Wolfgang
New member
Date Of Hike: Wed. Mar. 9, 2011
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail
Conditions: Hard Packed all the way and beyond. This area must have gotten all the rain and no snow over the last snow and warm-up. Someone had barebooted during the warm-up and really tore up the trail, leaving frozen postholes, which made for a rough ride. They turned around about half way between the Jct. with the Blueberry Ledge Tr./ Blueberry cut-off and the steeps. They probably heard that there was a sale on snowshoes at EMS and decided to go get some after going in to their knees in places (Yeah Right!). From where they turned around the trail was a perfect super highway, flattened, and solid with the cold temps this morning. On the way back, only where the sun was hitting the trail, did it soften a bit. The ledges were in great shape with no flow ice. Only at the giant step, was there a little bit, so I chopped it clean with my ice axe. Someone had piled some snow at the bottom of the step which made it easy to get up on. I wore Hillsounds to the ledges and then switched to crampons for the climb and descent. Spikes probably would have been ok, but I felt safer with crampons. About 4 duck under blowdowns along the way. Dicey's Mill Steam was running about normal levels at the bridge on the Ferncroft Rd. I didn't see anyone on my side of the mountain today, but there were a few cars in the lot when I got back. Sunny in the morning, before it started to cloud up.
Kate Sleeper Trail was not broken out.
Wolfgang
Trails: Blueberry Ledge Trail
Conditions: Hard Packed all the way and beyond. This area must have gotten all the rain and no snow over the last snow and warm-up. Someone had barebooted during the warm-up and really tore up the trail, leaving frozen postholes, which made for a rough ride. They turned around about half way between the Jct. with the Blueberry Ledge Tr./ Blueberry cut-off and the steeps. They probably heard that there was a sale on snowshoes at EMS and decided to go get some after going in to their knees in places (Yeah Right!). From where they turned around the trail was a perfect super highway, flattened, and solid with the cold temps this morning. On the way back, only where the sun was hitting the trail, did it soften a bit. The ledges were in great shape with no flow ice. Only at the giant step, was there a little bit, so I chopped it clean with my ice axe. Someone had piled some snow at the bottom of the step which made it easy to get up on. I wore Hillsounds to the ledges and then switched to crampons for the climb and descent. Spikes probably would have been ok, but I felt safer with crampons. About 4 duck under blowdowns along the way. Dicey's Mill Steam was running about normal levels at the bridge on the Ferncroft Rd. I didn't see anyone on my side of the mountain today, but there were a few cars in the lot when I got back. Sunny in the morning, before it started to cloud up.
Kate Sleeper Trail was not broken out.
Wolfgang
