Roxi
Active member
Skookumchuck Trail 12/3/2005
Sticks gets really excited when it snows and suggested
hiking the Skookumchuck trail this past Saturday. I hadn’t
hiked that trail before, but Sticks knows what I like,
so I knew I was in for a treat. After a two hour
drive, we were on the trailhead at 8:35. It was 21
degrees at the bottom, and no human foot prints in the
newly fallen snow ahead of us. The trail was
beautiful! We attached snowshoes to our packs just in
case.
After a short jaunt through the woods on fairly level
ground, the trail turned left to follow the
Skookumchuck Brook. Icicles shaped like blown-glass
crystals and just as beautiful hung from branches
across the brook. A long large branch, with a knot
toward one end stared at us like a river dragon with
icy whiskers hanging down along his serpentine neck.
The sound of rushing water penetrated the quiet of the
snow covered forest. I was mesmerized! Had it not been
for the cold temperatures, now 19 degrees and falling,
I could have stayed there for hours!
Sticks, being taller, has a longer stride than I do.
So navigating water crossings took me more time. I am
grateful that he pointed out the wide wooden bridge
which I was more than willing to walk a few extra
steps for! He also wisely suggested a turn around time
for us, and noted that we would probably not make the
ridge before turning back. Having hiked with him
several times since September, I’ve come to appreciate
his knowledge and experience, and trust his judgment.
We noticed many fresh moose and rabbit tracks along
the trail, crossing it at various places. As we peered
through the snow covered trees looking for the makers
of the tracks, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being
watched, although we saw nothing. There were several
blow downs along the trail, but nothing impassable.
Both of us experienced white “showers” as we passed
under numerous evergreens laden with powdery snow.
We hiked about 4 miles in and made it to the top of
where we could see the ridge a short distance ahead of
us. At that point it was a little past 11 am, 10
degrees, and I was tired. I’m not new to hiking in the
snow as I hike North Pack every month of the year, and
I have also hiked Mount Monadnock in the winter, but
hiking the western part of our state is not like
hiking the northern part! The Skookumchuck trail was
in good condition, but it still took more energy and
effort to hike in snow which increased in depth as we
went up, adjust for the inevitable slippage, and take
care coming down. As I looked at the ridge, I thought,
I could push myself and make it to the top, but I will
have no energy left to come back down. Sticks could
have made it to the top. He is a better/faster hiker
than I am, but he is gracious enough to slow down for
me, and has never made me feel that I am slow. He said
his toes were cold and that he was tired too. His
mustache was starting to have icicles and his boots
had some interesting ice balls hanging off the laces.
My hair, where it was sticking out from under my hat,
was completely frozen! So a joint decision was made to
turn around and grab a bite to eat on our way down.
The wind had gradually increased during the day, so it
took us until we reached the brook again before we
were able to stop somewhere out of the wind. On the
way down we met another hiker coming up, the only
other soul we saw on the trail. “Lunch” was quick. The
cool thing about chocolate is that even though it gets
stiff when cold, it melts so nicely in the mouth. The
partially frozen cherries were also good and if I had
brought some yogurt, I probably could have made a
hiker’s version of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia frozen
yogurt! *grin*
My LL Bean Cresta hiking boots kept my toes warm, but
by this point my fingers were cold. I pulled out my
heavier EMS gortex jacket, zipped it on and stuck my
gloved hands in the pockets for most of the trip back.
As my fingers thawed out, I thought, “I LOVE this
jacket! I need a much lighter version, but right now I
am SO GLAD I brought this jacket!”
Back at the car we stripped off the outer layers and
struggled to take off our boots that were now totally
caked in ice and frozen dirt. My laces were welded to
my hiking pants! We cranked up the heat as we drove
home, and it was some distance south of Franconia
Notch before the last icicle left my hair. Many thanks
to Sticks again for a wonderful hike on a beautiful
trail.
Sticks gets really excited when it snows and suggested
hiking the Skookumchuck trail this past Saturday. I hadn’t
hiked that trail before, but Sticks knows what I like,
so I knew I was in for a treat. After a two hour
drive, we were on the trailhead at 8:35. It was 21
degrees at the bottom, and no human foot prints in the
newly fallen snow ahead of us. The trail was
beautiful! We attached snowshoes to our packs just in
case.
After a short jaunt through the woods on fairly level
ground, the trail turned left to follow the
Skookumchuck Brook. Icicles shaped like blown-glass
crystals and just as beautiful hung from branches
across the brook. A long large branch, with a knot
toward one end stared at us like a river dragon with
icy whiskers hanging down along his serpentine neck.
The sound of rushing water penetrated the quiet of the
snow covered forest. I was mesmerized! Had it not been
for the cold temperatures, now 19 degrees and falling,
I could have stayed there for hours!
Sticks, being taller, has a longer stride than I do.
So navigating water crossings took me more time. I am
grateful that he pointed out the wide wooden bridge
which I was more than willing to walk a few extra
steps for! He also wisely suggested a turn around time
for us, and noted that we would probably not make the
ridge before turning back. Having hiked with him
several times since September, I’ve come to appreciate
his knowledge and experience, and trust his judgment.
We noticed many fresh moose and rabbit tracks along
the trail, crossing it at various places. As we peered
through the snow covered trees looking for the makers
of the tracks, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being
watched, although we saw nothing. There were several
blow downs along the trail, but nothing impassable.
Both of us experienced white “showers” as we passed
under numerous evergreens laden with powdery snow.
We hiked about 4 miles in and made it to the top of
where we could see the ridge a short distance ahead of
us. At that point it was a little past 11 am, 10
degrees, and I was tired. I’m not new to hiking in the
snow as I hike North Pack every month of the year, and
I have also hiked Mount Monadnock in the winter, but
hiking the western part of our state is not like
hiking the northern part! The Skookumchuck trail was
in good condition, but it still took more energy and
effort to hike in snow which increased in depth as we
went up, adjust for the inevitable slippage, and take
care coming down. As I looked at the ridge, I thought,
I could push myself and make it to the top, but I will
have no energy left to come back down. Sticks could
have made it to the top. He is a better/faster hiker
than I am, but he is gracious enough to slow down for
me, and has never made me feel that I am slow. He said
his toes were cold and that he was tired too. His
mustache was starting to have icicles and his boots
had some interesting ice balls hanging off the laces.
My hair, where it was sticking out from under my hat,
was completely frozen! So a joint decision was made to
turn around and grab a bite to eat on our way down.
The wind had gradually increased during the day, so it
took us until we reached the brook again before we
were able to stop somewhere out of the wind. On the
way down we met another hiker coming up, the only
other soul we saw on the trail. “Lunch” was quick. The
cool thing about chocolate is that even though it gets
stiff when cold, it melts so nicely in the mouth. The
partially frozen cherries were also good and if I had
brought some yogurt, I probably could have made a
hiker’s version of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia frozen
yogurt! *grin*
My LL Bean Cresta hiking boots kept my toes warm, but
by this point my fingers were cold. I pulled out my
heavier EMS gortex jacket, zipped it on and stuck my
gloved hands in the pockets for most of the trip back.
As my fingers thawed out, I thought, “I LOVE this
jacket! I need a much lighter version, but right now I
am SO GLAD I brought this jacket!”
Back at the car we stripped off the outer layers and
struggled to take off our boots that were now totally
caked in ice and frozen dirt. My laces were welded to
my hiking pants! We cranked up the heat as we drove
home, and it was some distance south of Franconia
Notch before the last icicle left my hair. Many thanks
to Sticks again for a wonderful hike on a beautiful
trail.
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