BlackSpruce
New member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2003
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SOUTH DIX (Carson)
It was almost easy along a forever meandering herd path but not quite a walk in the woods. We got going shortly after 8:30AM, the temperature was a cool 6F. It did not warm up much during the day but since it was sunny and we never felt any kind of breeze the cold was not an issue. Water levels were still high with newly forming ice jams narrowing and deepening the channels. Consequently and not for the first time we followed a maze of herdpaths, then bushwhacked a short distance (.4-mile) to rejoin the “regular” herdpath shortly before Lilypad Pond all the while taking not only a shortcut but avoiding the first three water crossings. The water crossings, all of which have been rearranged by Irene, were managed with careful foot placing and ice resistance tests. Even though we had to pay attention to stay on the herdpath, it was easily followed as there was only about one inch of snow on a very icy base. We only put on our microspikes after the Rock of Gilbraltar but kept them on for the rest of the day. This time Alex tied them over his boots with wire, as the previous week he had lost one on Esther and another on the way down Santanoni! It worked. Finally onto some serious ascending, we left the bottom drainage but soon lost the herdpath. We did not find it till we got to the bottom of the slide. I have taken that route at least a dozen times in winter: “shame on me”! The snow at that point was almost twice as deep… From the slide to the col the snow got much deeper (8 to 12 inches) but once on the ridge there were not much more than a couple of inches over a frozen base. It was just enough to enjoy a beautiful trail thanks to Brian Hoody, the trail steward of the Carson/Grace one mile plus section, who like many others does a super job year after year for the mountain and for us.
PS: And important message to whoever recently flagged here and there the herdapth from Lilypad to the Carson/Grace col: it’s all gone!
It was almost easy along a forever meandering herd path but not quite a walk in the woods. We got going shortly after 8:30AM, the temperature was a cool 6F. It did not warm up much during the day but since it was sunny and we never felt any kind of breeze the cold was not an issue. Water levels were still high with newly forming ice jams narrowing and deepening the channels. Consequently and not for the first time we followed a maze of herdpaths, then bushwhacked a short distance (.4-mile) to rejoin the “regular” herdpath shortly before Lilypad Pond all the while taking not only a shortcut but avoiding the first three water crossings. The water crossings, all of which have been rearranged by Irene, were managed with careful foot placing and ice resistance tests. Even though we had to pay attention to stay on the herdpath, it was easily followed as there was only about one inch of snow on a very icy base. We only put on our microspikes after the Rock of Gilbraltar but kept them on for the rest of the day. This time Alex tied them over his boots with wire, as the previous week he had lost one on Esther and another on the way down Santanoni! It worked. Finally onto some serious ascending, we left the bottom drainage but soon lost the herdpath. We did not find it till we got to the bottom of the slide. I have taken that route at least a dozen times in winter: “shame on me”! The snow at that point was almost twice as deep… From the slide to the col the snow got much deeper (8 to 12 inches) but once on the ridge there were not much more than a couple of inches over a frozen base. It was just enough to enjoy a beautiful trail thanks to Brian Hoody, the trail steward of the Carson/Grace one mile plus section, who like many others does a super job year after year for the mountain and for us.
PS: And important message to whoever recently flagged here and there the herdapth from Lilypad to the Carson/Grace col: it’s all gone!
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