Sometimes hiking isn't for the view from the top

[Toe Cozy]

Haven't ever posted a trip report before and I'm not sure this is really worthy of a post now. But I had such a great day outside yesterday (as I'm sure many others did too! What weather! The return of winter is gonna be a shock) and I wanted to share it.

I headed over to Ascutney Mtn in VT, right off exit 8. It's not on any lists that I know of. (I'm not a list person) I don't have any snowshoes or crampons yet so I knew I might not get very far in my walk, but I didn't care, I just wanted to be outside. I took the Weathersfield trail since it's on the south side of the mountain and I really was looking for warmth and sun. I only made it about a 1/2 mile before it was solid ice and not safely passable to my eye. Not ready to leave yet, obviously, I checked out the cool chasm filled with hanging ice and the way the light and shadows played off of it and I listened to the sounds of the water dripping as the snow and ice melted quickly in the strong sun. Then I sat for a bit on a rock and looked around. I noticed a small tree off to my right that had been curiously debarked in certain places. Having recently read some of a book about tracking animals, I'm certain it was evidence of a porcupine having a snack all the way up the tree. I had fun picturing it's lumbering body perched in this skinny tree nibbling away. I moved on from this spot back down the trail until I saw some tracks to follow and I headed off in their direction. Soon I came upon what was clearly a well used animal trail a little ways from the "people" trail. i followed this up for a bit to a rock overhang where there was skeletal remains of something and some scat. That was cool. Sat well off the trail on this huge open rock with the afternoon sun beating down on me. Sat in my shirt sleeves and bare feet for a good while. Didn't leave for about almost 2 hours. I read, I thought, I did nothing but be outside alone. It wasn't a view from the top this time, but being out there isn't always about that, is it?

Hope everyone had a great weekend outside!!! What a gem!

Toe Cozy

 

[Panama Jack]

Nice one

Now thats wat i talkin bout!

 

[MattC]

I climbed three Catskill peaks this weekend and had a blast. The views were great, but I found myself thinking at times that views can actually get boring after a while. The Blackhead Range is remarkable, but after seeing it from the 20th different angle in about a month, well...

The coolest thing I saw all weekend was ice. The huge blue ice floe we saw on Sugarloaf, and the amazing ice wall (w/climbers) on my drives through Kaaterskill Clove. I've been dying to see some wildlife, but all I saw all weekend was snow fleas and a few birds.

On my way back down Windham High Peak today, I encountered a 60ish woman who was resting about half a mile from the trailhead. She was headed to the Elm Ridge lean-to, which is just 1.3 miles in. Here I am thinking "Okay, that's 10 winter Catskill peaks I've now done" and here's a person who just couldn't care less about lists or views. She was perfectly happy to just walk a couple of miles in the woods. Hey, hike your own hike...

Matt

 

[Rick]

We have a 4 year old, so I have been slowing down quite a bit since the end of '99. however, I still try to get mini adventures as much as possible. I skied up the Admin road to Wachusett today. The sky was spectacular, I turned around at one point and saw the Mondnadnock massif with a haze of pink around it and it was achingly beautiful. It was just an incredibly beautiful day.

Clambered up the rocks at the edge of a vista and just sat there for a while in the sun soaking it all in. On the way home a couple of miles form the trailhead, I passed a house and everybody was playing outside and a few folks were sitting in the sun relaxing in lawn chairs - I thought to myself, these are the days you tuck away and cherish for the rest of your life - When I think of Wachusett years from now, this wil be one of the memories.
I too, hope all had a wonderful weekend.

 

[Jay H]

Take a drive down Rt 23A near the Falls for some nice hanging ice. I think I did see some ice climbers on that wall there once before.

Had a great Saturday, thanks Toe Cozy. Today, I caught up on some things I had to do and put my commuter bike back together. Didn't do much besides recover from yesterday. Was supposed to go out to lunch/dinner but that didn't happen.

Jay

 

[carole]

I agree

Some of my favorite places are not the summits but the valleys. I visited a new one yesterday (Downes Brook) and found the valley walls stunning as you looked up through the bare and sometimes knarly trees to the rich blue sky. The trail follows the brook most of the way and the ice formations were amazing. Some rocks looked like they had hugh mushrooms (of ice) growing up from them and that you could just sit on one and soak in the day. Hearing the water rushing under you as you crossed the ice was intimidating but the colors of the ice facinating. The immense slides of the side of Whiteface were quite beautiful. Hiking up out of the shadow into the warm sunshine was a treat. And seeing my car at the end of the day was a sight for tired feet!

 

[Doc McPeak]

Well voiced. Just being out in the woods at any altitiude is where it's at.

That said, climbing Haystack and Basin on this past impeccable Saturday was indeed what "views from the top" could be listed as in the dictionary. Snacking on Little Haystack in February with bare hands, no hat, and my jacket open? Then climbing Basin in my base layer!? Amazing. Inspected some nice blue ice up close and personal while whacking down the Coop to round out all visual aspects to my little (okay long) Adirondack walkabout.

It was fun to sit on the HOT rocks atop Lil Haystack and watch the ice bubble away and trickle down the rocks. Nice to see so many made it out!