HikerAmiga
New member
This weekend began Friday night when Hikerfast and I arrived at Mtnpa and Mtnma’s mountainhouse in Bethlehem. We were greeted with warm smiles and hugs and hot, freshly baked apple pie!! 
The next morning, Mtnpa noted that he wasn’t feeling well and might not come hiking with us to Waumbek (elevation 4,006 ft) but after a hearty breakfast, compliments of his doting wife, Mtnma, he felt like a new man and agreed to accompany us!
So, we headed out on the Starr King Trail at 11:10am and the air was crisp and cold at about 18 degrees with not even the slightest breeze. Those of you that know this trail will agree that it has easy grades and good footing and starts off through a beautiful hardwood forest with an open feel, at times reminding me of the trails on Mt. Monadnock. The grade begins as a steady, gentle incline and never gets very steep at all. In some spots, there were sheets of pure ice on the trail and we were happy that we had crampons. The whole trail was broken out with hardpacked snow and ice beneath it though a few spots had sheets of flowing ice on the trail. I had taken one spill earlier due to ice before we had put on the crampons and I didn’t want to repeat that scene!
At about 3k feet, the hard woods change to evergreens, as you pace through a winter wonderland on your approach to the summit of Starr King. Upon reaching the hearth at the Starr King summit (I was amazed at this unimaginable but heart-warming sight), we took a short break and Mtnma announced that she’d not be going with us the extra mile towards the Waumbek summit but instead would hang out here. She recalled the last mile before the viewless Waumbek summit so she was not enthused to go on on this day.
We thus agreed to move on quickly so as to get back to her sooner yet Mtnpa decided to fly through that trail to the summit and back (despite his being under-the-weather), so as to get back to his Mtnma! Ahhh, what love—it so warms my heart!!
The trail had continued on off the left from the hearth. We noted how beautiful this portion of trail was. There wasn’t a branch or tiny twig that wasn’t totally enveloped in lovely, pure white snow. We arrived at the Waumbek summit at about 3pm and it was just as Mtnma had said: heavily wooded with no views, especially on this snowy day.
Hikerfast and I stayed on the summit for a few minutes enjoying yet another new peak (for me anyways). I did not take any pictures here due to the lack of views and never saw a summit sign nor cairn to reflect upon.
We headed back hurriedly expecting to catch up to Mtnpa and Mtnma around the hearth area but they’d already moved on and we later met up with them about half way down. We probably would have met them sooner had we not stopped to adjust (resize) my new but USED crampons, a great buy on Ebay (which I’d later learn on another trail, that these needed sharpening!)
All in all, another nice hike to a winter peak before the end of the season with good weather and wonderful company!
Thanks Mtnpa and Mtnma for your warm hospitality at your mountainhouse and your great, fun company on the trails!
Just a few pics of us by the hearth can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/album/548739522tRdljw
The next morning, Mtnpa noted that he wasn’t feeling well and might not come hiking with us to Waumbek (elevation 4,006 ft) but after a hearty breakfast, compliments of his doting wife, Mtnma, he felt like a new man and agreed to accompany us!
So, we headed out on the Starr King Trail at 11:10am and the air was crisp and cold at about 18 degrees with not even the slightest breeze. Those of you that know this trail will agree that it has easy grades and good footing and starts off through a beautiful hardwood forest with an open feel, at times reminding me of the trails on Mt. Monadnock. The grade begins as a steady, gentle incline and never gets very steep at all. In some spots, there were sheets of pure ice on the trail and we were happy that we had crampons. The whole trail was broken out with hardpacked snow and ice beneath it though a few spots had sheets of flowing ice on the trail. I had taken one spill earlier due to ice before we had put on the crampons and I didn’t want to repeat that scene!
At about 3k feet, the hard woods change to evergreens, as you pace through a winter wonderland on your approach to the summit of Starr King. Upon reaching the hearth at the Starr King summit (I was amazed at this unimaginable but heart-warming sight), we took a short break and Mtnma announced that she’d not be going with us the extra mile towards the Waumbek summit but instead would hang out here. She recalled the last mile before the viewless Waumbek summit so she was not enthused to go on on this day.
We thus agreed to move on quickly so as to get back to her sooner yet Mtnpa decided to fly through that trail to the summit and back (despite his being under-the-weather), so as to get back to his Mtnma! Ahhh, what love—it so warms my heart!!
The trail had continued on off the left from the hearth. We noted how beautiful this portion of trail was. There wasn’t a branch or tiny twig that wasn’t totally enveloped in lovely, pure white snow. We arrived at the Waumbek summit at about 3pm and it was just as Mtnma had said: heavily wooded with no views, especially on this snowy day.
Hikerfast and I stayed on the summit for a few minutes enjoying yet another new peak (for me anyways). I did not take any pictures here due to the lack of views and never saw a summit sign nor cairn to reflect upon.
We headed back hurriedly expecting to catch up to Mtnpa and Mtnma around the hearth area but they’d already moved on and we later met up with them about half way down. We probably would have met them sooner had we not stopped to adjust (resize) my new but USED crampons, a great buy on Ebay (which I’d later learn on another trail, that these needed sharpening!)
All in all, another nice hike to a winter peak before the end of the season with good weather and wonderful company!
Thanks Mtnpa and Mtnma for your warm hospitality at your mountainhouse and your great, fun company on the trails!
Just a few pics of us by the hearth can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/album/548739522tRdljw
