Neil
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2004
- Messages
- 3,434
- Reaction score
- 487
‘Twas precisely 4:10 am (DST, therefore really 3:10) when we (Mastergrasshopper, Leaf Erickson and I) started up Valley Way. After 5 minutes we put micro-spikes on, found an all-day pace and followed our headlamp beams up the 4000 vertical feet on one of the most perfectly pitched trails I’ve been on in the NE.
At 6:30 we dropped packs (not Leaf) at the hut, put on a layer and chased the sunrise on Mt. Madison. We met Courtney Love on the summit. It was a gorgeous day but a shade nippy at 5F. Our route looked intimidating due to the sheer immensity of what lay before us.
Half way to Adams we broke out of the shadows into brilliant sunshine and stayed in brilliant sunshine for the rest of the day. There was no wind, there were no clouds and there were no other people. The rocks were all filled in with snow and there was a layer of bullet-proof crust or water ice and we crunch crunched with our micro-spikes. We walked on water!
Ascending Jefferson was one of the coolest experiences. Nice grade, just head up and watch the views expand. From the summit you can see the entire route of 7 summits.
The south side of Jefferson was slathered in water ice with little to no snow until Clay, where there was ice on snow again.
On Washington we saw a dozen or more people wearing crampons and carrying snowshoes. We felt like elves with our lighter loads and micro-spikes.
For me the southern Presies were new territory and the route just kept on coming. Up down and around with 5 star views at every compass point. Eisenhower was an unexpected treat. Looking back on it from the open rock between it and Pierce was great.
The low point between Pierce and Eisenhower was similar to nearly all the cols – deeper than it looked from above. Once over Pierce we cranked our engines and made it out at 5:45.
It was our lucky day thanks to Canadian high pressure!
Pictures'll be on-line tomorrow. I'll try and pare down from 150 to 25 or 30.
At 6:30 we dropped packs (not Leaf) at the hut, put on a layer and chased the sunrise on Mt. Madison. We met Courtney Love on the summit. It was a gorgeous day but a shade nippy at 5F. Our route looked intimidating due to the sheer immensity of what lay before us.
Half way to Adams we broke out of the shadows into brilliant sunshine and stayed in brilliant sunshine for the rest of the day. There was no wind, there were no clouds and there were no other people. The rocks were all filled in with snow and there was a layer of bullet-proof crust or water ice and we crunch crunched with our micro-spikes. We walked on water!
Ascending Jefferson was one of the coolest experiences. Nice grade, just head up and watch the views expand. From the summit you can see the entire route of 7 summits.
The south side of Jefferson was slathered in water ice with little to no snow until Clay, where there was ice on snow again.
On Washington we saw a dozen or more people wearing crampons and carrying snowshoes. We felt like elves with our lighter loads and micro-spikes.
For me the southern Presies were new territory and the route just kept on coming. Up down and around with 5 star views at every compass point. Eisenhower was an unexpected treat. Looking back on it from the open rock between it and Pierce was great.
The low point between Pierce and Eisenhower was similar to nearly all the cols – deeper than it looked from above. Once over Pierce we cranked our engines and made it out at 5:45.
It was our lucky day thanks to Canadian high pressure!
Pictures'll be on-line tomorrow. I'll try and pare down from 150 to 25 or 30.
