SherpaKroto
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Somedays it's just not meant to be.
Headed off to pick Arm up at 5:00AM after Christmas. Packing was rough as I had not been home much due to hiking, work and the holidays. Took my recently used daypack from Iso, packed the rest of the gear in my winter pack, and put them on the sled (mistake #1). Off I went, happy to be finally hitting the ADK's.
Drive up was somewhat eventful. Took a wrong turn in Vermont causing us to go a few exits further to track across. Pulled a Honda out of a snow bank (love those Subarus!), and eventually pulled in to Saranac Lake, ready to hit the trail. Got a quick lunch, and drove to Corey's Road.
Passed by a group and asked them how far they were going. Lo and behold, I heard "Sherpa?" - It was HarryK with Nat, Jean, Melanie and Christopher. I expected them to be well on the trail as it was nearing 1:30. I told them that we'd see them shortly. Arm and I geared up, and were soon skiing off toward Blueberry Foot Trail. Things were going great!
On the way, we met a very unhappy HarryK returning due to severe blisters from his new boots. In typical fashion, while he was describing his feet, he was trying to hatch a plan to rejoin us on Sunday! I was not to know that my trip would be only marginally more successful than his. 70 minutes from the start, we were at the Trailhead, signed in, and continued the ski.
It was wet, rough, patchy, and after .7 miles, we bailed on the ski idea. I had switched to skins, but they iced up so badly that all I did was tire myself, and waste 30 minutes in getting them on and skiing with them. I realized the futility, switched over to snowshoes, wasting another 30 minutes, and realized that we would be much later to the shelter than expected. I was also drinking much less water than I should have, but didn't notice that I was getting dehydrated - too busy with all the other little details.
Blueberry Foot trail does not have much elevation gain - maybe 400 feet, but it is rough. With spotty snowpack, much open water, and lots of little PUDS, it may for a miserable sled pull. I alternated between walking through the puddles or righting my sled. After 10 turnovers or so, one of the arms broke (mistake #2 note to self: when Frodo and GO tell you to use metal conduit, listen to them!!!). This only made the sled a bit ornery. I found myself concentrating more on this than on how my body was feeling (mistake #3). By the time I reached Blueberry Pond (a couple of miles in), I was officially not having fun. I was very dehydrated, too foolish to stop and correct that, wanting only to get to the shelter and rest. My knee was throbbing, and slowing me down further. This is where I hit the first of 3 tough water crossings. I was very fortunate that Arm was there to help me across these - he's more patient than I would have been. Another 20 flips or so on the sled (remove sled, right sled, reposition belt, slog...), and I reached the worst of the crossings. It was fairly high, required a short bushwhack, and had the added bonus of needing to lift the sled over a tough blowdown after crossing the stream. In my state, I slipped in stepping into the stream, sled slid down over my leg, and I was in the stream on hands and knees being able to do little to get myself out for a few seconds. So now I was wet on the outside, and dehydrated inside - such a nice little combination! This is where I told Arm it was officially not fun. I've been on much harder hikes, gotten into worse jams, but have never said it's not fun. From there, I continued to slog, convincing myself that I could go a bit longer without much water (I had only consumed a liter - I normally would have done 3). The trip evolved into walking through the water, breaking off the ice on the snowshoes, walking 50 more feet and repeating. After only one more botched foot bridge crossing (sled just wouldn't pull right, pulling me down the bank), I got to the shelter at 9:45, 6 1/2 hours after I hit the trailhead!!! We set the tent up, and I was extermely happy to crawl into the bag and rest. About this time I realized that I would likely not attempt any summits on this trip - I had not listened to my body and was completely spent. As I lay in the bag, I felt like such an idiot, but knew that I had learned a lesson.
We woke on Saturday, and I felt better, but just moving the knee, I knew summits were out. I worked out as many options as I could, nearly settling on a Seymour climb, but deep down knowning I'd never make it. I finally told Arm that I was out, and he should join Jean and the gang. He also was spent (thanks largely to his helping me over the crossings), and since it was later than expected, was thinking Seymour. As it turned out, everyone was more tired than expected, Seymour was broken out, and they all decided to head out together. At about this time, Warren came back from Ward Brook (looking fresh and chipper), and decided to join them as the prospect of breaking Seward solo was not appealing. I was extremely happy that Arm's trip wouldn't be a bust. I got up, knew my decision was the right one as my knee gave out on the first step, and let Jean know what I had decided. As they headed off, I told them I'd have a nice fire ready for them when they returned. Although I was sad to stay behind, I knew it was the right thing to do. I started to clear the fireplace and table, and gather firewood, and realized how dehydrated I still was. The first load of firewood took me nearly an hour to gather, and as I looked at it I knew it was time to sit and drink (no, the rum would come later!). Over a liter later, I was feeling much better (the Ibuprofin was kicking in also). I had breakfast, got more wood, and soon MichaelM and Tracie (twargo) were coming up the trail. They were pumped, but rather surprised when they heard that everyone had gone up to Seymour. I explained that Seward was not broken, and the RT to the 3 was over a 12 hour day. He took this in, and without skipping a beat, said, ok, Seymour. A bit of funny repacking, (I finally told him that if he didn't leave soon, he'd put everything back into his pack), and off they went. By now I was feeling like myself (a little good and bad in that!). Finished the firewood gathering and sawing, set up the fire, slapped on the snowshoes, and off I went to Ward Brook.
About 5 minutes later, I realized what a great ski that would be! A combination of the bad knee and lateness of the day kept me from returning and switching over. It was a beautiful walk though open hardwoods, and the mile was done in about 30 leisurely minutes. I was just about to go further when I saw the first of the group returning from their successful Seymour climb. First 2 smiles, then 3 more, and then the last. A steep hike, with more gear failure (snowshoe - this trip grabbed it's share of victims!). We all headed back and settled in to a very nice evening of camaraderie and minor imbibing. The fire was a nice addition, and the wind cooperated by sending the smoke away from the shelter. We spent a lot more time around the fire, so my wood was depleted after about 4 hours, causing us to take turns heading out for more. We finally called it a night around 11:00, the latest I've ever stayed up on a winter camping trip - nice!
Woke up Sunday feeling great. I was a bit sad by not bagging any summits, but at least I will be able to claim some kind of satisfaction when I do get to my first ADK summit (you know what they say about anticipation!). I had a great breakfast, packed up and was nearly ready to leave. I asked Arm if he wanted me to head out, or stay to pack up the tent. Knowing my speed, he left it up to me. Off I went, and felt fantastic. I had positioned my 3 water bottles within easy access (see I DO learn), and setled into a routine of drinking every time I stopped, even if it was only for a second. I made it to the dreaded water crossing that I had fallen into, found it much lower, saw the best route across and made it over easily. I kept up a good pace, and continued the routine. The sled was still handling like a bear, but I tried to be careful in maneuvering it around trees, over blowdowns and across streams. Eventually, the second arm broke (I knew this would happen as all the stress was on it) on a downhill. If this had happend on Friday, I would have been defeated; today it was taken in stride. I eventually caught up to Warren who had passed me earlier, and knew I was doing better when he asked "did you speed up, or did I slow down?" We were at Blueberry Pond at that point, and what a nice area that is! Unfortunately, you can't go to the pond as it is on private property (it will take me a long time to get use to that aspect of tha ADK's). I could not keep his pace, and bid him good travel.
The sled arms continued to break until every last joint had cracked. Downhills were tough, but feeling better made all the difference. My knee only bothered me occasionally (thanks Michael!), and I soon made it to the summer trailhead at 2:30. What had taken me 6.5 hours on Friday took 3.5 on return. There is nearly as much elevation gain on return, so that certainly didn't factor into it. I just did things a lot better going out: I focused on proper hydration, kept my mind clear, used the right gear for the terrain (snowshoes over skis), and took time to enjoy my surroundings. A big lesson learned.
So, in a nutshell, my first ADK trip spanked me a good one. Partly trail conditions, but mostly foolish behavior on my part. I learned a few good lessons. I also learned that my idea of "trail" as relates to the Whites is different than the ADK's, and getting more local knowledge is extermely helpful. I still think a sled is a good idea, but snow cover is very key. On this trip, that was a great contributor to my early problems. A rough trip, with more failure than success, but I got out there, and I can't wait to et back again!
Headed off to pick Arm up at 5:00AM after Christmas. Packing was rough as I had not been home much due to hiking, work and the holidays. Took my recently used daypack from Iso, packed the rest of the gear in my winter pack, and put them on the sled (mistake #1). Off I went, happy to be finally hitting the ADK's.
Drive up was somewhat eventful. Took a wrong turn in Vermont causing us to go a few exits further to track across. Pulled a Honda out of a snow bank (love those Subarus!), and eventually pulled in to Saranac Lake, ready to hit the trail. Got a quick lunch, and drove to Corey's Road.
Passed by a group and asked them how far they were going. Lo and behold, I heard "Sherpa?" - It was HarryK with Nat, Jean, Melanie and Christopher. I expected them to be well on the trail as it was nearing 1:30. I told them that we'd see them shortly. Arm and I geared up, and were soon skiing off toward Blueberry Foot Trail. Things were going great!
On the way, we met a very unhappy HarryK returning due to severe blisters from his new boots. In typical fashion, while he was describing his feet, he was trying to hatch a plan to rejoin us on Sunday! I was not to know that my trip would be only marginally more successful than his. 70 minutes from the start, we were at the Trailhead, signed in, and continued the ski.
It was wet, rough, patchy, and after .7 miles, we bailed on the ski idea. I had switched to skins, but they iced up so badly that all I did was tire myself, and waste 30 minutes in getting them on and skiing with them. I realized the futility, switched over to snowshoes, wasting another 30 minutes, and realized that we would be much later to the shelter than expected. I was also drinking much less water than I should have, but didn't notice that I was getting dehydrated - too busy with all the other little details.
Blueberry Foot trail does not have much elevation gain - maybe 400 feet, but it is rough. With spotty snowpack, much open water, and lots of little PUDS, it may for a miserable sled pull. I alternated between walking through the puddles or righting my sled. After 10 turnovers or so, one of the arms broke (mistake #2 note to self: when Frodo and GO tell you to use metal conduit, listen to them!!!). This only made the sled a bit ornery. I found myself concentrating more on this than on how my body was feeling (mistake #3). By the time I reached Blueberry Pond (a couple of miles in), I was officially not having fun. I was very dehydrated, too foolish to stop and correct that, wanting only to get to the shelter and rest. My knee was throbbing, and slowing me down further. This is where I hit the first of 3 tough water crossings. I was very fortunate that Arm was there to help me across these - he's more patient than I would have been. Another 20 flips or so on the sled (remove sled, right sled, reposition belt, slog...), and I reached the worst of the crossings. It was fairly high, required a short bushwhack, and had the added bonus of needing to lift the sled over a tough blowdown after crossing the stream. In my state, I slipped in stepping into the stream, sled slid down over my leg, and I was in the stream on hands and knees being able to do little to get myself out for a few seconds. So now I was wet on the outside, and dehydrated inside - such a nice little combination! This is where I told Arm it was officially not fun. I've been on much harder hikes, gotten into worse jams, but have never said it's not fun. From there, I continued to slog, convincing myself that I could go a bit longer without much water (I had only consumed a liter - I normally would have done 3). The trip evolved into walking through the water, breaking off the ice on the snowshoes, walking 50 more feet and repeating. After only one more botched foot bridge crossing (sled just wouldn't pull right, pulling me down the bank), I got to the shelter at 9:45, 6 1/2 hours after I hit the trailhead!!! We set the tent up, and I was extermely happy to crawl into the bag and rest. About this time I realized that I would likely not attempt any summits on this trip - I had not listened to my body and was completely spent. As I lay in the bag, I felt like such an idiot, but knew that I had learned a lesson.
We woke on Saturday, and I felt better, but just moving the knee, I knew summits were out. I worked out as many options as I could, nearly settling on a Seymour climb, but deep down knowning I'd never make it. I finally told Arm that I was out, and he should join Jean and the gang. He also was spent (thanks largely to his helping me over the crossings), and since it was later than expected, was thinking Seymour. As it turned out, everyone was more tired than expected, Seymour was broken out, and they all decided to head out together. At about this time, Warren came back from Ward Brook (looking fresh and chipper), and decided to join them as the prospect of breaking Seward solo was not appealing. I was extremely happy that Arm's trip wouldn't be a bust. I got up, knew my decision was the right one as my knee gave out on the first step, and let Jean know what I had decided. As they headed off, I told them I'd have a nice fire ready for them when they returned. Although I was sad to stay behind, I knew it was the right thing to do. I started to clear the fireplace and table, and gather firewood, and realized how dehydrated I still was. The first load of firewood took me nearly an hour to gather, and as I looked at it I knew it was time to sit and drink (no, the rum would come later!). Over a liter later, I was feeling much better (the Ibuprofin was kicking in also). I had breakfast, got more wood, and soon MichaelM and Tracie (twargo) were coming up the trail. They were pumped, but rather surprised when they heard that everyone had gone up to Seymour. I explained that Seward was not broken, and the RT to the 3 was over a 12 hour day. He took this in, and without skipping a beat, said, ok, Seymour. A bit of funny repacking, (I finally told him that if he didn't leave soon, he'd put everything back into his pack), and off they went. By now I was feeling like myself (a little good and bad in that!). Finished the firewood gathering and sawing, set up the fire, slapped on the snowshoes, and off I went to Ward Brook.
About 5 minutes later, I realized what a great ski that would be! A combination of the bad knee and lateness of the day kept me from returning and switching over. It was a beautiful walk though open hardwoods, and the mile was done in about 30 leisurely minutes. I was just about to go further when I saw the first of the group returning from their successful Seymour climb. First 2 smiles, then 3 more, and then the last. A steep hike, with more gear failure (snowshoe - this trip grabbed it's share of victims!). We all headed back and settled in to a very nice evening of camaraderie and minor imbibing. The fire was a nice addition, and the wind cooperated by sending the smoke away from the shelter. We spent a lot more time around the fire, so my wood was depleted after about 4 hours, causing us to take turns heading out for more. We finally called it a night around 11:00, the latest I've ever stayed up on a winter camping trip - nice!
Woke up Sunday feeling great. I was a bit sad by not bagging any summits, but at least I will be able to claim some kind of satisfaction when I do get to my first ADK summit (you know what they say about anticipation!). I had a great breakfast, packed up and was nearly ready to leave. I asked Arm if he wanted me to head out, or stay to pack up the tent. Knowing my speed, he left it up to me. Off I went, and felt fantastic. I had positioned my 3 water bottles within easy access (see I DO learn), and setled into a routine of drinking every time I stopped, even if it was only for a second. I made it to the dreaded water crossing that I had fallen into, found it much lower, saw the best route across and made it over easily. I kept up a good pace, and continued the routine. The sled was still handling like a bear, but I tried to be careful in maneuvering it around trees, over blowdowns and across streams. Eventually, the second arm broke (I knew this would happen as all the stress was on it) on a downhill. If this had happend on Friday, I would have been defeated; today it was taken in stride. I eventually caught up to Warren who had passed me earlier, and knew I was doing better when he asked "did you speed up, or did I slow down?" We were at Blueberry Pond at that point, and what a nice area that is! Unfortunately, you can't go to the pond as it is on private property (it will take me a long time to get use to that aspect of tha ADK's). I could not keep his pace, and bid him good travel.
The sled arms continued to break until every last joint had cracked. Downhills were tough, but feeling better made all the difference. My knee only bothered me occasionally (thanks Michael!), and I soon made it to the summer trailhead at 2:30. What had taken me 6.5 hours on Friday took 3.5 on return. There is nearly as much elevation gain on return, so that certainly didn't factor into it. I just did things a lot better going out: I focused on proper hydration, kept my mind clear, used the right gear for the terrain (snowshoes over skis), and took time to enjoy my surroundings. A big lesson learned.
So, in a nutshell, my first ADK trip spanked me a good one. Partly trail conditions, but mostly foolish behavior on my part. I learned a few good lessons. I also learned that my idea of "trail" as relates to the Whites is different than the ADK's, and getting more local knowledge is extermely helpful. I still think a sled is a good idea, but snow cover is very key. On this trip, that was a great contributor to my early problems. A rough trip, with more failure than success, but I got out there, and I can't wait to et back again!
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