Sometimes I just have to wonder what people are thinking

[Sematary]

Since Monadnock is the closest mountain of any reasonable size or difficulty to me, I hike there fairly often because it's the most convenient place to go. I am forever amazed (and I shouldn't be) by some of the things I see when I go there - whether it be winter (like this last Wednesday) or summer. In this instance, I was descending via the White Dot when I saw first a teenage boy then the woman I think was his mother, followed by two more teenagers (one boy, one girl) and not a single one with a set of microspikes or any other real gear between them. And this was definitely a hike that required a decent set of microspikes. The ice was too thin for anything else but icy it was on virtually all surfaces. So here's this lady leading her little pack (I say leading but they were all kind of going different paces) with basic cold weather gear but I don't even remember them having backpacks so they probably didn't bring additional clothing and it was frigid at the summit - easily around zero degrees. I just have to think that that had to be a terrifying trip down as coming up and using trees, etc... to surmount icy areas is one thing. Going down is a completely different animal.
Then, of course, there were the two young men I saw further down dressed in shorts and long sleeve shorts. They definitely didn't have additional gear for the cold and the base was in the 30's so comfortable. I'm sure that was an interesting hike as well.

But, like I said, every season I see the weirdest crap - flip flops, sandals - flip flops and sandals?
I know that Monadnock isn't as tall as most of the peaks in the Whites but holy moly.....

 

[SherpaTom]

Jeans, sweatshirts, yup...I just shake my head

 

[jrbren]

The moral of this story is stay off the White Dot trail.

 

[Nutsosa]

I went up Lafayette on 12/26. The temperature wasn't bad, but the wind was howling. From the hut to the summit, the wind was strong enough that I had to lean into it. A few gusts were so strong I had to take a knee and wait for it to pass. On my way back down, two guys were just starting up from the hut towards the summit . . . one was wearing jeans.

 

[Sematary]

The moral of this story is stay off the White Dot trail.

Well, it is the steepest climb on the mountain and generally there aren't alot of hikers there this time of year but it was a really nice day for a hike, school is out, you know.... Normally I would take Spellman since that is my favorite hike on the mountain but this time I went with the White Dot since I rarely ascend via that particular trail. People just make me wonder what they hell they are thinking. She even acknowledged that they weren't prepared for this. ???

 

[Ken MacGray]

Spellman is the steepest trail on Monadnock, but I digress. I too am amazed by some of the people I see on the trails, but then I have to remember that not everyone is an experienced hiker. Some people literally don't know there are certain things you need or even that traction devices exist. I'm not trying to make excuses but it's one explanation. We look at these things as odd because they are so familiar to us. But if I were to go out and perform brain surgery right now, I wouldn't know what tools to use.

 

[jrbren]

Well, it is the steepest climb on the mountain and generally there aren't alot of hikers there this time of year but it was a really nice day for a hike, school is out, you know.... Normally I would take Spellman since that is my favorite hike on the mountain but this time I went with the White Dot since I rarely ascend via that particular trail. People just make me wonder what they hell they are thinking. She even acknowledged that they weren't prepared for this. ???

I hope I am not confusing white arrow & white dot. I was thinking of the white trial that makes a bee line from the main SP parking area to the summit that is insanely crowded most of the year. White arrow has some fun scrambling up the summit cone. One of my favorite routes is Palmer to cliff walk and eventually hitting white arrow from the south. I do not think I have ever done white dot for fear of crowds. I thought I read Spellman was the steepest ? Anyway, its a fun peak that I frequent for the same reason you (and many others) do. Last week I did Birchtoft-Red dot route, saw 1 person up & down combined as far as the intersection with Pumpelly ridge.

On your original topic, last spring I was on Sandwich dome, everything above 3K' was glaze ice, I would have turned around except I did bring microspikes. Even with those I had to stomp and did slip a couple of times coming down. About 3/4 of the way down late in the day there was a couple heading up with nothing on their feet for traction. They were going tree to tree. I hope they made it down safely. Yeah, I wondered what they were thinking. Makes me feel overly cautious.

 

[Sematary]

I hope I am not confusing white arrow & white dot. I was thinking of the white trial that makes a bee line from the main SP parking area to the summit that is insanely crowded most of the year. White arrow has some fun scrambling up the summit cone. One of my favorite routes is Palmer to cliff walk and eventually hitting white arrow from the south. I do not think I have ever done white dot for fear of crowds. I thought I read Spellman was the steepest ? Anyway, its a fun peak that I frequent for the same reason you (and many others) do. Last week I did Birchtoft-Red dot route, saw 1 person up & down combined as far as the intersection with Pumpelly ridge.

On your original topic, last spring I was on Sandwich dome, everything above 3K' was glaze ice, I would have turned around except I did bring microspikes. Even with those I had to stomp and did slip a couple of times coming down. About 3/4 of the way down late in the day there was a couple heading up with nothing on their feet for traction. They were going tree to tree. I hope they made it down safely. Yeah, I wondered what they were thinking. Makes me feel overly cautious.

Spellman is the steepest for about half a mile but overall, I think White dot is end to end the steepest on the mountain and the most direct route to the summit. White Arrow is generally an awesome winter hike as it gets completely covered in a river of ice nearly top to bottom.
This one is from January of 15. Awesome hike!


I think I've been on pretty much every trail on that mountain now. I'm starting what I did last year to prepare for hikes - go up once a week and ascend at least twice to get the work in so when I hit the Whites, I'm prepared for it.

 

[egilbe]

Last time I went to Monadnock and it was Summer and a bunch of kids were doing backflips of the ledges on top. I just shook my head as I walked by and mentioned that NH charges for rescue expenses. A ranger was headed up as I went down.

 

[iAmKrzys]

Last time I went to Monadnock and it was Summer and a bunch of kids were doing backflips of the ledges on top. I just shook my head as I walked by and mentioned that NH charges for rescue expenses. A ranger was headed up as I went down.

How about a hand stand on top of Angels Landing: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angels_Landing_-_Handstand.JPG ?

 

[Raven]

I had to laugh at myself the last time I was on Monadnock. I find myself in the Jaffrey/Rindge area about once a month on non-mountain related things and was there in November with extra morning time. It was one of those chilly days at the base but the sun was out, deceptive in its warm rays. I would guess it was in the 30's, high. I started off up the trail walking in a pair of shorts, running sneakers, a winter hat, and a very light weight fleece. No food, no water. Ready for anything. I was the total "noob" among the masses in the lot.

I passed a few adequately prepared hikers, knowing I was likely being judged for my lack of preparation. I passed the ranger station, the information hut, and attacked the trail...I went about a quarter mile, found a nice place to wander into the woods, a log on which to sit, and meditated for 10 minutes among the trees.

I was back to the car in a total time of about 30 minutes, all part of the plan. I sometimes wonder when I see people on trails and they appear drastically underprepared if perhaps they are doing something similar....not that you can't get yourself into trouble 10 minutes from the parking lot. For the record, I have seen plenty of unprepared people on summits as well, but sometimes people are only out for a quarter mile walk. I realize I'm playing devil's advocate here a bit, and that most of the people who appear unprepared, very likely are unprepared.

For the record though, when I stepped out of my car, I put a headlamp in my pocket. If I were to rank the ten essentials for use in NH, in my opinion, this is #1.

 

[richard]

I had to laugh at myself the last time I was on Monadnock. I find myself in the Jaffrey/Rindge area about once a month on non-mountain related things and was there in November with extra morning time. It was one of those chilly days at the base but the sun was out, deceptive in its warm rays. I would guess it was in the 30's, high. I started off up the trail walking in a pair of shorts, running sneakers, a winter hat, and a very light weight fleece. No food, no water. Ready for anything. I was the total "noob" among the masses in the lot.

I passed a few adequately prepared hikers, knowing I was likely being judged for my lack of preparation. I passed the ranger station, the information hut, and attacked the trail...I went about a quarter mile, found a nice place to wander into the woods, a log on which to sit, and meditated for 10 minutes among the trees.

I was back to the car in a total time of about 30 minutes, all part of the plan. I sometimes wonder when I see people on trails and they appear drastically underprepared if perhaps they are doing something similar....not that you can't get yourself into trouble 10 minutes from the parking lot. For the record, I have seen plenty of unprepared people on summits as well, but sometimes people are only out for a quarter mile walk. I realize I'm playing devil's advocate here a bit, and that most of the people who appear unprepared, very likely are unprepared.

For the record though, when I stepped out of my car, I put a headlamp in my pocket. If I were to rank the ten essentials for use in NH, in my opinion, this is #1.

good point. I agree.

 

[Grey J]

I love these threads. One of my favorites was meeting a couple who were ascending Unknown Pond Trail at about 3:30 PM as we were completing the Cabot to Horn loop and descending. Granted it was summer but they were lightly dressed and had no packs, no food, no water, and no clue. The young lady asked me if the trail made a loop or did they have to turn around at some point. I took the time to explain the situation. Yes it makes a loop but darkness will overtake you. A map would certainly help and you really should have one. I think my advice (since they asked for it) was "Go see the pond and turn around there."

 

[sierra]

When you have hiked long enough, you learn to see such things as white noise. Last winter was an ice fest as you all know. I passed a group going tree to tree, I stopped with my dog to say hi ( I was in crampons). A couple of them asked me if it got better up high? I said, it's the same all the way, solid ice and I added that it's even harder going down, then up. They replied, we are going for it to which I replied ok, see ya. Then my dog barked, even he can smell a goofer. If I'm asked, I will gladly spend the time to answer any questions and will give honest feedback, if I'm not asked, I say nothing.

 

[Remix]

125,000 people hike there a year...presumably most without any hiking experience. Personally, I started there. After shivering and getting chilled to the bone in my sweat-soaked cotton shirt a few times, I realized that I would be more comfortable if I brought a second, dry cotton shirt.