upper terrain steep. It took us several hours to reach the summit. In between snow showers the day was blue-bird-sky beautiful; the company was great, what better way spend a day!?
We found the canister and signed in. As Mark previously reported the canister is new and well designed! We signed in and headed back down following and glissading our tracks through the powder. What a blast! Thanks Jim!!
Pictures here
Onestep
Pliny Mtn – 3606’. After having AAA pull me back onto the Ingerson Road, and finally finding a safe place to park my off-road-Taurus, I started hiking North up the old Priscilla Brook Trail. The first mile and a half of this discontinued trail is actually an old logging road. A lot of blow downs have fallen across the ‘trail’. That and a foot of fresh powder made for interesting snowshoeing.
The old road eventually peters out as it starts to swing towards the East. From there on up to the col on the North side of Pliny I more or less followed the old trail through open woods. Occasional bits of old flagging confirmed I was on course.
From the col to the summit is a beautiful open woods bushwhack! It really doesn’t get any easier than this. I arrived at the well defined wooded summit and started my search for the jar. I was told that it was missing… but I was also told that last year it was hanging on a tree that was leaning at a 45 degree angle and “once that tree falls, you’ll never find the jar.” Well, putting these facts together I concluded that the jar must be somewhere along the large fallen and mostly buried tree whose roots mark the highpoint. After a little bit of snow removal there it was… buried under a foot of snow and attached to the side of the tree! I was unable to remove the PVC canister to re-hang it.
Once back to my car I headed over to hike Mt Martha (Cherry Mtn) – 3563’ via the Cherry Mtn trail on Rt 115. The parking lot at the trail head was not plowed out. Traffic on 115 was light, so I positioned my car perpendicular across 115 and made a running start up the unplowed access road. You’d think after this mornings ‘incident’ I’d be more prudent…
The Cherry Mtn trail was not broken out. A foot of powder over a hard base made for good snowshoeing. There where only a couple of blow downs along the trail, easy to duck under. At 1.5 miles I reached the junction with the side trail leading up to the summit. I was surprised to see that that this was a well used snowmobile trail! I would meet two snow machines on my way up. Phew.
Sunday 04-08-07
After spending the night in N Conway, JimC & I headed out to ‘whack Mt Kancamagus – 3763’. We discussed several routes up the mountain and decided on a direct shot up from the Kanc. We started at a point approx 1 mile west of Lily Pond, on the W side of the stream that drains the col south of the summit. We ascended the shoulder of the ridge through mostly open woods. We crossed 2 rather thick spruce bands on our way up, neither of which lasted very long.
The snow was deep and the upper terrain steep. It took us several hours to reach the summit. In between snow showers the day was blue-bird-sky beautiful; the company was great, what better way spend a day!?
We found the canister and signed in. As Mark previously reported the canister is new and well designed! We signed in and headed back down following and glissading our tracks through the powder. What a blast! Thanks Jim!!
Pictures here
Onestep
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