BIGEarl
Well-known member
July 6, 2013: Tecumseh and Waumbek and Hale, Triple Hit & Run
Trails:
Tecumseh: Mount Tecumseh Trail
Waumbek: Starr King Trail
Hale: Hale Brook Trail
Summits: Tecumseh and Waumbek and Hale
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
One of our “Basic Rules of Hiking” is:
Hike time must exceed drive time.
Faced with a total round trip drive time of ~6 to 7 hours, each of these hikes comes up short. Put them together and you have a nice day in the mountains. A Hit & Run hike just takes a little more planning, and a little more water.
Mount Tecumseh:
We started up Tecumseh from the Waterville Valley Ski Area a little later than planned, but not much. We knew the day’s forecast was predicting difficult conditions for our plan. We wanted to get Tecumseh done early; then head north of Franconia Notch where conditions were predicted to be cooler and less humid as the day went on.
The day was also going to be a fun test of new hearing aids. They are advertised to be waterproof (sweat proof, dustproof, shockproof, etc). Sounds too good to be true but I’ve been researching them for a long time. This will be the first hike that I’ve heard my surroundings, and have been able to carry on a normal conversation with Sue without asking her to repeat nearly everything she said; in the truck and on the trail. If everything went as planned, the day would be a wonderful memory.
During final hike prep I changed programs on my hearing aids and suddenly I could hear the breeze blowing through the trees, Tecumseh Brook, and more. I really hope these things work out; this is nice! We grabbed our things and started up. A short distance into the hike I stopped and found myself looking around at the trees overhead. I could hear birds and wanted to see them. Soon we were again on the climb. Even with all of the recent wet weather the streams are not up and there is very little mud on the trail. We enjoyed a clean and dry climb to the top.
Along the way we made another stop on the hill above the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook. I could hear the brook! I’ve never been able to hear Tecumseh Brook except for when I was actually crossing the thing. Again, nice! We crossed the brook, climbed to the viewpoint spur, and continued up the long ramp to the ridge.
Down low the biting insects were pretty active but as we gained elevation it seemed they thinned out quite a bit. By the time we hit the ridge they were generally not a bother. We reached the top of the ramp and kept moving across the ridge to the trail split and on to the summit. As usual, we went left to get the westerly views as we made the final climb.
At the summit we enjoyed the limited Tecumseh views to Tripyramids and other points east, got our usual summit pictures, and were soon on our exit hike. We knew with the terrific trail conditions we would have our things loaded back into the truck soon and headed to our second target for the day.
A short distance before reaching the trailhead we met a family starting up. The mother commented we were smart by getting the hike in early to beat the insects – as she applied repellant to herself and the kids. Actually, we got the hike in early because there were others waiting in line.
We reached the trailhead, loaded our things into the back, grabbed some food and drink, and were on our way to our next target for the day; Mount Waumbek in Jefferson.
Mount Waumbek:
We pulled into the trailhead parking area and found it completely jammed with vehicles. The only choice we seemed to have was the winter lot. With no room to turn around, I backed down to the highway and pulled into the winter trailhead lot. After we reloaded our water supply we were hiking.
The temperature was a little cooler than in Waterville Valley, at least it seemed that way. Unfortunately, the humidity and dew point seemed much higher than predicted. By the time we passed through the summer trailhead lot I had a full flow of perspiration working. I was dumping liquid as fast as I could take it in. Fortunately I had kept my intake where it needed to be and felt really good.
The lower part of Starr King Trail usually has quite a bit of mud but even this trail was a surprise in how dry things are. We found some mud but not the usual amount. From the trailhead to the turn into the conifers we had no trouble in keeping our boots clean. We met a few people along the way and they all seemed to look at us and have the same reaction; evidently we looked a little worn out from the short climb. They all gave us words on encouragement. I stayed quiet and Sue evidently decided they didn’t need to know this was our second mountain for the day. This is real fun! We kept climbing and hearing words of encouragement along the way.
Eventually we reached the summit of Starr King. I think both Sue and I only gave the summit marker a quick glance and continued to the cabin clearing. There were a number of people hanging out there. We stopped long enough to decide we didn’t need to make a stop and continued on the ridge walk to Waumbek. A couple guys that passed us earlier were at the cabin clearing and they passed us again on the final section to Waumbek.
We reached the cairn on the viewless summit of Waumbek, got our summit pictures, and continued past to the viewpoint and enjoyed the limited views. After a short break it was time for the u-turn and our exit hike. We headed back to Starr King and started down. At the bottom of the short drop at the summit we met Wendy. She knew we would be in the area, had an idea of timing, and came out to find us. What a nice surprise. Wendy continued up to the summit of Starr King and returned to hike out with us. With Wendy in the lead and setting the pace, the trip back to the trailhead was a quick one.
We stopped for a few minutes at the trailhead but the insects eventually motivated us on our way. After a quick stop at the Irving Station we were headed to our third target for the day; Mount Hale.
Mount Hale:
The trailhead lot at Hale Brook Trail was roughly half full when we arrived. Again we reloaded our water supplies and set off. The past few times we have climbed Hale have been from the other side via the Fire Warden’s Trail. It’s been a while since we have hiked Hale Brook Trail. Hiking Hale Brook Trail end-to-end is a short hike but it is a good one. Hale is one of the smaller 4K’s that will kick your butt if you let it. Sue started fast, much faster than I could go. Eventually we were in sync on hike speed and did the climb.
The bottom third of the trail leading to the mid-crossing of Hale brook has some mud but it’s easy to get past by working one side or the other. Between the mid crossing and upper crossing there are no obstacles at all. We had clear sailing all of the way to the upper crossing.
From the upper crossing we were in the switchbacks. Five big switchbacks and a large sweeping approach got us to the summit. Along the way we met more people that may have thought we appeared a little beat up for such a short hike. Everybody is fighting their own war; ours for the day was a little different. None of them knew it but we were actually cruising through the third climb of the day. I can’t speak for Sue but I was feeling it. I was feeling it but still feeling good. We were moving to the summit at a book time pace and generally right on plan. That’s not bad considering the conditions. Soon, we were in the tunnel to the top. Up ahead was the opening to the summit clearing. I really enjoy approaching the summit of Hale from this direction. It’s a very nice ending to the climb.
We made our way to the summit clearing and took a minute to get our bearings straight. As I said, the past few climbs have been from the other side and the place appeared a little different, for a couple minutes. I was still pumping a full flow of perspiration and drinking water as fast as I needed it. I brought three liters for this 4.4 mile round trip. I didn’t run out but it was good that I topped off my reservoir.
At the summit we found a pretty strong wind from the west coming across the summit. We were both top-to-bottom soaked and couldn’t stand around in the wind for long. Normally, I would pull out a compass and have some fun with the magnetic rocks at the summit. This time was different.
Wind noise is a big problem with hearing aids. As soon as the amount of wind on the summit registered with me I also realized there was no wind noise. I turned my head in all directions to have the wind hit the hearing aids from all directions and couldn’t force any wind noise at all. The microphones are covered with a waterproof membrane, and there is a hard cover/shield over the waterproof membrane. End result – no wind noise. I couldn’t force it and I really tried.
Both Sue and I were getting chilled and needed to head down. Before long we were both again out of the wind and up to temperature. A short distance before the trailhead we started into the area of mud pits and stopped to pull out the headlights. It was way too late in the day to take a dive into a mud pit. A little light to assist in the final section was a good decision. Soon we were at the trailhead, loading our things into the back of the truck, and changing into comfortable traveling footwear.
After a quick stop at the Highland Center we were on the highway south. A triple always feels good, and this one felt really good. The new hearing aids are outstanding! I hope they prove to be durable over time – I’m pretty sure they will serve me well.
Thanks Sue, the day is going to be a wonderful memory. I really hope you enjoyed it too.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
Trails:
Tecumseh: Mount Tecumseh Trail
Waumbek: Starr King Trail
Hale: Hale Brook Trail
Summits: Tecumseh and Waumbek and Hale
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
One of our “Basic Rules of Hiking” is:
Hike time must exceed drive time.
Faced with a total round trip drive time of ~6 to 7 hours, each of these hikes comes up short. Put them together and you have a nice day in the mountains. A Hit & Run hike just takes a little more planning, and a little more water.
Mount Tecumseh:
We started up Tecumseh from the Waterville Valley Ski Area a little later than planned, but not much. We knew the day’s forecast was predicting difficult conditions for our plan. We wanted to get Tecumseh done early; then head north of Franconia Notch where conditions were predicted to be cooler and less humid as the day went on.
The day was also going to be a fun test of new hearing aids. They are advertised to be waterproof (sweat proof, dustproof, shockproof, etc). Sounds too good to be true but I’ve been researching them for a long time. This will be the first hike that I’ve heard my surroundings, and have been able to carry on a normal conversation with Sue without asking her to repeat nearly everything she said; in the truck and on the trail. If everything went as planned, the day would be a wonderful memory.
During final hike prep I changed programs on my hearing aids and suddenly I could hear the breeze blowing through the trees, Tecumseh Brook, and more. I really hope these things work out; this is nice! We grabbed our things and started up. A short distance into the hike I stopped and found myself looking around at the trees overhead. I could hear birds and wanted to see them. Soon we were again on the climb. Even with all of the recent wet weather the streams are not up and there is very little mud on the trail. We enjoyed a clean and dry climb to the top.
Along the way we made another stop on the hill above the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook. I could hear the brook! I’ve never been able to hear Tecumseh Brook except for when I was actually crossing the thing. Again, nice! We crossed the brook, climbed to the viewpoint spur, and continued up the long ramp to the ridge.
Down low the biting insects were pretty active but as we gained elevation it seemed they thinned out quite a bit. By the time we hit the ridge they were generally not a bother. We reached the top of the ramp and kept moving across the ridge to the trail split and on to the summit. As usual, we went left to get the westerly views as we made the final climb.
At the summit we enjoyed the limited Tecumseh views to Tripyramids and other points east, got our usual summit pictures, and were soon on our exit hike. We knew with the terrific trail conditions we would have our things loaded back into the truck soon and headed to our second target for the day.
A short distance before reaching the trailhead we met a family starting up. The mother commented we were smart by getting the hike in early to beat the insects – as she applied repellant to herself and the kids. Actually, we got the hike in early because there were others waiting in line.
We reached the trailhead, loaded our things into the back, grabbed some food and drink, and were on our way to our next target for the day; Mount Waumbek in Jefferson.
Mount Waumbek:
We pulled into the trailhead parking area and found it completely jammed with vehicles. The only choice we seemed to have was the winter lot. With no room to turn around, I backed down to the highway and pulled into the winter trailhead lot. After we reloaded our water supply we were hiking.
The temperature was a little cooler than in Waterville Valley, at least it seemed that way. Unfortunately, the humidity and dew point seemed much higher than predicted. By the time we passed through the summer trailhead lot I had a full flow of perspiration working. I was dumping liquid as fast as I could take it in. Fortunately I had kept my intake where it needed to be and felt really good.
The lower part of Starr King Trail usually has quite a bit of mud but even this trail was a surprise in how dry things are. We found some mud but not the usual amount. From the trailhead to the turn into the conifers we had no trouble in keeping our boots clean. We met a few people along the way and they all seemed to look at us and have the same reaction; evidently we looked a little worn out from the short climb. They all gave us words on encouragement. I stayed quiet and Sue evidently decided they didn’t need to know this was our second mountain for the day. This is real fun! We kept climbing and hearing words of encouragement along the way.
Eventually we reached the summit of Starr King. I think both Sue and I only gave the summit marker a quick glance and continued to the cabin clearing. There were a number of people hanging out there. We stopped long enough to decide we didn’t need to make a stop and continued on the ridge walk to Waumbek. A couple guys that passed us earlier were at the cabin clearing and they passed us again on the final section to Waumbek.
We reached the cairn on the viewless summit of Waumbek, got our summit pictures, and continued past to the viewpoint and enjoyed the limited views. After a short break it was time for the u-turn and our exit hike. We headed back to Starr King and started down. At the bottom of the short drop at the summit we met Wendy. She knew we would be in the area, had an idea of timing, and came out to find us. What a nice surprise. Wendy continued up to the summit of Starr King and returned to hike out with us. With Wendy in the lead and setting the pace, the trip back to the trailhead was a quick one.
We stopped for a few minutes at the trailhead but the insects eventually motivated us on our way. After a quick stop at the Irving Station we were headed to our third target for the day; Mount Hale.
Mount Hale:
The trailhead lot at Hale Brook Trail was roughly half full when we arrived. Again we reloaded our water supplies and set off. The past few times we have climbed Hale have been from the other side via the Fire Warden’s Trail. It’s been a while since we have hiked Hale Brook Trail. Hiking Hale Brook Trail end-to-end is a short hike but it is a good one. Hale is one of the smaller 4K’s that will kick your butt if you let it. Sue started fast, much faster than I could go. Eventually we were in sync on hike speed and did the climb.
The bottom third of the trail leading to the mid-crossing of Hale brook has some mud but it’s easy to get past by working one side or the other. Between the mid crossing and upper crossing there are no obstacles at all. We had clear sailing all of the way to the upper crossing.
From the upper crossing we were in the switchbacks. Five big switchbacks and a large sweeping approach got us to the summit. Along the way we met more people that may have thought we appeared a little beat up for such a short hike. Everybody is fighting their own war; ours for the day was a little different. None of them knew it but we were actually cruising through the third climb of the day. I can’t speak for Sue but I was feeling it. I was feeling it but still feeling good. We were moving to the summit at a book time pace and generally right on plan. That’s not bad considering the conditions. Soon, we were in the tunnel to the top. Up ahead was the opening to the summit clearing. I really enjoy approaching the summit of Hale from this direction. It’s a very nice ending to the climb.
We made our way to the summit clearing and took a minute to get our bearings straight. As I said, the past few climbs have been from the other side and the place appeared a little different, for a couple minutes. I was still pumping a full flow of perspiration and drinking water as fast as I needed it. I brought three liters for this 4.4 mile round trip. I didn’t run out but it was good that I topped off my reservoir.
At the summit we found a pretty strong wind from the west coming across the summit. We were both top-to-bottom soaked and couldn’t stand around in the wind for long. Normally, I would pull out a compass and have some fun with the magnetic rocks at the summit. This time was different.
Wind noise is a big problem with hearing aids. As soon as the amount of wind on the summit registered with me I also realized there was no wind noise. I turned my head in all directions to have the wind hit the hearing aids from all directions and couldn’t force any wind noise at all. The microphones are covered with a waterproof membrane, and there is a hard cover/shield over the waterproof membrane. End result – no wind noise. I couldn’t force it and I really tried.
Both Sue and I were getting chilled and needed to head down. Before long we were both again out of the wind and up to temperature. A short distance before the trailhead we started into the area of mud pits and stopped to pull out the headlights. It was way too late in the day to take a dive into a mud pit. A little light to assist in the final section was a good decision. Soon we were at the trailhead, loading our things into the back of the truck, and changing into comfortable traveling footwear.
After a quick stop at the Highland Center we were on the highway south. A triple always feels good, and this one felt really good. The new hearing aids are outstanding! I hope they prove to be durable over time – I’m pretty sure they will serve me well.
Thanks Sue, the day is going to be a wonderful memory. I really hope you enjoyed it too.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
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