MarkL
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- Joined
- Nov 14, 2003
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Sunday morning 3/19, I stopped in at the AMC complex in Crawford notch. The forecast for the valleys was for a high in the mid to upper 20's. I hoped to get some up to date trail info, so I asked 3 or 4 employees, but none of them had any current trail info. All I got was the standard conservative (non-political
) advice that I'd better bring the snowshoes. My plan was to try for Pierce, Eisenhower, and Monroe, but settle for P, E, and Jackson if necessary. The evening before, I fancied doing all 4, but that was based on a 6AM starting time.
So at 8:20AM I hit the trail loaded for bear: Snowshoes, crampons, poles, & ax. By the time I got to the Mitzpeh cut-off, I'd run into 1 or 2 people who said snowshoes weren't necessary between Eisenhower and Monroe, the farthest section of trail I was hoping to do. At the jct. with the Webster Tr., just before Mizpeh Hut, I stopped to stash the snowshoes, change into mittens, put on the parka, and eat. I had gotten a bit sweaty, but was not at all warm, and my fingers were cold. I was there over half an hour, and got more chilled, which led to discouragement. Not helping matters any was a report from some people coming from Jackson who said the wind was "bitter". I just didn't feel good, and wondered if there was something wrong with my metabolism, or if I was about to come down with something. I briefly thought about calling the day off and heading back empty handed. But having driven 6 hours to get there and slept out the night before, I couldn't give up that easily. I figured I might as well go for Pierce, another 0.7 mile, and see how I felt after that.
It was a surprise and relief to have my body and hands get comfortably warm for the first time on the hike! On Pierce 3:20 from the t/h, I was feeling just fine, and the wind wasn't as terrible as I'd expected.
I continued on towards Eisenhower, but with the idea that it was minute by minute. If wind exposure started to bring me towards that earlier chilled state, I would turn back immediately. But everything went well, and 1:15 after leaving Pierce I was on Eisenhower. There was no need at all for snowshoes. It was windy up there, but not bitter. so I decided to head for Monroe. Actually, I was going to head for the jct with the trail that went around the SE side of Eisenhower, and see how I felt then. If the chill were to creep back in, I'd take that somewhat sheltered trail back around. But within 50 yds after starting to descend from E., I was revisited by a foot pain from the Santanonis (Adk's) 2 weeks earliler. It only hurt going downhill, but continuing to Monroe meant going down Franklin 2x, and down Monroe once. It would also mean heading 2 more miles away from my car, for a total of an extra 4 miles on an questionable foot. I was ever-mindful that this was all happening in The Presidentials, where I ought not mess around.
So I went back up to the summit of E and headed back to Pierce with the thought of re-evaluating there and maybe going for Jackson. And so I did. The extra descent involved was very gradual, which didn't bother the foot, and it meant only an extra 1.5 miles or so. On the summit of Jackson at 3:57PM, I didn't see a sign for the shorter way down, so another mile or so was added to my exit. However, that may have spared me a steeper, foothurtinger (Is that a German word? ) descent.
I think I got down to Rte. 302 at about 6:40PM. I went back to the AMC center and gave a report to the woman at the desk. "Snowshoes not needed to Eisenhower by my experience, and by reports from 2 others who had come from Monroe or beyond, snowshoes not needed there either. "
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Cannon Mtn. Monday, 3/20/06. Last partial day of Winter.
At the trailhead at 9:05AM, crampons were immediately needed. There were fresh tracks ahead of me, but they went straight where a sign pointed left for the hiking trail. I figured he (size 13 boots) knew this mountain, and I didn't. I followed the sign. The deepest snow I was to encounter these two days was on this next section of trail. All previous tracks were completely blown over, and 2 or 3 narrow drifts were almost 18" high! At the cliffs around 10:20AM, there was a partial view. It had potential, so I decided that even if there's a shorter way down from the top, with any sign that the clouds might lift or thin, I'd go back the same way.
I got to the summit just before 11:00AM. Climbing the tower after removing crampons, it got so windy that I didn't go up the last flight of steps. The door was locked and nobody else was around, so I headed for the ski lodge sighted from the tower. Inside, I ate, drank, and studied the AMC and the ski maps. I especially enjoyed the forceful, hot, hand dryers! My hands had gotten cold towards the top, despite the forecast being a bit warmer than yesterday's. A thermometer at the top of the chair lift said 8F, and it was pretty breezy, so I was able to understand my hands. I opened a fresh handwarmer, changed to mittens, and headed down.
Back to the trailhead at 12:57PM, I got to the car at 1:04, and stepped into the car at 1:12PM. I was mindful of that just in case the notoriously strict AMC rules stipulate that the hike isn't officially over until that last step is taken into the car.
I'd been struggling with my inner wimp a lot this winter, but still managed to get 41 miles of AT, 10 of the ADK 46, and 9 NH 4k's. So for a souvenir, I bought a 12 pack of Moxie.
) advice that I'd better bring the snowshoes. My plan was to try for Pierce, Eisenhower, and Monroe, but settle for P, E, and Jackson if necessary. The evening before, I fancied doing all 4, but that was based on a 6AM starting time. So at 8:20AM I hit the trail loaded for bear: Snowshoes, crampons, poles, & ax. By the time I got to the Mitzpeh cut-off, I'd run into 1 or 2 people who said snowshoes weren't necessary between Eisenhower and Monroe, the farthest section of trail I was hoping to do. At the jct. with the Webster Tr., just before Mizpeh Hut, I stopped to stash the snowshoes, change into mittens, put on the parka, and eat. I had gotten a bit sweaty, but was not at all warm, and my fingers were cold. I was there over half an hour, and got more chilled, which led to discouragement. Not helping matters any was a report from some people coming from Jackson who said the wind was "bitter". I just didn't feel good, and wondered if there was something wrong with my metabolism, or if I was about to come down with something. I briefly thought about calling the day off and heading back empty handed. But having driven 6 hours to get there and slept out the night before, I couldn't give up that easily. I figured I might as well go for Pierce, another 0.7 mile, and see how I felt after that.
It was a surprise and relief to have my body and hands get comfortably warm for the first time on the hike! On Pierce 3:20 from the t/h, I was feeling just fine, and the wind wasn't as terrible as I'd expected.
I continued on towards Eisenhower, but with the idea that it was minute by minute. If wind exposure started to bring me towards that earlier chilled state, I would turn back immediately. But everything went well, and 1:15 after leaving Pierce I was on Eisenhower. There was no need at all for snowshoes. It was windy up there, but not bitter. so I decided to head for Monroe. Actually, I was going to head for the jct with the trail that went around the SE side of Eisenhower, and see how I felt then. If the chill were to creep back in, I'd take that somewhat sheltered trail back around. But within 50 yds after starting to descend from E., I was revisited by a foot pain from the Santanonis (Adk's) 2 weeks earliler. It only hurt going downhill, but continuing to Monroe meant going down Franklin 2x, and down Monroe once. It would also mean heading 2 more miles away from my car, for a total of an extra 4 miles on an questionable foot. I was ever-mindful that this was all happening in The Presidentials, where I ought not mess around.
So I went back up to the summit of E and headed back to Pierce with the thought of re-evaluating there and maybe going for Jackson. And so I did. The extra descent involved was very gradual, which didn't bother the foot, and it meant only an extra 1.5 miles or so. On the summit of Jackson at 3:57PM, I didn't see a sign for the shorter way down, so another mile or so was added to my exit. However, that may have spared me a steeper, foothurtinger (Is that a German word?
) descent. I think I got down to Rte. 302 at about 6:40PM. I went back to the AMC center and gave a report to the woman at the desk. "Snowshoes not needed to Eisenhower by my experience, and by reports from 2 others who had come from Monroe or beyond, snowshoes not needed there either. "
====
Cannon Mtn. Monday, 3/20/06. Last partial day of Winter.
At the trailhead at 9:05AM, crampons were immediately needed. There were fresh tracks ahead of me, but they went straight where a sign pointed left for the hiking trail. I figured he (size 13 boots) knew this mountain, and I didn't. I followed the sign. The deepest snow I was to encounter these two days was on this next section of trail. All previous tracks were completely blown over, and 2 or 3 narrow drifts were almost 18" high!
At the cliffs around 10:20AM, there was a partial view. It had potential, so I decided that even if there's a shorter way down from the top, with any sign that the clouds might lift or thin, I'd go back the same way. I got to the summit just before 11:00AM. Climbing the tower after removing crampons, it got so windy that I didn't go up the last flight of steps. The door was locked and nobody else was around, so I headed for the ski lodge sighted from the tower. Inside, I ate, drank, and studied the AMC and the ski maps. I especially enjoyed the forceful, hot, hand dryers! My hands had gotten cold towards the top, despite the forecast being a bit warmer than yesterday's. A thermometer at the top of the chair lift said 8F, and it was pretty breezy, so I was able to understand my hands. I opened a fresh handwarmer, changed to mittens, and headed down.
Back to the trailhead at 12:57PM, I got to the car at 1:04, and stepped into the car at 1:12PM. I was mindful of that just in case the notoriously strict AMC rules stipulate that the hike isn't officially over until that last step is taken into the car.
I'd been struggling with my inner wimp a lot this winter, but still managed to get 41 miles of AT, 10 of the ADK 46, and 9 NH 4k's. So for a souvenir, I bought a 12 pack of Moxie.
