Early Bird
Active member
I put away my binoculars in winter. Me who hikes with gloves the size of oven mitts in 40 degrees and whose feet can get cold even in Koflachs if I’m not moving fast enough, cannot stand around bird watching on a hike in the winter. Well, I wasn’t thinking this Saturday would be such a gorgeous spring day. I was still remembering last Sunday’s 50+ mph winds on Moosilauke after a 23 degree start. At the Zealand parking area this morning, my car’s outdoor temperature reader again showed a 23 degree day. The major difference… the sun was already out.
The plan was to meet at the 302 winter parking lot of Mt. Zealand “ready to go” by 8:00. A group of 6 gathered to enjoy the 9.4 mile walk to Mt. Zealand keeping the option to return via Mt. Hale open, the latter making for a 20 mile day. At 7:58 we began up the road. Hiker Ed was my contact with this group. The others were people I was meeting for the first time, so the 3.5 miles up Zealand Road passed quickly as we talked about what list everyone was working on, where we drove up from, peaks we’d done recently- the idle chatter of people having just met with hiking as the one known common interest. Zealand Road had been used for logging this winter. We barebooted over frozen dirt and thin layers of crusted snow, carefully stepping in frozen tracks for better traction. Upon reaching Zealand Trail after about an hour and 10 minutes, we stopped for snacks and decided to continue to the hut without snowshoes.
We walked the barely noticeable climb to the hut in the same manner. On the way up we stopped to layer down. I put away my soft shell. All of us were in single layers, one in short sleeves. Upon reaching the hut, we all sat around the porch enjoying the warm sun and blue skies. All around us, white-winged crossbills sang. The bright red adults perched like sentinels atop the tip of spruces and still yellow first year birds flittered among the trees closer to us. I took in their song and wished I had brought the small binoculars I always have with me on summer hikes. Without them the birds’ unique bill structure wasn’t distinguishable.
Before leaving the hut and continuing on the Twinway to the summit we strapped on our snowshoes. By now temps had reached 50 without a trace of wind or cloudy skies, our time at the Zealand Ledges was lengthy, with beautiful clear views of the Presidentials and surrounding mountains and ponds. Ed pointed out each peak over 3000’, including my favorite in appearance, Lowes Peak. We relished the day here, snacking, some commenting on what a great napping spot this was, and me catching more glimpses of the crossbills, including a juvenile, of juncos, and of a boreal chickadee- again thinking binoculars would have been splendid.
At the summit of Zealand we celebrated one of the hiker’s, Jim’s, last 4000’er in March. Group gear of Little Debbie snacks and chocolate was shared, and the decision was made that 5 of us would return via the Lend-a-Hand Trail over Mt. Hale. (One would go his separate way at the trail junction.) An easy hike down almost to the hut, with one more stop at the ledges where I noticed a few wispy, cirrus clouds and thicker sheep clouds were moving in. That and the altimeter reading which showed us at 100’ difference than the previous break we’d taken in this same spot foretold of the cold front arriving and signaled that the weather forecasted to come in by early evening was on its way.
By the time we summitted Hale, skies were overcast. Silent crossbills continued to fly back and forth from tree boughs to the muddy, open rocky areas on Hale. I climbed the rock pile for better views, had some more to eat, layered up, and readied for the all downhill glide back to Zealand Road. Part way down, we stopped to regroup and light flurries began dancing before us. More beauty in an already perfect day. Along the narrow gully, we were slow and careful not to fall, though the soft snow wouldn’t have let us slip far. Once we all safely reached Zealand Road, the group split up a bit. I continued with three others in merry conversation, my ears also attuned to chickadees and robins I’d occasionally hear. The morning’s thin snow cover was gone, melted by the day’s sunshine. Reaching the parking lot still in daylight with snow coming down, but with the temps still in the high 30’s, we ended another great day in the mountains.
The plan was to meet at the 302 winter parking lot of Mt. Zealand “ready to go” by 8:00. A group of 6 gathered to enjoy the 9.4 mile walk to Mt. Zealand keeping the option to return via Mt. Hale open, the latter making for a 20 mile day. At 7:58 we began up the road. Hiker Ed was my contact with this group. The others were people I was meeting for the first time, so the 3.5 miles up Zealand Road passed quickly as we talked about what list everyone was working on, where we drove up from, peaks we’d done recently- the idle chatter of people having just met with hiking as the one known common interest. Zealand Road had been used for logging this winter. We barebooted over frozen dirt and thin layers of crusted snow, carefully stepping in frozen tracks for better traction. Upon reaching Zealand Trail after about an hour and 10 minutes, we stopped for snacks and decided to continue to the hut without snowshoes.
We walked the barely noticeable climb to the hut in the same manner. On the way up we stopped to layer down. I put away my soft shell. All of us were in single layers, one in short sleeves. Upon reaching the hut, we all sat around the porch enjoying the warm sun and blue skies. All around us, white-winged crossbills sang. The bright red adults perched like sentinels atop the tip of spruces and still yellow first year birds flittered among the trees closer to us. I took in their song and wished I had brought the small binoculars I always have with me on summer hikes. Without them the birds’ unique bill structure wasn’t distinguishable.
Before leaving the hut and continuing on the Twinway to the summit we strapped on our snowshoes. By now temps had reached 50 without a trace of wind or cloudy skies, our time at the Zealand Ledges was lengthy, with beautiful clear views of the Presidentials and surrounding mountains and ponds. Ed pointed out each peak over 3000’, including my favorite in appearance, Lowes Peak. We relished the day here, snacking, some commenting on what a great napping spot this was, and me catching more glimpses of the crossbills, including a juvenile, of juncos, and of a boreal chickadee- again thinking binoculars would have been splendid.
At the summit of Zealand we celebrated one of the hiker’s, Jim’s, last 4000’er in March. Group gear of Little Debbie snacks and chocolate was shared, and the decision was made that 5 of us would return via the Lend-a-Hand Trail over Mt. Hale. (One would go his separate way at the trail junction.) An easy hike down almost to the hut, with one more stop at the ledges where I noticed a few wispy, cirrus clouds and thicker sheep clouds were moving in. That and the altimeter reading which showed us at 100’ difference than the previous break we’d taken in this same spot foretold of the cold front arriving and signaled that the weather forecasted to come in by early evening was on its way.
By the time we summitted Hale, skies were overcast. Silent crossbills continued to fly back and forth from tree boughs to the muddy, open rocky areas on Hale. I climbed the rock pile for better views, had some more to eat, layered up, and readied for the all downhill glide back to Zealand Road. Part way down, we stopped to regroup and light flurries began dancing before us. More beauty in an already perfect day. Along the narrow gully, we were slow and careful not to fall, though the soft snow wouldn’t have let us slip far. Once we all safely reached Zealand Road, the group split up a bit. I continued with three others in merry conversation, my ears also attuned to chickadees and robins I’d occasionally hear. The morning’s thin snow cover was gone, melted by the day’s sunshine. Reaching the parking lot still in daylight with snow coming down, but with the temps still in the high 30’s, we ended another great day in the mountains.
