Winter Record Attempt 12/22 - 12/31

[Mats Roing]

Correction to my previous posting to clear any misunderstandings......also changed the previous posting accordingly.....


"I use the "Help" button if I need help, and it will send a message to whoever you want to come look for you ( also needs to be entered on-line for beforehand). The "911" button goes to a national 911 operator....who in turn makes decision who to contact locally...."

 

[marchowes]

Yeah, but I also heard a rumor that someone already plans to sabotage those trails by....


dramatic chord


POST HOLING THEM!

 

[Mats Roing]

Looks like the weather will start out in a decent way at least ....knock on wood. Will take it one day at a time and not try to solve hypthetical situations too far in advence. Moosilauke with start at 3:36am is still the planned starting time. Beaver Brook is my first choice. Gorge Brook is my 2nd choice. Will try to figure out if any of them are packed out by Friday.

The only change in plans I can think of right now is 12/25 where I would probably start with Owl's Head instead of Hale.....better do the slide in daylight....and I won't talk myself into skipping it if I come down from the Bonds to Wilderness Trail and it's dark already.

Might need to switch the Pressie Traverse around also for optimal conditions there.

Did 12 hours of mostly trail breaking along Garfield Ridge/Franconia Ridge Saturday with Arm and NH_Mtn_Hiker. That packing of the trail is all undone now I'm sure

Thanks again for all encouragement and support!

Giggy and Tom & Atticus will help post here during the attempt.

 

[Double Bow]

Excellent! I broke out Whiteface and Passaconaway for you on Saturday... not that you'll be able to tell!

Looking to help out with more trailbreaking this weekend. Prolly doing Cats & Carters (at least the Carters) on Saturday. Might wander up Cannon on Sunday. If I see you in the lodge, I'll buy you a Sammy!

Any idea what time you'll plan to start up Carrigain on Wednesday or Waumbek on Thursday? Good chance I might be up for one of those.

 

[Mats Roing]

Any idea what time you'll plan to start up Carrigain on Wednesday or Waumbek on Thursday? Good chance I might be up for one of those.

Carrigain will be first thing in the morning so probably 6-7am range. Probably do Isolation, Waumbeck and Cabot in that order on Thursday........if all goes dandy the previous days that is ......might be a day after schedule if the rumors of two feet of fresh snow is true....

 

[nartreb]

If I finish my shopping I may do a Lincoln-Lafayette loop on the 24th... might see you up there.

 

[Mats Roing]

Two days left now

Some additional edits to the itinerary. And the Pressie Traverse might come in any of the days whenever the weather window seems most favorable.

Sunday seems a bit sketchy with the weather. Otherwise pretty good with a mix of clouds, sun and snowshowers and temperatures in a comfortable range.

12/22: Moosilauke, Tripyramids - Passaconaway Traverse (Pine Bend up and Passaconaway Slide to Downes Brook down), Hancocks
12/23: Kinsmans, Cannon, Osceola's, Tecumseh
12/24: Seven Dwarfs TH - Twins - Franconia Ridge Traverse
12/25: Hale - Zealand - Bonds - Owl's Head
12/26: Carrigain, Tom, Field, Willey
12/27: Isolation, Waumbeck, Cabot
12/28: Pressie Traverse
12/29: Moriah - Wildcat
12/30: Extra Day
12/31: Extra Day

 

[Gillian]

Go Mats!!!! Have fun!!! We'll all be following your progress and wishing you good weather for your walk in the woods!!

Lycka till!

 

[Tom & Atticus]

Mats,

Watching the snow come down outside my window in Lincoln, I think we have another 7 or 8 inches of the light fluffy stuff on top of what was already there. Good thing you have some friends helping but I think it would be even better if you got a hold of Mark Henderson.

 

[sli74]

Good Luck Mats. I don't know if you have already left but if you haven't I'd love to follow along with your personal tracker device. Is that posted on some website somewhere?

Anyway, I'll be rooting for you.

sli74

 

[Tom & Atticus]

Update on first day

Just back from visiting Mats at Parkers where he had Abster and Giggy for company, with a pizza and Mark Howes on their respective ways. I think Mats has moved half of his apartment north with him for the week.

It appears he's going to start with Tecumseh tomorrow morning instead of Moosilauke. Same starting time.

Then the rest of the day remains the same: up Pine Bend Brook to the Tripyramids, across the Sleepers, then to Whiteface and Passaconaway. Then if they are off in good enough time they will hit the Hancocks.

 

[Bobby]

Go get 'em Mats! Looking forward to the updates.

 

[Double Bow]

Team DB is off to break out a lesser used section of your Christmas Eve trip. More trail breaking to follow on Sunday. Will plan on trying to meet up with you for Carrigain. Out.

 

[Mad Townie]

The partially (before the last storm) broken out Fishin' Jimmy, the totally unbroken (since the dawn of time, apparently) Kinsman Ridge from the Junction to the Lonesome Lake Trail, and the half broken and half unbroken Lonesome Lake Trail were broken out today by Abster, 7summits and Mad Townie. A good time was had by all, but I'll tell you, Mr. Man, we worked!!!

We also left a few messages cheering Mats on tomorrow (Sunday).

Go Mats!!!!!!!!!!!!


PS: Not sure Thoreau knew what deep snows are really like when he penned that line in my sig!

 

[Mats Roing]

Quick update:

Started at 3:56am with Tecumseh.....not much trailbreaking to be done here.....maybe 4 inches or so the last mile.....came back to TH at 6:00 for a 2:04 total time for the peak. Frodo was with me
Then off to Pine Bend Brook Trail for the traverse with Marc Howes, NH_Mtn_Hiker, Giggy and Frodo. There were rumours trail was broken out to Middle Tripyramid. Ran into Giggy after Middle Tripyramid - called it a day. 3:05 to Middle Tripyramid at 10:37 am.

After South Trip. things started to go wrong. Lost the GPSdevice in one of a few falls before Sleeper cutoff. Went back to look for it in vain.....in the meantime MH_Mtn_Hiker, Marchowes and Frodo wereahead of meno more live postings and possibility to get help if needed. Also by now the front crew thought we were below Sleeper Trail and started to whack north uphill in the thick stuff......I followed not to lose them......after a while I caught up with them and we went downhill until we ran into the trail. Lost the trail a couple of more times afterwards also.....trail unbroken all the way.....but we were four of taking turns.........eventually made it to Downes Brook Trail....MArchowes and NH_Mtn_Hiker decided to go back this way while Frodo and I started the slow trailbreaking up to Rollins Trail......eventually made it to Whiteface by 2:45pm.....12 pushups and off on a broken out Rollins trail

Made good time to Pass cutoff, but slow going uphill here.....legs slow after the Sleeper trailbreaking experience. Left the summit at 4:42am and went down the unbroken Pass. Slide....the first 1,000 feet or so was OK - also ran out of water on top of Passaconnaway. We lost the trail at around 3,000 feet and started to bushwalk......now it starts to get reall fun.....especially since the slide was to the left but we thought it was to the right.....whacking in thee wrong directionnow.......after a while swearing in deep stuff we decided to go downhill to the left......at around 2,300 feet we finally foud the slide.....followed it to the Downes Brook Trail which we found slightly before 7.......At least it had two hikers on it before....made pretty good time back to TH....7:50pm we arrived after 12hrs18min on the trail for these four peaks.....

Skipped Hancocks today....


Rain in the forecast tomorrow......Cannon/Kinsman and Osceola's would be good to knock off.....let's see how hypothermic the weather is tomorrow morning.

Thought you guys should know what's going on......

 

[HAMTERO]

Twins

I am headed for the Twins via Seven Dwarfs.

 

[giggy]

Sorry to bail below south peak mats and croo - the nasty cold I had all week was lingering and I just wasn't able for a full day of this today - I was on the fence of staying home this weekend and the smart thing would have to stay home and rest.

You had a couple good guys busting trail for you regardless...

The Pine bend was somewhat broken - so hopefully my steps helped you and frodo save a bit of energy anyway... Will rest this week, get healthy and hopefully be able to help next week some....

got back to traihead at 1pm and decided to head home and give my spot in the cottage to someone who was out all day - ... good luck today and all week.

After seeing all the prep and effort you have put in this - I am confidant on your sucess.

 

[una_dogger]

Good luck, Mats, and thanks for the update!

 

[Abster]

Sunday in the Rain

Hi Mats! Hope the day went well and that the rain wasn't too much of a bummer. Maybe it will help to pack things down a bit.

Wow - packing out the 2.5 miles between Fishin' Jimmy and Lonesome Lake Trails yesterday was quite a challenge and my legs still feel it. I'm so glad there were 3 of us or it may not have helped too much.

Nice to see you and hope the rest of the adventure is rewarding regardless of timing

Hanna

 

[giggy]

Just spoke with Mats

He was able to do the Osceola's and Hancocks today.

Nif hiked the O's with him and he did the Hancocks alone.

Said the weather was pretty horrible all day - horizontal rain and high winds.

Little behind schedule, but considering the cards dealt (deep snow, bad weather, etc..) - pretty damn good. Hopefully, some ground can be made up in the next few days with weather looking a bit better...