NH_Mtn_Hiker
New member
My day began on the Hancock Notch Trail at 5:25am. I was going to hike up to South Hancock, then Middle Hancock, then bushwhack over The Captain and on to Mt. Carrigain, returning by trail to the Hancock Notch Trailhead. A trek of about 25 miles. For the second week in a row though, things didn't go as planned.
I reached the summit of South Hancock at 7:25 and by 8:00 I was well into the bushwhack from Middle Hancock. I hiked in a east-north-easterly direction towards Mt. Carrigain which was almost always in view ahead of me. As I passed the point where the ridge I was following turned north I started getting gimpses through the trees of the top of The Captain. For no bigger than it is, it's a pretty impressive little peak. Like Frodo said, "looks like a miniature "El Capitan"". I contined straight towards it. As I descended towards the col the slope grew increasingly steeper until...you guessed it, it became vertical. I looked around for an alternate descent route but, had to face the fact that I'd reached a dead end. As I climbed back up to the ridge I traversed north looking for a spot where I could reach the col from, but no such spot seemed to exist. I hiked north along the ridge following the moose paths repeatedly checking the eastern slope for a descent route.
About noonish I decided it was time to eat. I spied a ledgy outcrop on the opposite side of the ridge and headed over there for a bite. I climbed up onto the ledge and gazed out across the entire eastern Pemi valley. I could see the 3 Bonds, Guyot, Zealand, Whitewall, Tom, Field, Willey, Carrigain, as well as the Presidentials and a few three thousand footers. There before me was the valley I had hiked in the last four weekends. After taking in the awesome views...and eating some lunch, I noticed the clouds to the west had become noticably darker. The forecasted rain was just a few hours away. I decided this was a good time to turn back towards Middle Hancock and head for home. Though I still had several hours of daylight ahead of me, I was still uncertain whether or not I could reach The Captain from here and I didn't fancy the idea of bushwhacking back up Middle Hancock in the rain...in the dark.
Although I was finished with The Captain for the weekend, The Captain wasn't finished with me. he sent a couple of his spruce tree cronies to whack me. One got me with a branch acoss my right eye and the other jabbed me with a broken limb just outside the same eye. I woke up Sunday morning unable to open my eyes due to severe light sensitivity. The problem was a wee bit better today, I went to see a doctor and he seemed to think the injuries are relatively minor though he had no explanation for the severe photophobia. Hopefully in a few days my eyes will be back to normal, otherwise I may be whackin' The Captain this next weekend with a red tipped cane.
Here are the pics.
I reached the summit of South Hancock at 7:25 and by 8:00 I was well into the bushwhack from Middle Hancock. I hiked in a east-north-easterly direction towards Mt. Carrigain which was almost always in view ahead of me. As I passed the point where the ridge I was following turned north I started getting gimpses through the trees of the top of The Captain. For no bigger than it is, it's a pretty impressive little peak. Like Frodo said, "looks like a miniature "El Capitan"". I contined straight towards it. As I descended towards the col the slope grew increasingly steeper until...you guessed it, it became vertical. I looked around for an alternate descent route but, had to face the fact that I'd reached a dead end. As I climbed back up to the ridge I traversed north looking for a spot where I could reach the col from, but no such spot seemed to exist. I hiked north along the ridge following the moose paths repeatedly checking the eastern slope for a descent route.
About noonish I decided it was time to eat. I spied a ledgy outcrop on the opposite side of the ridge and headed over there for a bite. I climbed up onto the ledge and gazed out across the entire eastern Pemi valley. I could see the 3 Bonds, Guyot, Zealand, Whitewall, Tom, Field, Willey, Carrigain, as well as the Presidentials and a few three thousand footers. There before me was the valley I had hiked in the last four weekends. After taking in the awesome views...and eating some lunch, I noticed the clouds to the west had become noticably darker. The forecasted rain was just a few hours away. I decided this was a good time to turn back towards Middle Hancock and head for home. Though I still had several hours of daylight ahead of me, I was still uncertain whether or not I could reach The Captain from here and I didn't fancy the idea of bushwhacking back up Middle Hancock in the rain...in the dark.
Although I was finished with The Captain for the weekend, The Captain wasn't finished with me. he sent a couple of his spruce tree cronies to whack me. One got me with a branch acoss my right eye and the other jabbed me with a broken limb just outside the same eye. I woke up Sunday morning unable to open my eyes due to severe light sensitivity. The problem was a wee bit better today, I went to see a doctor and he seemed to think the injuries are relatively minor though he had no explanation for the severe photophobia. Hopefully in a few days my eyes will be back to normal, otherwise I may be whackin' The Captain this next weekend with a red tipped cane.
Here are the pics.
