RoySwkr
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- Sep 4, 2003
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I decided to take advantage of some of the epic journeys of the past couple weeks and use the tracks for an easy hike to Mt Tom while recovering from the flu. The lot at the Depot wasn't plowed and there were nasty signs at the Highland Center telling non-guests to park at Mt Clinton Rd. which had a narrow snowy entrance. Instead I parked at a wide spot in the other direction by the pond.
The first part of the Avalon Trail was easy walking with no snowshoes or traction needed, but apparently a lot of people turned around before the AZ junction as it got softer. Some people had bare-booted AZ Trail but I put on my mini-snowshoes which were well suited to the narrow track. Higher up there was still a lot of snow on the treetops which would come down with a sudden WHOOMPH, I learned to look up before stopping for a moment but got hit a couple times while walking. I had a thick wool hat which would have been good protection but it was usually too warm to wear it. There was also continual dripping from trees, but mostly I just got my head wet as it was too warm to pull up my hood. The scariest thing was when I heard a crashing noise and looked up to watch a dead tree suddenly fall across the trail ahead of me, at the beginning of the Mt Tom Spur.
My snowshoe crampons had been balling up very badly and I had the idea that the spur had been traveled twice as often and might be better packed. This turned out to be correct as there were few old postholes and I didn't sink in without snowshoes. Sunny and pleasant at the summit but hazy in the distance. Down same way, I saw a lot of fresh boot tracks heading up Avalon but they didn't seem to be postholing.
The first part of the Avalon Trail was easy walking with no snowshoes or traction needed, but apparently a lot of people turned around before the AZ junction as it got softer. Some people had bare-booted AZ Trail but I put on my mini-snowshoes which were well suited to the narrow track. Higher up there was still a lot of snow on the treetops which would come down with a sudden WHOOMPH, I learned to look up before stopping for a moment but got hit a couple times while walking. I had a thick wool hat which would have been good protection but it was usually too warm to wear it. There was also continual dripping from trees, but mostly I just got my head wet as it was too warm to pull up my hood. The scariest thing was when I heard a crashing noise and looked up to watch a dead tree suddenly fall across the trail ahead of me, at the beginning of the Mt Tom Spur.
My snowshoe crampons had been balling up very badly and I had the idea that the spur had been traveled twice as often and might be better packed. This turned out to be correct as there were few old postholes and I didn't sink in without snowshoes. Sunny and pleasant at the summit but hazy in the distance. Down same way, I saw a lot of fresh boot tracks heading up Avalon but they didn't seem to be postholing.
