Snowflea
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We spent the first 6 weeks of winter living like vagabonds on the Left Coast, returning to Brr...mont on January 31. Back at home for the duration of winter, I needed a little goal on which to focus and ultimately decided on the NH 4000 footers once again... but this time with a twist. My goal was to climb the 72 Trailwrights 4000 footers instead of the more commonly tackled AMC list of 48 peaks. The Trailwrights’ list has 50% more peaks because cols need only be 100 feet deep or they must have a name on the correlating USGS map. As a result of this clarification, some quality peaks are included such as Sam Adams, Clay, Guyot, Little Haystack, S Moosilauke & Hight. Sections of a few of the peaks are trailless: SW Twin, NW Hancock, M&W Osceola, & small bits of Blue, Sam Adams, JQ Adams & Lethe, & the Black Pond & Brutus sections of Owls Head. The Trailwrights rules also state that only one peak may be counted per hike. Each and every single peak to be earned on its own account. No ridgeline bagging allowed here!
Ten years ago, in March of 2003, I was the second person, behind consummate peakbagger HikerEd Hawkins, to complete the Trailwrights list in winter using their one-peak-per-hike rule. For this year's endeavor I did not follow the OPPH rule. One reason is that I do not own stock in big oil and did not relish the idea of driving 1-2 hours to the White Mtns. and back 72 times. Another reason is that I am a big girl and like making my own rules sometimes.
My goal was not to do them especially fast -- they certainly can and will be done much quicker -- but rather to merely climb them all before the vernal equinox.
The first peaks were Cabot and Waumbek on February 4, but with prior commitments the rest of that week my start was a slow one, with the next hike not until February 10. Still lacking 23 peaks on March 11, I wasn't so sure if I'd be able to pull it off. However, after much bordering-on-neurotic weather watching and with the help and companionship of some good friends, the last few hikes went off smoothly. The final 3 days were the only ones that felt a bit pressured and challenging, with 19 peaks, 56 miles, and 17,000+ feet of climbing; however, my stars were apparently aligned!
What did I accomplish? Nothing much of significance to anyone but me, just a lot of fun completing another list. For the sake of perspective I'd like to share a few thoughts that I had while plugging away out there. With improved gear and the sheer numbers of folks out there packing down the trails, at least to the popular 4000 footers, winter hiking is (usually) much easier today than it was 20 years ago when I first started. On March 9 I had the good fortune of running across an old friend, Tim Kennedy, at Madison Hut, and we descended Valley Way together, chatting nonstop. Tim started winter hiking in 1971, barely 10 years after the Underhill-Collin generation of climbers, the first to do the winter 4000 footers, and he had some wonderful stories to tell about climbing the peaks in wood-and-rawhide bearpaw snowshoes lacking any kind of crampon, with heavy gear, crappy boots, etc. Except for a few years in the early 1980s, snowfall was generally more & deeper, and nothing was broken out, ever. It’s always humbling to think of the Underhills conquering the Hancocks in winter. (Pick up a copy of Give Me the Hills, by Miriam Underhill if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Because the Kanc was unplowed, this was a multi-day undertaking complete with a box of food cached the summer before. This is something I often think of when climbing the Hancocks in winter, a hike that now rarely takes longer than ½ day.
Too, one of the biggest relatively recent changes is in the ability to communicate (usually) from the backcountry. On my solo hikes I was able to send text messages reporting my location and progress to my husband and a friend of ours. I could also text them if I decided to change plans on the fly. For example, after climbing the Tripyramids solo via Pine Bend Brook, I decided to descend Sabbaday Brook and was able to let them know that via text message. Point being milder weather, packed trails, better gear, ability to communicate and navigate with GPS do make it easier to raise the bar ever higher. Now then…
A few stats:
- Start date: February 4
- End date: March 17
- Total number of days hiked: 22
- Total miles covered: 299
- Approximate total vertical climbed: 90,450 feet
- Longest mileage day: Bonds/Guyot/Zealand (23.4 miles)
- Shortest mileage day: Tecumseh (5 miles)
- Most vertical climbed in a day: Wildcats to Moriah traverse (7200 feet)
- Least vertical climbed in a day: Tecumseh (2200 feet)
- Fastest hikes: Ones with Jeff, LRiz & Rob (Holy crap, 8:20 for a winter Wildcats-to-Moriah traverse Sunday ... think I caught my breath on Wednesday)
- Mellowest hikes: Ones with my Sweetie
- Unofficial trail that felt like an official trail: Firewardens Trail up Hale
- Official trail that felt like a bushwhack: Davis Path from North Isolation to Slide/Gulf Peak.
- Actual trailbreaking thru 6-8 or more inches snow: Franconia Ridge from Little Haystack to Liberty, Mt. Garfield Trail, Asquam Ridge Trail on Moosilauke, Davis Path from Isolation Trail north, Upper Bondcliff Trail to Guyot, & most of the bushwhacks.
- Peaks bailed on: Carrigain 4.5 miles in on February 17 due to extreme high winds.
- Times I serendipitously encountered Hiker Ed or his truck at the trailhead: 6
- Most unnerving situation: Franklin to Monroe solo in quickly diminishing visibility. Intended to return via Crawford Path; bailed down Ammy instead.
- Most surprising: "Bogus" Mt. Lethe has a wonderful view, & the short bushwhack is very easy in winter!
- Most disappointing: Encounteringtoo many HUGE groups of hikers and postholing morons
- Animal/bird sightings: Pine marten atop Tecumseh & gray jays on Field, Tom, Garfield & Hale. Only one set of moose tracks seen, on Lowes Path.
- Favorite hikes: I enjoyed all of them! ...But if I had to pick one, Sam Adams was especially cool because it was a beautiful Presi Day, there was a conga line going up Adams, & I had the equally beautiful summit of Sam Adams all to myself.
- Least favorite hike/section: Rollins Trail, ugh.
- Most humorous text message sent: "I do not <3 the Rollins Trail. Blowdowns & searching for trail. Ai yi yi... Stick a fork in me... I'm done."
- Number of peaks done solo: 24 (10 hikes)
- Peaks done w/others: All the rest... Thanks to the wonderful companionship of Cruddytoes, BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe, NH Flyer, Scarpy, Dehydrator, Kyle, Hamtero, Freakish Calves, LRiz, Sasquatch, Jeff, Viktoria, and Anthony and also to awesome trail dogs Tucker, Toby, and Lyle. But biggest thanks to Chris for indulging my endeavors... and for doing Tecumseh, Hale, and parts of Owls Head and Carrigain.
The full schedule:
2/04 - Cabot, Solo... followed by Waumbek w/Cruddytoes
2/10 - Lafayette, Truman, Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, & Flume w/BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe, NH Flyer, Scarpy, & Dehydrator
2/12 - N&S Kinsman & Cannon, Solo
2/13 - Field, Willey & Tom... followed by Jackson, Solo
2/14 - Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin & Monroe, Solo
2/17 - Carrigain attempt, Solo. Turned back 4.5 miles in by high winds -- didnt' think I'd make it across Signal Ridge!
2/20 - N, M & S Tripyramid, Solo
2/22 - Monroe, Washington, Clay & Jefferson w/BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe & Kyle
2/23 - N&S Twin, SW Twin & Galehead w/Hamtero & Cruddytoes
2/25 - Owls Head, Solo (Chris joined me to Black Pond turnoff)
2/26 - Carrigain, Solo (Chris joined me on Sawyer River Road)
3/01 - Garfield, Solo
3/02 - S, N & NW Hancocks w/Freakish Calves & Tucker
3/03 - S Moosilauke, Moosilauke, Blue & Jim w/LRiz, Sasquatch & Toby
3/05 - Tecumseh w/Chris
3/06 - Whiteface & Passaconaway, Solo
3/08 - Hale w/Chris
3/09 - Adams 4, Sam Adams, Adams 5, Adams, John Quincy Adams, Madison w/Cruddytoes & Lyle
3/11 - E, Main, Middle & W Osceola, Solo
3/15 - Isolation, N Isolation, Gulf/Slide Peak & Boott Spur w/Cruddytoes
3/16 - Bondcliff, Bond, W Bond, Guyot & Zealand w/Jeff List
3/17 - Wildcats D, C, B & A, Carter Dome, Hight, S&M Carter, Lethe, N Carter & Moriah w/Cruddytoes, Jeff List, Sasquatch, LRiz, Viktoria & Anthony
On to the next adventure!!
Ten years ago, in March of 2003, I was the second person, behind consummate peakbagger HikerEd Hawkins, to complete the Trailwrights list in winter using their one-peak-per-hike rule. For this year's endeavor I did not follow the OPPH rule. One reason is that I do not own stock in big oil and did not relish the idea of driving 1-2 hours to the White Mtns. and back 72 times. Another reason is that I am a big girl and like making my own rules sometimes.
My goal was not to do them especially fast -- they certainly can and will be done much quicker -- but rather to merely climb them all before the vernal equinox.The first peaks were Cabot and Waumbek on February 4, but with prior commitments the rest of that week my start was a slow one, with the next hike not until February 10. Still lacking 23 peaks on March 11, I wasn't so sure if I'd be able to pull it off. However, after much bordering-on-neurotic weather watching and with the help and companionship of some good friends, the last few hikes went off smoothly. The final 3 days were the only ones that felt a bit pressured and challenging, with 19 peaks, 56 miles, and 17,000+ feet of climbing; however, my stars were apparently aligned!
What did I accomplish? Nothing much of significance to anyone but me, just a lot of fun completing another list. For the sake of perspective I'd like to share a few thoughts that I had while plugging away out there. With improved gear and the sheer numbers of folks out there packing down the trails, at least to the popular 4000 footers, winter hiking is (usually) much easier today than it was 20 years ago when I first started. On March 9 I had the good fortune of running across an old friend, Tim Kennedy, at Madison Hut, and we descended Valley Way together, chatting nonstop. Tim started winter hiking in 1971, barely 10 years after the Underhill-Collin generation of climbers, the first to do the winter 4000 footers, and he had some wonderful stories to tell about climbing the peaks in wood-and-rawhide bearpaw snowshoes lacking any kind of crampon, with heavy gear, crappy boots, etc. Except for a few years in the early 1980s, snowfall was generally more & deeper, and nothing was broken out, ever. It’s always humbling to think of the Underhills conquering the Hancocks in winter. (Pick up a copy of Give Me the Hills, by Miriam Underhill if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Because the Kanc was unplowed, this was a multi-day undertaking complete with a box of food cached the summer before. This is something I often think of when climbing the Hancocks in winter, a hike that now rarely takes longer than ½ day.
Too, one of the biggest relatively recent changes is in the ability to communicate (usually) from the backcountry. On my solo hikes I was able to send text messages reporting my location and progress to my husband and a friend of ours. I could also text them if I decided to change plans on the fly. For example, after climbing the Tripyramids solo via Pine Bend Brook, I decided to descend Sabbaday Brook and was able to let them know that via text message. Point being milder weather, packed trails, better gear, ability to communicate and navigate with GPS do make it easier to raise the bar ever higher. Now then…
A few stats:
- Start date: February 4
- End date: March 17
- Total number of days hiked: 22
- Total miles covered: 299
- Approximate total vertical climbed: 90,450 feet
- Longest mileage day: Bonds/Guyot/Zealand (23.4 miles)
- Shortest mileage day: Tecumseh (5 miles)
- Most vertical climbed in a day: Wildcats to Moriah traverse (7200 feet)
- Least vertical climbed in a day: Tecumseh (2200 feet)
- Fastest hikes: Ones with Jeff, LRiz & Rob (Holy crap, 8:20 for a winter Wildcats-to-Moriah traverse Sunday
... think I caught my breath on Wednesday)- Mellowest hikes: Ones with my Sweetie
- Unofficial trail that felt like an official trail: Firewardens Trail up Hale
- Official trail that felt like a bushwhack: Davis Path from North Isolation to Slide/Gulf Peak.
- Actual trailbreaking thru 6-8 or more inches snow: Franconia Ridge from Little Haystack to Liberty, Mt. Garfield Trail, Asquam Ridge Trail on Moosilauke, Davis Path from Isolation Trail north, Upper Bondcliff Trail to Guyot, & most of the bushwhacks.
- Peaks bailed on: Carrigain 4.5 miles in on February 17 due to extreme high winds.
- Times I serendipitously encountered Hiker Ed or his truck at the trailhead: 6
- Most unnerving situation: Franklin to Monroe solo in quickly diminishing visibility. Intended to return via Crawford Path; bailed down Ammy instead.
- Most surprising: "Bogus" Mt. Lethe has a wonderful view, & the short bushwhack is very easy in winter!
- Most disappointing: Encounteringtoo many HUGE groups of hikers and postholing morons
- Animal/bird sightings: Pine marten atop Tecumseh & gray jays on Field, Tom, Garfield & Hale. Only one set of moose tracks seen, on Lowes Path.
- Favorite hikes: I enjoyed all of them! ...But if I had to pick one, Sam Adams was especially cool because it was a beautiful Presi Day, there was a conga line going up Adams, & I had the equally beautiful summit of Sam Adams all to myself.
- Least favorite hike/section: Rollins Trail, ugh.
- Most humorous text message sent: "I do not <3 the Rollins Trail. Blowdowns & searching for trail. Ai yi yi... Stick a fork in me... I'm done."
- Number of peaks done solo: 24 (10 hikes)
- Peaks done w/others: All the rest... Thanks to the wonderful companionship of Cruddytoes, BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe, NH Flyer, Scarpy, Dehydrator, Kyle, Hamtero, Freakish Calves, LRiz, Sasquatch, Jeff, Viktoria, and Anthony and also to awesome trail dogs Tucker, Toby, and Lyle. But biggest thanks to Chris for indulging my endeavors... and for doing Tecumseh, Hale, and parts of Owls Head and Carrigain.
The full schedule:
2/04 - Cabot, Solo... followed by Waumbek w/Cruddytoes
2/10 - Lafayette, Truman, Lincoln, Little Haystack, Liberty, & Flume w/BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe, NH Flyer, Scarpy, & Dehydrator
2/12 - N&S Kinsman & Cannon, Solo
2/13 - Field, Willey & Tom... followed by Jackson, Solo
2/14 - Pierce, Eisenhower, Franklin & Monroe, Solo
2/17 - Carrigain attempt, Solo. Turned back 4.5 miles in by high winds -- didnt' think I'd make it across Signal Ridge!
2/20 - N, M & S Tripyramid, Solo
2/22 - Monroe, Washington, Clay & Jefferson w/BikeHikeSkiFish, BernerBabe & Kyle
2/23 - N&S Twin, SW Twin & Galehead w/Hamtero & Cruddytoes
2/25 - Owls Head, Solo (Chris joined me to Black Pond turnoff)
2/26 - Carrigain, Solo (Chris joined me on Sawyer River Road)
3/01 - Garfield, Solo
3/02 - S, N & NW Hancocks w/Freakish Calves & Tucker
3/03 - S Moosilauke, Moosilauke, Blue & Jim w/LRiz, Sasquatch & Toby
3/05 - Tecumseh w/Chris
3/06 - Whiteface & Passaconaway, Solo
3/08 - Hale w/Chris
3/09 - Adams 4, Sam Adams, Adams 5, Adams, John Quincy Adams, Madison w/Cruddytoes & Lyle
3/11 - E, Main, Middle & W Osceola, Solo
3/15 - Isolation, N Isolation, Gulf/Slide Peak & Boott Spur w/Cruddytoes
3/16 - Bondcliff, Bond, W Bond, Guyot & Zealand w/Jeff List
3/17 - Wildcats D, C, B & A, Carter Dome, Hight, S&M Carter, Lethe, N Carter & Moriah w/Cruddytoes, Jeff List, Sasquatch, LRiz, Viktoria & Anthony
On to the next adventure!!
