tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47919088203568771452024-02-19T09:01:36.553-08:00Hike 4K's - The NH 4,000 Footers (and other hikes)michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-1395695491917513142019-12-07T13:28:00.000-08:002020-01-02T13:38:43.249-08:00Mount Moosilauke (4,049) Climb 3 (~100 yds from summit)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Solo hike up Mount Moosilauke via the Beaver Brook Trail from the Kanc. Much more fresh snow than was forecast. Not quite trail breaking, but definitely working for it with the snowshoes. Single digit temps at the base.<br />
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This trail is much rougher and steeper than the more traditional way up Gorge Brook. I put snow shoes on early and never took them off.<br />
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I had an ice axe and used it (because I had it), but it certainly wasn't entirely necessary.<br />
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Approaching the summit, a Forest Serviceman told me that the summit was in total white-out and to keep an eye out for some college-aged kids to make sure they had made it down. I asked if there was any reason to think they wouldn't, and he just said "they're wearing fucking sweat pants"<br />
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I bumped into the kids approaching the treeline. They were wearing sweat pants, but were smart enough to have turned around before the summit.<br />
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I decided to take a look at it, but having been up twice, I wasn't going to push it. Quickly after leaving the comfort of the treeline, the wind picked up. Wind chill was ~ -20F to -30F (based on weather reports). At first I could see Cairn to Cairn but I got to one just shy of the summit and could not see the next one. In fact, when I turned around to back track, I could barely make out the one I had come from. Very disorienting. Gave me a lot of perspective on how easy it would be to get lost.<br />
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I made my way back to the trees and got down right around book time (5:20)<br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-27791674597405059692019-10-04T10:05:00.000-07:002019-10-21T13:54:49.410-07:00Pemi Loop: Flume (climb 2), Liberty (Climb 3), Lincoln (Climb 3), Lafayette (climb 3), Garfield (Climb 2), S. Twin (Climb 2), Bond (Climb 2), Bondcliff (Climb 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve and I planned this as a 3-day loop which worked out to about 10.5 miles each day. The traditional route would've taken us all the way from Lincoln Woods to the Garfield shelter, but with it being a cooler weather hike, staying indoors one night sounded appealing. We decided on:<br />
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Day 1: Lincoln Woods to Greenleaf Hut (10.6 miles, 5,600 ft of gain)<br />
Day 2: Greenleaf to Guyot (10 miles, 4,530 ft of gain)<br />
Day 3: Guyot back to Lincoln Woods (10.4 miles, 1,100 ft of gain).<br />
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The downside to this plan was that it meant we had to hike down about a mile and ~1,000 ft from Lafayette to get to Greenleaf hut on Friday, only to have to climb back up it on Saturday morning. Seemed well worth it for the benefit of getting to dry off and have a "warm" night indoors.<br />
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Friday was in and out of the clouds (mostly in), but had some pretty insane views when the clouds briefly lifted. Up on the Franconia ridge, it was very gusty (north of 50 mph) and definitely enough to push us around a bit in the puffs.<br />
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The weather deteriorated through the day and by the time we got down to the hut, it was a major relief to be getting inside. Temperatures plummeted overnight into the mid-teens and the wind shook the building all night.<br />
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We were hiking with a group that was headed to Garfield shelter, but with the conditions, they didn't make great time and ducked down to the Greenleaf hut in hopes of finding somewhere to stay for the night. They were turned away and spend the night in the woods. I can't even imagine how cold that must have been. The hut was still in "full-service" season, so we got a hot dinner and some blankets in the bunks. With a 17 degree rated sleeping bag, and 3 heavy wool blankets, I was warm enough, but it was close, and many other complained of being cold inside.<br />
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On Saturday we woke up to a solid frost cover and some black ice on the west side of Lafayette. We made good time to the top.<br />
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There we were greeted with our first clear view of the Pemigewasset valley. In the picture below, I'm looking toward the West side of the Bonds where we would finish our hike for the day on Saturday.<br />
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We made our way along the Garfield Ridge trail which was mostly clear but had some patches of black ice along to the Garfield summit.<br />
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(looking south From Garfield toward Owl's Head)</div>
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-71181925224242673002019-09-28T09:57:00.000-07:002019-10-09T10:01:16.546-07:00Osceola (climb 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Got a late start and headed to Osceola via Tripoli road. Only had time for 1 peak with the early sunset and rain coming in the late PM. Nice gradual climb. Light rain for part of the return trip.<br />
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Stopped at Pemi Public house on the way back home (Woodstock Inn was packed) and got some food. </div>
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-2250428747526539842019-08-03T07:14:00.000-07:002019-08-20T12:17:02.679-07:00#48! Presidential Traverse: Madison (5,367’) (climb 2), Adams (5,774’) (climb 2), Jefferson (5,712) (climb 2), Washington (6,288’)(climb 2), Monroe (5,384’), Eisenhower (4,780’)(climb 2), Pierce (4,310’)(climb 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This came about while brainstorming about good ways to finish the 48. I had only Cabot and Monroe left, and definitely did not want to finish on Cabot. It also seemed somewhat anticlimactic to just do Monroe on it's own, so a presi-traverse was the logical way to conclude the list.<br />
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(Airbnb)</div>
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A group of eight of us met up on Friday night just North of N. Conway at an Airbnb. We spotted cars (3 at the south end) and crashed early. Alarms went off at 3AM and we were at the Appalachia trailhead by 4:30AM. The big challenge was trying to time it so we could make the 6PM dinner time at Lake of the Clouds Hut without having to rush the whole time. Steve and I meticulously worked out some "splits" so that we'd know how we were doing on pace (so we could opt to skip some summits if necessary). The 4:30AM start time was actually later than planned, so we started the day in a 30 minute hole.<br />
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We made excellent pace from the base, and even with the (slightly) delayed start, reached the hut over an hour ahead of our split time for the segment. We dropped packs at Madison Springs Hut and headed up Madison (quick trip) and returned to fill waters at the hut and retrieve our bags. When we reached Adams, we were over 90 minutes ahead of our plan, but with a long way to go.<br />
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The boulder fields on the ridge between Adams and Jefferson slowed our pace considerably. Even when the grade is relatively flat, it's very difficult to make quick progress while planning every step and occasionally stepping on an unsettled rock. The final approach to Jefferson is also very steep with several false summits along the way.<br />
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From Jefferson we proceeded toward Washington (which seems impossibly far away). By the time we got to the trail split (one trail headed up to the summit and another circumventing the summit and going straight to Lake of the Clouds Hut), we had lost most of our "lead" against the planned time and we were pretty much right on track to make it to the hut at dinner time.<br />
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There was some discussion over whether everyone would go to the summit, but ultimately everyone decided to go for it and we made our way to the top. By this point, we had been on the trail for 12+ hours, so it was strange to see people coming down from the Washington summit wearing jeans and sandals (having driven or taken the Cog to the top). The summit was packed with people, so we didn't stay long. We grabbed some snacks and pictures, and headed out again toward Lake of the Clouds.<br />
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Once over the Washington Summit, I could see Monroe (my 48th and final NH 4,000 footer) just above the hut. It looked <i>very</i> close to the Hut. We arrived at the Hut around 5:30 and found our way to our bunk rooms (for future reference, the AMC Huts will put groups with separate bookings in the same bunk room if you tell them in advance that you're a single group). We didn't know this, and ended up scattered throughout the hut (NBD). Dinner was a full Turkey dinner with potatoes, gravy, green beans, etc. It was delicious.<br />
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After dinner, the group geared back up to join me for the last 300 vertical feet to the top of Mount Monroe. I felt guilty because I know everyone was beat, but I was really grateful that everyone understood that I couldn't sleep knowing I was 0.3 miles from the end of my 13+ year goal.<br />
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Simply put, this was the perfect way to finish. We reached Monroe's summit just before sunset. Jacqueline busted out a bottle of champagne that she had lugged 13+ miles and 7,000+ vertical feet over 5 summits. We hung out and watched the sunset and made our way back to the hut.<br />
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Nobody lasted long. After a couple swigs of bourbon, and a look at the impressive stars on a clear night, we were all in bed well before 10.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">The Hut "Croo" doesn't fuck around with the wake up calls. At 6:30, they were going room to room with a guitar and singing. Breakfast was excellent, and we were back on the trail around 8:00. I was definitely sore, but felt way better than I expected to, and Day 2 was comparatively quite easy (~7 miles and 1,500 elevation gain). </span></div>
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We by-passed Monroe and went up over Franklin on the way to Eisenhower. It was foggy and windy when we started, but the fog burned off just in time for us to reach the Eisenhower summit.<br />
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From there, we made excellent time on the well worn (not rocky) trail to Pierce. At that point the group split up with half going over Jackson and the other half headed straight down to the cars. We met at the bottom and everyone headed out.<br />
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A few of us went over to "The Lodge" (a property of the Mt Washington Hotel) to relax on Sunday night. Jacqueline and I headed to meet Jimmy, Christine and the girls at the lake on Monday.<br />
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Going into this trip, I was really worried about my knee (which I impaled in a yard work accident in May) and my back, and neither bothered me at all on the trip. It was a huge relief.<br />
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Not sure what's next. I haven't thought much about other lists yet, although I'm obviously aware of them. I'm definitely going to do some more backpacking over old favorites. I'm looking forward to some more winter stuff now that I have all the gear. I'll also join Steve as much as I can while he's wrapping up his list.<br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-41236644532806151312019-07-13T13:22:00.000-07:002019-07-17T13:24:23.591-07:00Lafayette(5260'), Lincoln (5089'), Haystack (4840') (Climb 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jacqueline and I used this one as a warm-up for the presi-traverse in a few weeks.<br />
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We drove up from Norwood and parking was full at the trailhead. We used the park-service shuttle from Canon which was pretty efficient but still cut into our start time a bit. We hit the trail around 9 AM with a LOT of other people.<br />
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I barely hike in the summer season anymore and this was a good reminder why. I knew it would by busy but this trail was <i>too </i>crowded. For the 7+ hours we were out, there was no time when I couldn't see at least 4-5 other people. Even in the most remote and narrowest parts of the trail.<br />
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It was hot and humid at the start but cooled off a bit when we neared the Haystack summit. We grabbed some food there and blew past the Lincoln summit going straight to Lafayette for a break.<br />
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From there we headed down old bridle path stopping briefly at the Greenleaf hut on our way down. Views were beautiful and it was a nice day out despite the crowds. Jacqueline checked off #5 and #6 on the 4,000 footer list.<br />
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We stayed in Woodstock and made our way back on Sunday AM.<br />
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I ended up lucking out and getting a picture from a similar vantage point as when I hiked Lafayette in December. With windchill it was -30 degrees that day, so it was over 100 degrees warmer at the top today.<br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-40001988206731063292019-06-25T11:28:00.001-07:002019-06-25T11:29:07.402-07:00Red Rock Canyon (Calico Hills) (4,270')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While visiting Vegas, I ducked out to the mountains for a morning hike in the Calico Hills in Red Rock Canyon Park.<br />
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The terrain was not what I expected, and the temperature was much more pleasant than in the valley. It was a combo of gravel, soft sand, and rock scrambling. Very pretty.<br />
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I pieced together a few trails from the Calico II trailhead up to Calico tanks and bank. All in it was about 5 miles and ~1K of elevation gain.<br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-36185482104630964252019-03-09T12:23:00.000-08:002019-03-11T12:42:36.672-07:00Mount Cabot (4,170')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's a reason I haven't gotten around to doing Cabot yet. It's nearly 4 hours to the trail head from my house, its not known for having great views, and if you read about access, the logistics are a bit of a nightmare (land disputes, gated parking lots, calling ahead to the fish hatchery to get in, etc.)<br />
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I picked up my cousin Anthony at 5:45 and we made our way north. The gate is apparently buried by snow, I never saw it. There were several dozen cars at the trail head. It hadn't snowed for over a week and after a conversation with hikers familiar with the trail, we opted to leave the snowshoes in the car.<br />
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The trail was hard packed and we made great time to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. At that point it starts getting steeper and we made slow progress toward the cabin. Nearing the cabin, we bumped into a dude descending the trail who noted our lack of snowshoes and told us that we were going to have a lot of trouble after the hut. According to him, the trail was very soft and he was sinking down to his knees even with snowshoes on. He also told us that his SAR buddies were getting tired if rescuing guys like us.<br />
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I was concerned, but we kept going anyway. We stopped at the hut for some lunch and talked to a few hikers who had just come down from the summit. They confirmed that we did not need snowshoes, the trail was fine, and they had also encountered "the snowshoe police". Trail was well packed all the way to the top. We weren't sinking in to our toes let alone knees without snowshoes. This asshat lied and tried to turn us around 0.5 miles from the summit to fulfill some destiny of self-righteousness.<br />
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Anyway, weather was perfect and there were a lot of people out enjoying the trail. Not a cloud in the sky and temps in the high 20s. Very hard to beat. I also found that after reading all of the reasons not to hike it, I found it to be quite underrated. There are some pretty great views and the remoteness definitely adds something. It's a nice hike.<br />
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We got down in just over 5 hours (well ahead of book). Not bad for 9.6 miles and 2,400 of elevation gain. This was Anthony's 3rd NH 4,000 footer and he did great. We grabbed a beer and Woodstock and made the long drive back home.<br />
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This marked the 47th on my long journey to get all 48. I'm really looking forward to checking off Monroe. I'm tentatively planning on getting it with a big group Presi-Traverse this summer.<br />
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A few more pictures: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/H8nkrXmdynGLedPf7">here</a><br />
<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-64833840370386491032019-01-19T07:56:00.000-08:002019-03-11T13:04:22.068-07:00Cannon (Climb 3) (4,081')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back to Cannon again. I was headed up solo and trying to get down and back to Boston before a big snow storm that was supposed to start in the evening. I also got a late start from home, so the thinking here was to hike up something I could ski down quickly to minimize my risk of getting caught out.<br />
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Cannon is a good candidate since it's close to the highway, well traveled, and short (2.2 miles( to the summit via Kinsman Ridge from the Tramway.<br />
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The trail is brutally steep. It climbs 1,500 feet in the first 0.9 miles. This was a frustrating one because it had snowed a lot recently and all of the branches were loaded up with snow and hanging about 7 feet above the trail. With my skis on my back, I was constantly dumping pikes of snow down the back of my neck.<br />
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I made it to the top in a little over two hours. Grabbed some chilli and a beer at the top, and then bombed back down to my car. Unfortunately, not many trails were open leading back to the Tramway so I had to do some pretty tough skiing for my first run of the season.<br />
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Pictures <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/RxA8TxooVcjbyPBZ8">here</a><br />
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-44757320113951684542019-01-05T06:45:00.000-08:002019-01-21T06:46:15.028-08:00Cannon (climb 2) (4,081')<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLWk9mjgfP3rhBTCMwEP23Sb9nOjNH9uCSdkqAIq3jY7Qs4iEcPzGanenn8IgM2M15HydD3gGK_IQZfo4tR7J74x_AUFK7Lq3amZyAKaDXoMy1X53Vi6GFJiTRIBcsXVu8qm6USjctoo/s1600/20190105_105620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLWk9mjgfP3rhBTCMwEP23Sb9nOjNH9uCSdkqAIq3jY7Qs4iEcPzGanenn8IgM2M15HydD3gGK_IQZfo4tR7J74x_AUFK7Lq3amZyAKaDXoMy1X53Vi6GFJiTRIBcsXVu8qm6USjctoo/s640/20190105_105620.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Steve and I headed up early because I had to be back in Boston early PM. We parked at Lafayette and headed up the trail toward Lonesome Lake, joining the Hi-Cannon trail to the summit.<br />
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We wore spikes and left the snow-shoes in the car which was correct. We brought Ice axes for an excuse to try them out. The pitch didn't really require it, so we did a little bushwhacking between switchbacks to get some grades that warranted using them.<br />
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Lots of good sliding on the way down which made for a quick trip.<br />
<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-46646282993778734032018-12-27T06:40:00.000-08:002019-01-21T06:40:31.363-08:00Mount Willard (2,865')<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtG9fuB5LLNK2C0zz1T5XXAqywo_5hjmRL3BA188wFzxvBpRCb0Mv9ONt9jfE04ryAEzu34DmmcYD8WkK8Xdm4PoYszwtnjUZyGgRIRxZBZfS8jTeoM2LoFNSmpLu7F85gJtJ_B8kdsc/s1600/20181227_132338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtG9fuB5LLNK2C0zz1T5XXAqywo_5hjmRL3BA188wFzxvBpRCb0Mv9ONt9jfE04ryAEzu34DmmcYD8WkK8Xdm4PoYszwtnjUZyGgRIRxZBZfS8jTeoM2LoFNSmpLu7F85gJtJ_B8kdsc/s640/20181227_132338.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Jacqueline, Christine, Jimmy, and I headed north for our
annual post-Christmas hike. The weather was quite good for this one. We decided
on Mount Willard because we had heard good things about the view at the top. The
trail had been well traveled, so we wore spikes the whole way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hike was quick <1 hour up and had excellent views. After we got down, we headed to the Mount Washington Hotel for a drink and then to Woodstock (the Pemi Cabins).<br />
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-28156072143419592172018-12-23T13:39:00.000-08:002019-01-03T13:49:48.799-08:00Mount Pierce (4,310') (Climb 2) <br />
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Jimmy, Christine and I headed north at 5:30 from Londonderry
on Sunday. Being close to the holidays, we didn’t want to be away all day. We
met Steve at the AMC Highland center and made our way to the trailhead. It was
really cold and windy gearing up, but quickly warmed up as we started climbing
and got into the trees. Snow was very packed on the monorail, so no need for
snowshoes (We all carried them just in case). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxxn-7kzXOcBYNnEZpT-Ke4ONOh6Kn9M6t73asMy2PfETNf66GJ75jiS5jH-dqFoM5Fx3DOT2M5Jpo5MSco-jVqaa2Z-P1cpzeFC8LNwuF4MRuFyVcrEEs0TOploiWMgHlQw-xyX7yAY/s1600/MVIMG_20181223_094105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxxn-7kzXOcBYNnEZpT-Ke4ONOh6Kn9M6t73asMy2PfETNf66GJ75jiS5jH-dqFoM5Fx3DOT2M5Jpo5MSco-jVqaa2Z-P1cpzeFC8LNwuF4MRuFyVcrEEs0TOploiWMgHlQw-xyX7yAY/s400/MVIMG_20181223_094105.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We made great time to the tree-line reaching the summit
approach in around 2 hours. We saw a pretty heavily geared up guy coming back
down and told us “it gets pretty arctic quick up there”. We decided to gear up
at that point for the very short exposed section. He was not wrong. It was
windy and very cold above the trees. The summit actually has some tree shelter
so we hung out there and got some great pics toward Washington and the other
Presidentials. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Pc_uY1TW6lHv3pz1H-tqnaDHRqe7dy0MXiq7_kRZIJvVSpRPr1yLt819cC2FGsb9lox1p29Qu1T3DHBDcy_zczyxt0q5554mxCltSDTXe0zj_dWVr6Ibi0MtNmV_wqzFC3JmCot5o90/s1600/MVIMG_20181223_095238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Pc_uY1TW6lHv3pz1H-tqnaDHRqe7dy0MXiq7_kRZIJvVSpRPr1yLt819cC2FGsb9lox1p29Qu1T3DHBDcy_zczyxt0q5554mxCltSDTXe0zj_dWVr6Ibi0MtNmV_wqzFC3JmCot5o90/s320/MVIMG_20181223_095238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We got lucky, clouds had been blowing over us all morning
and we were pretty fogged in right before we reached the summit. It cleared just
in time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJHfS_7rBR6MBvIazzpbNA1ZIbcG-dR6X2kkv5nLYrmyseCP8gdAqR8TaxEoM5e4WIkkzfP5AhllENTaS7N-VNkT5ITGl5Od1zmeCG0amSkrXUoQWZpQTf8Hb2Xt3KQqtyQWsAWbgOOk/s1600/IMG_20181223_095532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJHfS_7rBR6MBvIazzpbNA1ZIbcG-dR6X2kkv5nLYrmyseCP8gdAqR8TaxEoM5e4WIkkzfP5AhllENTaS7N-VNkT5ITGl5Od1zmeCG0amSkrXUoQWZpQTf8Hb2Xt3KQqtyQWsAWbgOOk/s400/IMG_20181223_095532.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We made it down in 3:30 (RT), and grabbed a big lunch at
Moat Mountain before heading home. My second time up Pierce, and first time since January 2012. </div>
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Pictures <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/68HQ1sKtQVHuVyEE8">here</a></div>
<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-824072057482066412018-12-08T08:58:00.000-08:002018-12-10T09:00:55.250-08:00Mount Lafayette (climb 2) (5,260')<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyJxZNxq51YWtRcXxlEPFLP1B1ULv_bSipTbOp8FEk1CwQRycoZrIyIMBRvxMv6ANZ7ffm3xhaxym1t2_bHDTT1UCcSAfzP0u9HxxTQkmO2s8FNI-4cv25UgINsKnobUMwZmdvKiWX6I/s1600/20181208_093552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyJxZNxq51YWtRcXxlEPFLP1B1ULv_bSipTbOp8FEk1CwQRycoZrIyIMBRvxMv6ANZ7ffm3xhaxym1t2_bHDTT1UCcSAfzP0u9HxxTQkmO2s8FNI-4cv25UgINsKnobUMwZmdvKiWX6I/s640/20181208_093552.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Note: this is not going to be a particularly interesting
entry because 1) I’ve done this one before and 2) I mostly want to make gear
notes to myself for future climbs in similar weather. </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I had to be back in the Boston area for a holiday party in
the evening so this one had to be quick. I hit the road around 5:45 to make the
Lafayette trailhead ~8am. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQIWVsHJA-SB5eiQ0TY5tITJGNBR4nDD6ZhcALFfIva9HaGeQqFWRpjYbs2XrNkLx5JbuUUBQZIkqTB0I3Dj-dNHKj8yKgzzblcSNSzk-SbWoY_YttDFTCjnEy1fOQPuRBkqKQBHtKXU/s1600/20181208_103342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQIWVsHJA-SB5eiQ0TY5tITJGNBR4nDD6ZhcALFfIva9HaGeQqFWRpjYbs2XrNkLx5JbuUUBQZIkqTB0I3Dj-dNHKj8yKgzzblcSNSzk-SbWoY_YttDFTCjnEy1fOQPuRBkqKQBHtKXU/s400/20181208_103342.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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There was already a lot of snow down, so I geared up
and opted for snow shoes to start. The trail was completely covered, but pretty
packed down. Spikes would have been fine too. It was a good excuse to use the
raised heel on the MSR snow shoes. Temperature was 7 degrees in the parking
lot. Layers were: standard socks, winter boots, long underwear, hiking pants,
shell pants (no snow pants), base layer shirt, fleece, down vest, shell jacket
(unzipped), glove liners and ski gloves. For water I had 2 Nalgenes wrapped in
wool socks and a large Gatorade. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Made good time up to the tree line. For future planning, I
should’ve ditched a layer down low and layered up more when I was getting into
the wind. I switched to spikes just before making the Greenleaf Hut (closed for
winter) where the trail breaks above the trees for the rest of the way.</div>
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Because of the wind, drifting, and frozen sections, there
effectively wasn’t a trail to the top. I followed some old footprints but they
would occasionally dead end in deeper snow. It was a mixed bag. Some sections
were hard ice such that I was glad I had the Hillsounds on. Others deeper
sections would’ve been better in snowshoes. I added neck warmer, goggles, hood,
and zipped up everything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchSB_XpgROhDJNr4ZdJOgqAnL5AbIAOiEL0mjnh56c4SqU6KxihtFWH1M2e2VQN5EKzAp3yUWEVWAL4elR14twWPkkG4JhHptTF9b48AfD8IKTn-M-SF5KOm2D3bBYbfQxOpHKNP8kH8/s1600/20181208_115134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhchSB_XpgROhDJNr4ZdJOgqAnL5AbIAOiEL0mjnh56c4SqU6KxihtFWH1M2e2VQN5EKzAp3yUWEVWAL4elR14twWPkkG4JhHptTF9b48AfD8IKTn-M-SF5KOm2D3bBYbfQxOpHKNP8kH8/s400/20181208_115134.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My feet were very cold and toes numb approaching the summit.
The last few hundred yards were quite windy and bitter cold. I spent a grand
total of 5 seconds at the top and made my way down to get out of the wind. I
couldn’t get any summit pictures as my phone would’ve died instantly. I don’t
totally understand why, but my feet actually got much warmer on the way down. My
hands were cold at times; my gloves definitely have some weak spots. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Made it down in a little over 5 hours (about 30 mins ahead
of book). Stopped at Woodstock Inn for a big bowl of chili and made it back in
plenty of time for the holiday party. <o:p></o:p><br />
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(smiling)</div>
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I saw a couple dudes with skis heading up from the hut. I
think that could’ve been a blast for a short ride. It was wide open, no rocks
or cliffs, not too steep. Obviously a lot of work to get the skis up there.
Changing into ski boots at the top also would have been horrendous.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pictures <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/PbFCgxRYgWR1uyHG9">here</a>michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-12560594811010567882018-10-20T17:09:00.000-07:002018-10-24T08:09:38.038-07:00Northern Traverse - Jefferson (5,712'), Adams (5,774), and Madison (5,367)<br />
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So this was a long one. Alarm went off at 4:10AM in Norwood
which was early enough to get me to the Appalachia trailhead by 7:30. I met
Steve there to drop one car and we continued to Caps Ridge trailhead to start
the hike at 8:00. The plan was a traverse of the Northern Presidential range
starting at Caps ridge, ascending the Caps Ridge trail to Jefferson, and then
following the AT to Adams and Madison. We’d then descend via Watson’s
Path/Valley Way to Appalachia to pick up the second car. The weather was iffy,
and we had read in the book that with fronts approaching, the worst weather
would likely by in Edmand’s Col (which acts as a wind tunnel). We figured we’d
grab the Jefferson summit and see how things were progressing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspeWjTNY-zt7WmrNQFdoYojfxSf23ejdovm4N4PwudH9Iot9SjBt-aaARSF0NTij0r80M0rpSqcD2xxC2iSVn0xnzjZD3XIfaRl3lcsBVCK5niaMwEYKpBAT06I_HAiNYrMGpjfKWKrk/s1600/20181020_083203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspeWjTNY-zt7WmrNQFdoYojfxSf23ejdovm4N4PwudH9Iot9SjBt-aaARSF0NTij0r80M0rpSqcD2xxC2iSVn0xnzjZD3XIfaRl3lcsBVCK5niaMwEYKpBAT06I_HAiNYrMGpjfKWKrk/s400/20181020_083203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Caps Ridge trail climbs above the treeline quickly. I saw
somewhere that it’s the highest trailhead in NH (ignoring Mt Washington auto
road trails). It was cool, breezy, and very foggy. Views were non-existent as
we climbed up the caps ridge trail toward Jefferson. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearing the summit of Jefferson, the trail had
a thin layer of snow and ice, but was still passable without spikes. The wind
had built and was now enough to push us around a little bit. There was also
occasional sleet/hail mixed in with the cold fog. We sheltered behind a rock
and got the map out to game plan. We were both still leaning toward following
the plan, but agreed to check-in at the top.</div>
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The summit was pretty unpleasant. Visibility was maybe 20-30
feet and the wind was uncomfortably strong. Had to stay low to preserve
balance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We debated the decision for a
minute or two, but both decided it was not safe to continue on the exposed
ridge toward Edmands Col (where the weather might get worse). We already could
barely see from cairn to cairn and if it got any worse, we wouldn’t have been
able to. We started back down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iDOX607-88M/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iDOX607-88M?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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A few hundred feet below the summit, the wind softened
considerably and the visibility improved. We decided not to fully abandon our
plan, and headed for a trail called “the cornice” which parallels the AT about
800 feet below the ridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trail is
relatively flat in terms of elevation gain, but it is also hardly a trail at
all. It’s just a series of markers in a massive boulder field with patches of
snow and ice. Traversing the 1.1 miles of the Cornice was incredibly slow going.
It added a substantial amount of time to our already long day.</div>
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As we approached the intersection with the Randolph path,
the weather began to clear. Sun burned the fog away everywhere (except the
summits of Jefferson and Washington), and the wind continued to decrease. When
we got back to the ridge, the weather was great and we were making good time
again. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The summit approach to Adams was a little dicey due to all
of the rime, but not enough to justify spikes. We didn’t stay long on Adams,
but the view was incredible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We descended the north side of Adams toward Madison Springs
hut and stopped there to eat some food and consider the rest of the plan. We
decided that if we kept a good pace, we could get up to Madison, and make it
back down by around 6PM (sunset at 6:15). Madison was pleasantly easy to
ascend, and from the top we could see the whole path down to the valley floor
toward Route 2 and the Appalachia trailhead in the distance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuPaVdCVyl6MTMwTkTpRKrtKg_e2-gYyMFYK-2LWg5ZEAhxDuQpvqIH7ADIkoeSZ6ZgLVnTEUPFQhZdnQoMwQ9bcXLm6nUk5p7seOlDzhRcJkeqLUs4bQB4WiTHr_8KzeySL-sEQxwQ0/s1600/20181020_141649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuPaVdCVyl6MTMwTkTpRKrtKg_e2-gYyMFYK-2LWg5ZEAhxDuQpvqIH7ADIkoeSZ6ZgLVnTEUPFQhZdnQoMwQ9bcXLm6nUk5p7seOlDzhRcJkeqLUs4bQB4WiTHr_8KzeySL-sEQxwQ0/s320/20181020_141649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My general shoddy trail math is that I can make ~3 miles per
hour on flats and moderate downhills, 2mph on moderate uphills. And 3mph on
flats. This looked like a moderate downhill, so we were assuming close to 2mph.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQixEBKfIpEol89GTuW8TFqV62CIh7itZTEl6CJBCvMgPRrGD9lhPAfrf20i7hqjc5QFrd9-7GJG6umbXQsHY-zrcyEVVAsOyqxmmzQpSovQScs-br-e_qeVYITC7fh878S10WtALc78/s1600/20181020_160810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQixEBKfIpEol89GTuW8TFqV62CIh7itZTEl6CJBCvMgPRrGD9lhPAfrf20i7hqjc5QFrd9-7GJG6umbXQsHY-zrcyEVVAsOyqxmmzQpSovQScs-br-e_qeVYITC7fh878S10WtALc78/s400/20181020_160810.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This fails to account for the fact that most of my hiking
experience remains on established trails below the treeline with only small
sections of exposed climbing on summit approaches. My shoddy trail math was
very off, and it took us nearly 2 hours to descend the first 1.5 miles. We were
going to be hiking in the dark for a long time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We were prepared for this unfortunate eventuality, but I’d
be lying if I said I enjoyed this part. It was a long and uncomfortable day
even by my standards and tolerance for long uncomfortable days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first 8 hours of hiking were unbelievable.
I could’ve done without the last 3:15. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkTWJrJRGLeO1SaxpNIfGzjhGqigw2dqs34SYXkzGwLWyWwbGolzE_qecidfKGKqvj_FbaP-VJXHxyFWVRWtSTjv3s8QO77N48GDdNCl5PGsOFIn3Cp8cyn2qgrUj2qYsZwGD2_h4Rvk/s1600/A1101883-7A91-49AF-AFA7-C9A349EBE567.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkTWJrJRGLeO1SaxpNIfGzjhGqigw2dqs34SYXkzGwLWyWwbGolzE_qecidfKGKqvj_FbaP-VJXHxyFWVRWtSTjv3s8QO77N48GDdNCl5PGsOFIn3Cp8cyn2qgrUj2qYsZwGD2_h4Rvk/s400/A1101883-7A91-49AF-AFA7-C9A349EBE567.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
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We hit the trailhead around 7:15 PM. From there we grabbed a
cabin at Crawford Notch campground and headed to Moat Mountain (Barbeque and
Brewery). I checked my Garmin smartwatch data on the way over which told me
that I needed to consume 3,500 calories before midnight to stay “on track” for
the day. I did my best to accomplish that goal at Moat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Notes:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the tough finish, I would definitely do this again.
I would avoid the Cornice if weather allowed and stick to the ridge (no regrets
on the decision this time), and I would consider taking Airline and accepting
some back-tracking as opposed to Watson’s Path. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Photos here: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/DMRED8oB8CfGw4SA8">Pictures</a><br />
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Topo details: <a href="https://caltopo.com/m/T14T">https://caltopo.com/m/T14T</a></div>
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-37978407038189780162018-05-28T18:07:00.000-07:002018-10-22T18:08:41.543-07:00Glacier Du Bossons <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnuDvQLFktuhw75Cd5GIeHRRIaQ3mhSaRrZiSwjNNM3PhRLjH6hVvt3mRwq8A4mqonLPkn46ujCjcYa7BX-TMxSgrtCUBeU-E8Ij73Pn5vTdrygIksZx0uHz0tEaVVKDs8uMKoU7HYLk/s1600/20180526_174813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnuDvQLFktuhw75Cd5GIeHRRIaQ3mhSaRrZiSwjNNM3PhRLjH6hVvt3mRwq8A4mqonLPkn46ujCjcYa7BX-TMxSgrtCUBeU-E8Ij73Pn5vTdrygIksZx0uHz0tEaVVKDs8uMKoU7HYLk/s640/20180526_174813.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had been in Chamonix for a few days, and my Airbnb had a great little deck that overlooked Mont Blanc. On the near side of the mountain there was a massive glacier (pictures from a distance never do it justice, but it was impressive to see)<br />
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I found a stack of maps on the bookshelf at the apartment and decided to figure out a way up. It turned out to be a short drive to a private road, a hike through a mixed neighborhood/ski resort area, and then to a trailhead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis90Wf8l-1pPlkdL_Run0Y27dytCPFUulWqDaNuB-mdcswZZ1XIJzq8HRcBB16nI9giqzGgfl6hfKnh-onPE-_90gqKVFfESxQxYBVc7KGdvbbGkzeIebp9qkltSLCR7lfGBuXftK1kZk/s1600/20180526_225855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis90Wf8l-1pPlkdL_Run0Y27dytCPFUulWqDaNuB-mdcswZZ1XIJzq8HRcBB16nI9giqzGgfl6hfKnh-onPE-_90gqKVFfESxQxYBVc7KGdvbbGkzeIebp9qkltSLCR7lfGBuXftK1kZk/s320/20180526_225855.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It was frustrating. Everything was closed. First the parking lot (I found a spot on the side of the road), then the trail (I translated the sign as best I could to understand that I could go partially up, but not all the way due to snow), I ducked the rope and went for it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWq3X5IR0AzlpAr8azlIwXdyAHgv8B9TafbLJFBNqtaAgY7y-9bX-jEb6N6o60RCK_JJ11bojw8_M5dOcp0usYC18hafHzrrXiMBriVycNNploqT2cpzUMxpapSw0ElSO0Gh9VB7d8Qg/s1600/20180528_122113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWq3X5IR0AzlpAr8azlIwXdyAHgv8B9TafbLJFBNqtaAgY7y-9bX-jEb6N6o60RCK_JJ11bojw8_M5dOcp0usYC18hafHzrrXiMBriVycNNploqT2cpzUMxpapSw0ElSO0Gh9VB7d8Qg/s400/20180528_122113.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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There's a mountain hut near the glacier and yet another chained off area with a sign I could kind-of read indicating that I shouldn't go further. There were people working on the hut and I managed to talk my way past them and get permission to go a little further.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaau_m_8hyphenhyphenMvtkhRTpXCgWC7GxjwWSzVwaI8xHttl5Z-LFvEUgfeKjPfzAGE7q_S5ItN3edNSAeCDX-AckkbyiTUtPlsXv3EGwl9f9BRksznGY0sY_x-F8Pv2SzptWJ6yqAIkYd3k2Po/s1600/20180528_113055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaau_m_8hyphenhyphenMvtkhRTpXCgWC7GxjwWSzVwaI8xHttl5Z-LFvEUgfeKjPfzAGE7q_S5ItN3edNSAeCDX-AckkbyiTUtPlsXv3EGwl9f9BRksznGY0sY_x-F8Pv2SzptWJ6yqAIkYd3k2Po/s640/20180528_113055.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I only had to climb up a few hundred yards past the hut before I got a great view of the glacier. It was impressive and surprisingly loud. It was pushing 70 degrees out, so the snow melt had created a river underneath the glacier. It was a pretty relaxing place to lie down for a while.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZTXQ9OCWNuyxEIQU0X8V7z9g60mR_5OJamZMtTRl5Tf8Ji2b96taLWMrFzuR9Nk5ATZB-yfav3qffBSish7D_G3q0TttO1gA1WvpE_2NHWn97JErvtS1qhOymXplo5KDesnZOpD00hs/s1600/20180528_114508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZTXQ9OCWNuyxEIQU0X8V7z9g60mR_5OJamZMtTRl5Tf8Ji2b96taLWMrFzuR9Nk5ATZB-yfav3qffBSish7D_G3q0TttO1gA1WvpE_2NHWn97JErvtS1qhOymXplo5KDesnZOpD00hs/s640/20180528_114508.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I took a grass road past some rural homes on the way down with some unreal views looking back toward Le Brevent.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5_4MiAM1UlLt3ghYFvlGDhmQ7cKaunJL2vrGD_rgo-MbcOLXMEzS5dAf-fGPZf3dRkaYwq_vbAwWObS6UP06P4dHhAo9baP8FlIs1VkCyV-lyPNWs2iHs-NRoNWcgqUkvDomx2oiTBE/s1600/20180528_122320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5_4MiAM1UlLt3ghYFvlGDhmQ7cKaunJL2vrGD_rgo-MbcOLXMEzS5dAf-fGPZf3dRkaYwq_vbAwWObS6UP06P4dHhAo9baP8FlIs1VkCyV-lyPNWs2iHs-NRoNWcgqUkvDomx2oiTBE/s400/20180528_122320.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgHvXMI3sVoYkqZNb1qhITAc6kHlGYuS8JLGPoKuMcSkuGtKK7IaLOvupL9K8uXKRh-gkh_FfdUAk2IVhwYpJl6zL0TQs39JnXA6farcKGDMwgfKyYbbPhfsZzImJSxSYY6peAWcNd6g/s1600/20180528_110912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgHvXMI3sVoYkqZNb1qhITAc6kHlGYuS8JLGPoKuMcSkuGtKK7IaLOvupL9K8uXKRh-gkh_FfdUAk2IVhwYpJl6zL0TQs39JnXA6farcKGDMwgfKyYbbPhfsZzImJSxSYY6peAWcNd6g/s400/20180528_110912.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-23062048272030427672018-05-27T17:44:00.000-07:002018-10-22T18:08:55.922-07:00Le Brevent (Planpraz - 2,000m)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWip_q8iS845_Y6lF7L5rlM2_OAT_FQIF4s1NEdoNWCRsx0x8CTPCyH2ijONAQI1bN-jMtIKXT8NQY7dMdwY6WB3geqGgMs1_xI0Of9UU-VMvxlxExPpmN4FzJsZL_8xPoprasa5jAzvM/s1600/20180527_110219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWip_q8iS845_Y6lF7L5rlM2_OAT_FQIF4s1NEdoNWCRsx0x8CTPCyH2ijONAQI1bN-jMtIKXT8NQY7dMdwY6WB3geqGgMs1_xI0Of9UU-VMvxlxExPpmN4FzJsZL_8xPoprasa5jAzvM/s640/20180527_110219.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I had kicked around a number of different ideas including some traditional summer routes on the subpeaks of Mount Blanc. One of them required taking a cable car to the trailhead. At the base, I spoke some broken French to a guide to assess the feasibility of my plan. This wasn't working, so I showed her on the map. In very clear English she said "forget about it" and then did a pretty clear hand gesture indicating avalanches. I went to a mountain climbing guide HQ to propose some other routes and they confirmed this problem. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7y0ucwZ967a9T45ZwE1QFXYJp3DMe35U-rdVb-s4e3y5Yas1sys6vdXFmWEZFHAULoDoGAAgIGNeCrkO4R7ZPIjPq0im2iO4ZtZOAPxA-J8MVCz1DrPRzYuaxJa2srTNA40R6ZFPmWug/s1600/20180527_114602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7y0ucwZ967a9T45ZwE1QFXYJp3DMe35U-rdVb-s4e3y5Yas1sys6vdXFmWEZFHAULoDoGAAgIGNeCrkO4R7ZPIjPq0im2iO4ZtZOAPxA-J8MVCz1DrPRzYuaxJa2srTNA40R6ZFPmWug/s400/20180527_114602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a result, I ended up heading to the opposite side of the valley toward the summit of Le Brevent. The top section was also closed for "unstable trail conditions", but I could get up to a subpeak called Planpraz. The trail was beautiful and started on some winding footpaths in the valley before climbing up a mix of glades ski trails, access paths, and some switchbacks up steeper ski trails. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3de6-GARVNupwIFGpaDqfJd3Ya5qUQQAkLTnEb0f78C2QgOs0kVnuVGHxe6en8iCdZnRKYOHuTa3fO5vlS3tcOR0NJXtgG31XhyCH8MawpbDc0kE9Q3sclrCyZBiVbeEVnS-xyZ7IiU0/s1600/20180527_122252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3de6-GARVNupwIFGpaDqfJd3Ya5qUQQAkLTnEb0f78C2QgOs0kVnuVGHxe6en8iCdZnRKYOHuTa3fO5vlS3tcOR0NJXtgG31XhyCH8MawpbDc0kE9Q3sclrCyZBiVbeEVnS-xyZ7IiU0/s400/20180527_122252.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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At the summit there was a little cafe (mostly accessed via cable car) serving coffee, sandwiches and beer. Great contrast to white mountain hiking. </div>
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-28026951815597254322018-02-03T09:01:00.000-08:002018-02-05T11:56:03.637-08:00Wildcat D (4,070') (again) and Wildcat E (4,046')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFnKm-M8KaSPcFm6azBKXE9CQ82Xdq7PY6yyc_sH33q15UyufUOeZ6_LvUk0ZbimwWwVmd8pQ9KqLJZU1LR-O6rAYSk2kaMId-Wzyvkkm88oORX1i3lmXBSe_XrPmi1I2q-C9i8wKvR0/s1600/20180203_121743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFnKm-M8KaSPcFm6azBKXE9CQ82Xdq7PY6yyc_sH33q15UyufUOeZ6_LvUk0ZbimwWwVmd8pQ9KqLJZU1LR-O6rAYSk2kaMId-Wzyvkkm88oORX1i3lmXBSe_XrPmi1I2q-C9i8wKvR0/s640/20180203_121743.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was my second trip up Wildcat D (both times hiking up and skiing down). The temperature on my car thermostat read -9 shortly before starting. As a result, my phone didn't make it out of my pocket often for pictures.</div>
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There was no visible parking/trailhead in the snow for the Wildcat Ridge Trail, so we parked at Pinkham Notch and geared up there before heading to the Lost Pond trail for 0.9 miles before linking up with the Wildcat Ridge Trail. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtqeowgoEcW9_FC9RQJgNRBta3LePCTMlwJePOAYNKphMHh1wEotMPhkD8fWnknhvrwurdEI7Q0YBjMnxFCz2IDoJjub7d4sIL5-VmcaNiOACYs22xtRy6lsqygaKAs1cOazw6hCu1eo/s1600/20180203_094504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtqeowgoEcW9_FC9RQJgNRBta3LePCTMlwJePOAYNKphMHh1wEotMPhkD8fWnknhvrwurdEI7Q0YBjMnxFCz2IDoJjub7d4sIL5-VmcaNiOACYs22xtRy6lsqygaKAs1cOazw6hCu1eo/s320/20180203_094504.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The trail was packed and frozen, but it was clear that no one had been on it for a few days. We did not use snowshoes, and never felt like we needed them. Microspikes the whole way up. The Wildcat Ridge Trail to the Wildcat D summit is only 2.2 miles long, but carries 3,500 feet of elevation gain. As a result, it is quite steep. Most of the pitches could be handled with careful walking. There were probably 4-5 which involved a little more creativity using trees for hand holds or "anchoring" in with trekking poles. </div>
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Full crampons and an ice axe would have made it easier, but I'd say it was passable with spikes and a little bit of caution this time. I could see it freezing in such a way that would really make crampons and ice axes essential. </div>
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We made it to the top in a little over 3 hours which felt pretty slow. Part of the slow pace was a result of staring at pitches and figuring out the best way up. Transitioning from hiking boots to ski boots was terrible. Boots were frozen and rigid. It took the better part of half an hour to change gear. The ski ride down was a total of about 5 minutes down the polecat trail. </div>
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Casualties: Steve's helmet blew off the mountain while we were putting our boots on. </div>
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Pictures: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/RwbWOVCAmHrUOFCq2">https://photos.app.goo.gl/RwbWOVCAmHrUOFCq2</a></div>
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-37130612953979462062018-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:002018-02-13T11:18:30.525-08:00Mount Flume (4,328')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIUiNHFTmeRB6MHZAll6HypRllJPN9v8fK6EvrNDqOlI6V6Ed3pIX9asrBENSPdQ2EP_XiSBbtTWrKUDzTKqcGE6bTCtzc-iN9IRD3ngUvLVoprkL8askdStoRiAxyI8cmM7uJjA-yfM/s1600/20180127_132537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIUiNHFTmeRB6MHZAll6HypRllJPN9v8fK6EvrNDqOlI6V6Ed3pIX9asrBENSPdQ2EP_XiSBbtTWrKUDzTKqcGE6bTCtzc-iN9IRD3ngUvLVoprkL8askdStoRiAxyI8cmM7uJjA-yfM/s640/20180127_132537.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For a little background on this one, this mountain has become my nemesis. I’ve been within a mile and a few hundred vertical feet of the summit twice and had to turn around. The first time was back in 2011 when I was first returning to hiking after back surgery. I got to the Liberty summit on a cold and windy November afternoon. In my less-than-ideal physical condition, I determined that I probably wasn’t capable of getting myself out of trouble if I got lost or injured, so I bailed. The second time was during a heavy snow storm with my brother. We snowshoed exhaustingly to Liberty. The ridge-line trail was very difficult to follow and the snow was very deep. We bailed. That one was an easy decision.</div>
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This time was going to be different. I decided to abandon the traditional route via Liberty, because this was going to be another solo winter climb and I didn’t want to deal with the exposed ridge-line again. Turning around for a third time on that ridge would’ve been hard to do. This time I approached from the Lincoln Woods side, which starts as a gradual climb from the Pemi wilderness and only gets steep for the top 1/3<sup>rd</sup>.</div>
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I got an on-time start a few minutes before 9 AM. Since I was solo, and its winter, I carried a full pack including a sleeping bag, and a Jetboil stove (for melting snow for water if needed). The trail was very hard-packed so I started with spikes, but carried my snowshoes on my back as well. My pack was much heavier than would be desired for the planned 11.2 mile climb, but at least I was prepared.</div>
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With the hard-packed trail conditions I was able to make great time, I was chugging down miles and awaiting my left turn from the Lincoln Woods trail onto the Osseo trail. Overlooking the Pemigewasset river to my left, I began thinking that the bridge to cross it and get me over to Osseo was going to have to be quite substantial. The water was running really high and the river is already wide at that section. I stopped to check my map and realized my error. There was no bridge. I fucked up. I’ve been in this section of the mountains several times before, and each time, it hadn’t mattered whether I headed out on the East or West sides of the river. The two trails junction a few more miles in, so it was a non-factor for previous hikes. It was a factor for this one. The fact that I had started out so fast only made things worse and took me further away from the starting point.</div>
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I checked the clock and saw I had been going for about 35 minutes and had already covered nearly 2 miles. I bushwhacked down to the river to see if there were any safe places to rock-hop across to the west side. There weren’t, so I began backtracking all the way to the trailhead. By the time I got back to the starting point, I’d already burned 3.5 to 4 miles worth of energy/water, wasted over an hour of daylight, and had the starts to a pretty fierce blister. Not how I wanted to begin the day.</div>
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Redoing the math, if I hit the “book time” targets, I’d still be done by a few minutes after 5:00. It’d be dark, but the last several miles were relatively flat and I had a headlamp. It’d be fine. So I started back up again, on the west side of the Pemi this time. The trail starts out nice and open and then briefly dives into a pine forest for some fun switchbacks. It opens up again for a few miles leading up to a series of ladders about 75% of the way up. The ladders cover a series of very steep pitches near the ridge-line, and with the decent amount of snow already down, they were completely covered in hard pack snow to the point that you wouldn’t even know they were there unless you were looking for them. As a result, this section was a very slow and careful climb. The footing is still decent because it wasn’t frozen solid. If it really freezes, I’m not sure this section would be safely passable without an ice axe and crampons. </div>
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After the ladders its a few more steeper pitches before it flattens out on a ridge for several hundred yards leading to the final steeper ascent to the summit. Up to this point, I really felt like I was dragging ass. I had hoped to make the summit in under 3 hours, and I had barely made it to the ladders in that time frame (adjusting for my late starting time, I’d actually been hiking for over 4 hours). I was stopping to rest on my poles every hundred feet or so. I didn’t mind finishing in the dark, but I definitely needed to be done the steep parts by then. I later decided it was the extra pack weight slowing me down.</div>
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Near the summit, before the final climb, there’s a trail junction with flume slide. I grabbed some extra clothes and Spot GPS tracker and ditched my pack there so I could do the last bit super light. It felt great. The summit was beautiful and worth the wait. I had made it in about 3.5 hours which put me loosely on track for book time (surprising, because again, I felt SO slow uphill).</div>
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There were a couple other hikers I had been trading places with on the way up. One of them seemed pretty sluggish near the top and was taking a lot of breaks (no judgment, it was a bitch). While I was on the summit enjoying the view, I saw that they had looked at the final climb (only a hundred yards away) and turned around to head back down. I know not everyone is bagging peaks, but I can’t fathom getting that close only to turn back. I hope everything was alright.</div>
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The couple minutes of wind-chill on the summit were enough to drain my phone battery from 65% to 0%. It was only a bummer because I’d been listening to and really enjoying Outside Magazine podcasts on the way up. It also took out my only camera for the way down.</div>
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I made it down in barely 2 hours beating the book time by well over an hour (ignoring my ~4 mile detour). Despite the frustration it was still a really good hike. I’d like to come back to Flume (perhaps via flume slide) in the summer time.</div>
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Five to go.</div>
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Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/M6QMvH5u0mOgVE9G3<br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-51698044702780766022017-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:002017-11-13T12:42:30.896-08:00Mount Galehead (4,024)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7BPIJpeKqCA_S-RoDuHwajuI_7QrC0QI9YEHlNir9F5vH2RK88kdRm8-8Ccu24EAWLRAZ6mFqvDtQwwxK_gMrlWRBplm6oS1DFLzLteXGwKy2tI-p0-RSC-ceqNoYZ8rVnrOP2_W904/s1600/20171111_111647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7BPIJpeKqCA_S-RoDuHwajuI_7QrC0QI9YEHlNir9F5vH2RK88kdRm8-8Ccu24EAWLRAZ6mFqvDtQwwxK_gMrlWRBplm6oS1DFLzLteXGwKy2tI-p0-RSC-ceqNoYZ8rVnrOP2_W904/s640/20171111_111647.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Steve and I met at the Gale River trailhead around 8:30. On arrival, the thermometer in my car read 16 degrees and there were a few inches of fresh snow on the ground.<br />
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The trail to Galehead is mostly a comfortable and gradual climb with a few minor water crossings and a short steeper ascent to the AT junction. Being so cold, it was pretty easy to regulate temperature with layers and keep from overheating. Only really got cold during the few times we stopped for food or to unfreeze the tubes to our camel packs (these were a mistake... it was too cold to keep the tubes from freezing every 5 minutes). </div>
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There were no big views until reaching the Galehead hut (.5 from the summit) which was boarded up for the season. The hut sits in a clearing and provided shelter from the wind, so it was actually pretty warm standing on the porch of the hut. We barebooted from the trailhead to the hut.</div>
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From there, we added spikes and made the quick ascent to the viewless summit. Kept the spikes on most of the way down for added security, but probably would have been fine without. They made it easier. </div>
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We were back to the car by 2:30ish. Steve headed back to Portland, but I stopped at the Woodstock Inn for some chili and beer. </div>
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42 down, 6 to go. </div>
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Pictures here: <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/vdb4K0rmexl5Q5dQ2">Galehead</a></div>
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-16647052692091874242017-10-08T15:56:00.001-07:002018-02-05T11:57:15.753-08:00Mount Zealand (4,260'), Mount Guyot (4,580'), Mount Bond (4,698'), Bondcliff (4,265'), Mount Bond again (4,698'), West Bond (4,540'), Guyot site, Mount Guyot again (4,580'), South Twin (4,902'), North Twin (4,761')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Steve and I met at the Mount Washington Hotel bar on Friday night for some dinner and to watch playoff baseball (not many local options had both). We crashed at the seven dwarfs motel to get an early start on Saturday. We had heard Guyot campsite could be crowded and wanted to be early enough to claim a spot.<br />
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Dropped a car at the Haystack trailhead and continued over to Zealand road. The hike to zeacliff was pleasant in cool fall weather with some really impressive views in peak leaf season. The view from zeacliff was excellent and certainly the best we had of the weekend (one of the best of I've seen in the Whites). The clouds rolled in as we approached the Zealand summit and were with us for the rest of the trip. We knocked off Zealand and continued on to Guyot (not official 4K list).<br />
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We descended to the Guyot campsite and were among the first people to arrive. Grabbed a tent platform and dropped our gear to head out and hike the Bonds. On our way to the Bonds, we saw 20+ different people headed toward the Guyot tentsite. We were glad to have found a spot early.<br />
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The Bonds were uneventful, and wet. It's clear the views here would be incredible in better conditions but we couldn't see anything beyond 50 feet.<br />
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The Guyot site was packed when we got back (est. 50 people?) We shared a tent platform with a nice dude doing the Pemi loop, but it's close quarters there. Can't even imagine on a summer weekend with good weather. Given the good water source (there's a spring in the middle of the site), and the great location, I can understand the popularity.<br />
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We hiked out on Sunday over the two twins. We had contemplated getting Galehead too, but the weather was rough and neither of us had much interest to do it in the rain and fog. On the way down the weather turned and we finished up under blue skies.<br />
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Six more off the list.<br />
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Pictures here:<a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/FfKqAVX0oxVGSZgy2">Photos</a><br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-59907773008603446652017-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:002017-10-09T05:49:13.193-07:00Mount Whiteface (4,020') and Mount Passaconaway (4,043')<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AtQA2M9PW1L3DRscdD2COWNB1fLQys2l82s7NM4Zh9KlFDJd1inCKI7NsJtyBQpGYbNL-kSmTkiJvOINdO92loWn4K9Vv7FWViJyxTKw3VPWP0XWNsC6q_EcdRW6cnQO5tH_9_w9wJ8/s1600/IMG_0251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AtQA2M9PW1L3DRscdD2COWNB1fLQys2l82s7NM4Zh9KlFDJd1inCKI7NsJtyBQpGYbNL-kSmTkiJvOINdO92loWn4K9Vv7FWViJyxTKw3VPWP0XWNsC6q_EcdRW6cnQO5tH_9_w9wJ8/s640/IMG_0251.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Arrived at the Ferncroft trailhead right around 9:00 on Saturday. Parking lot was already nearly full on the unseasonably warm day. I was able to pack light with no rain or cool temperatures forecast.<br />
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(dirt road to the trailhead)</div>
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I ascended via the Blueberry Ledge trail. The early parts of the trail had many intermittent steep sections laced in with nice flat walks to catch your breath. Nearer the summit of Whiteface, it opened up into strictly steep sections with some great southern views. I had read not to do this trail in winter. After seeing some of the rock faces and scrambles, I concur with that recommendation. Nothing technical or difficult for dry warm weather though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28nPNiVoVfEbPHf5NLKFmE9a7_o08BictaMTFotWgD2CM8KwZHp6bgm1Ql6sH9eSGpxv6jlfs27m4VtfGQTQwHrhI7KATRLaYmi_dlKJRlBg6rgIZCBoSF6EGKXPhAfLsSD-u8iLSQ7A/s1600/20170923_110547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28nPNiVoVfEbPHf5NLKFmE9a7_o08BictaMTFotWgD2CM8KwZHp6bgm1Ql6sH9eSGpxv6jlfs27m4VtfGQTQwHrhI7KATRLaYmi_dlKJRlBg6rgIZCBoSF6EGKXPhAfLsSD-u8iLSQ7A/s400/20170923_110547.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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(scramble)</div>
I spent just a little time on the Whiteface summit and kept moving for Passaconaway. The trail between the two peaks was quite pleasant and mostly downhill. Arriving at the loop trail for the summit of Passaconaway, the trail gets very steep again. This was a rough and rugged trail with lots of large rocks and narrow sections. The summit itself has no views, but for an extra 0.3, you can get an awesome overlook facing north toward the Kanc. It was a worthwhile detour. </div>
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Slow going on the way down the Walden trail, and not much to see. I took the shortcut around Wonalancet because it was getting late and I had run out of water (dumb). </div>
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Got back to the car around 5:00 and drove ~1 hr to the Waterville campground for the night. Good trip all around and 2 more off the list. 13 to go.<br />
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Pictures here (mix of SLR and phone): <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/CbmakrOsLCPHupao1">Photos</a></div>
michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-39798149130319376022017-01-21T13:08:00.000-08:002017-01-31T13:23:17.244-08:00Mount Moosilauke (4,802') (2nd climb) <div class="MsoNormal">
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I was looking to do a shorter hike because I needed to be
back south for dinner. I had done Moosilauke in snow before, so I settled on it
as a good pick. I also wanted to scout out the Carriage path trail for possible
skiing later this winter.</div>
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The plan was to climb up via the gorge brook trail to the
summit, and then come down via Carriage road and Snapper. There was a nice
packed snow cover which was on the softer side. Spikes were mostly unnecessary,
but I wore them for added traction on the harder-packed/steeper sections. I
carried snowshoes but never took them off the pack. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At the trailhead, it was quite foggy, but I could see the sun through the fog, so I hoped I’d climb out of it (and did). Once above the first foggy layer, I hiked in relatively clear conditions until almost all the way to the summit. Unfortunately, the summit was fogged in as well. It was dense enough that I could not see from trail mark to trail mark, and being above the tree-line, I simply had to follow foot-prints in the snow and keep going uphill.</div>
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The summit was quite windy. I’d estimate gusts in the 35-50
mph range. Given the poor visibility, and no more foot prints to follow, I
decided it was too dangerous to try to find the carriage path solo. I followed
my own footprints back to the treeline and made my way back down. </div>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpMjaPcUenGrVJA6jtpTmHZlu4ZDfP-HnNoLiGyfTpMfA3wvxRSctIbhjrrBejOEF2sgFO_PBMjI8HnOWEbj3iP4pXfVZXDiwVYYt5ZWsJLB1mTf4z7QAeDMtsECEuuljaIGM1AsSchM/s0/20170121_114235.mp4" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6381882420826377330?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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(video of summit conditions)</div>
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Note: I checked out the new Deli in Truants (Merland's). Great sandwich and excellent beer selection. </div>
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<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/6hf7rBmxhraoRu1CA">Pictures here</a></div>
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-76812446145438755992016-12-27T11:20:00.000-08:002017-01-13T11:22:04.061-08:00Lonesome Lake Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenBRQCqDb_oM7uilb9d45eTGHf0EZYFhUlexH3CiH5v7Mwc-NRNnLlAFNICFSJ164OQlHIZW18nreuclyaiQEYL-d2GF6ZYEDiMRf_Sxh-rkz5wiUG9b4umHhmdep8Wr92SbPbP7nX4Y/s1600/IMG_3794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenBRQCqDb_oM7uilb9d45eTGHf0EZYFhUlexH3CiH5v7Mwc-NRNnLlAFNICFSJ164OQlHIZW18nreuclyaiQEYL-d2GF6ZYEDiMRf_Sxh-rkz5wiUG9b4umHhmdep8Wr92SbPbP7nX4Y/s640/IMG_3794.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's a tradition now. For the third year for Jimmy and I, and the second year for Jacqueline and Christine, we headed north to go hiking on Christmas vacation. We started mid-morning from the Basin right off of 93 and followed the bike path to the Lafayette camprgound. From there we headed up to the Lonesome Lake hut. The trail was very well packed down. We used spikes for traction, snowshoes were not necessary. We hung out at the Lonesome lake hut for a bit, and then made our way down the Cascade brook trail. Early on, snowshoes would have been better. The trail was badly post-holed, and deep in spots for the first bit.<br />
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There were a couple of iffy water crossings. We crossed on ice bridges, but didn't feel great about it. Everyone stayed dry.<br />
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Stayed at the Woodstock Inn and headed south in the morning.<br />
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Pictures here: https://goo.gl/photos/jZeVDDa67QhbWm6WAmichael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-46657147536542061332016-11-12T11:02:00.000-08:002016-11-21T11:16:25.138-08:00Owl's Head (4,025')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkkh0EkXxEqc8ukVwly25rcgOFGKZjUA4Qky4FqikO2UxbndXOVlLEcg3ll8whDsWNgBHm4mbWStHUNs-LPnVZrMOspNW2kiRpS5wetoawnBCfKuIVoWgvbcJIqled4RcDVfYAixJwAc/s1600/20161112_083436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkkh0EkXxEqc8ukVwly25rcgOFGKZjUA4Qky4FqikO2UxbndXOVlLEcg3ll8whDsWNgBHm4mbWStHUNs-LPnVZrMOspNW2kiRpS5wetoawnBCfKuIVoWgvbcJIqled4RcDVfYAixJwAc/s640/20161112_083436.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I headed up after work on Friday and grabbed one of the last
remaining sites at Hancock campground (in Mid-November… seriously). It snowed
while I set up my tent, but I managed to keep it dry. Grabbed dinner in
Woodstock and met Steve arriving from Portland back at the campground.<br />
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We hit the trail around 7:30 on Saturday morning. It starts
very wide and open (a mountain bike trail) for the first several miles. We
decided to attempt a bushwhack off the dead-end of the Black Pond trail on the
way to Owl’s Head and to just follow the main trail on the way back. The
benefit of the bushwhack is that it cuts off about a mile of distance and skips
two more substantial river crossings. </div>
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The bushwhack on the way to Owl’s Head is
easy because you just have to find a trail that you’re traveling perpendicular
to. On the way back it would have been quite difficult to do the Bushwhack on
the return trip because we’d need to be very precise and catch the end of the
Black Pond trail running parallel. Neither of us hike with a GPS.<o:p></o:p><br />
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We handled the bushwhack pretty well (traveling at approx.
350 magnetic) and reconnected with the Lincoln Brook trail pretty far west
(cutting off a good chunk of distance). There were a few minor water crossings
left which were made much more difficult by the nearly invisible thin layer of
ice covering many of rocks in the stream. We were glad to have skipped the more
substantial crossings, at least until the ice melted later in the day).<o:p></o:p></div>
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From the Lincoln Brook trail, the Owl’s Head path is
actually unmarked and not officially a trail. It’s basically an unmaintained
rockslide and herd path to the top. We spent a lot of time on the Lincoln Brook
trail staring off into the woods to the east to make sure we hadn’t missed the
path to the top. Missing it would have been pretty easy to do and cost us a ton
of time and distance. When we found it, it was marked with a small rock cairn
which helped. I’m told that rangers
sometimes take the cairn down. It strikes me that the safety concerns from
having hikers stumbling around searching for an unmarked trail is probably
substantially more dangerous than marking the entrance knowing that people will
be climbing the unmarked trail. Oh well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The climb to the top is quite steep (not dangerous, but
challenging) and required microspikes at points. We made the summit by around
noon which was good time. A couple of good views on the way up the rockslide,
but the summit is wooded and not much to see. </div>
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On the way back we opted to stay on the trail and add the extra distance to skip the bushwhack in the fading light. We just wanted to be sure we hit the water crossings before dark (which ended up being fine). The layer of ice that was present in the morning had mostly melted during the day, which made rock hopping much easier.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunset was at about 4:30, but being in the valley, it became quite dark shortly after 4. We finished with headlamps on and got back to the car right around 5:00. Book time was 10.5 hours and we did it in about 10. Distance was right around 20 miles.<br />
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I’ve read that Owl’s Head is an example of why
not to do the 4,000 footer list because it’s so far and the view so
unimpressive. I’ll disagree. I enjoy the challenge of getting to places that
are difficult to get to. The views we did get, were well earned. At the very
least it was a great walk in the woods, which is never bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We grabbed dinner at Black Mountain Burgers and made a big
fire. We both headed back home Sunday morning. I could barely walk on Sunday
afternoon, but I’ll still say “worth it”<br />
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Not much for pictures because we were hustling: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/fUVjCWk3dSJuum877">Pictures here</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-1504486374789330012016-06-11T12:10:00.000-07:002018-10-22T18:09:10.877-07:00Jungfrau Region<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm4N33rVHMmLcndUjd8cquTamfrc427JmSlK0HlC6c9jAvUV-PNhuG93T_gORwzid2BAO3-C7nHRa0aYsrd2_EkxP0SaUS4rGJ1IxuhkoTdgA0sfRj7mWE9sKuSo2Rvk1SEs5VI0n75g/s1600/20160612_083632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm4N33rVHMmLcndUjd8cquTamfrc427JmSlK0HlC6c9jAvUV-PNhuG93T_gORwzid2BAO3-C7nHRa0aYsrd2_EkxP0SaUS4rGJ1IxuhkoTdgA0sfRj7mWE9sKuSo2Rvk1SEs5VI0n75g/s640/20160612_083632.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Recapping this a few months after the fact, but based on emails and pictures I can piece it together. I'll reference the trail map included below. Because I backtracked, I lettered the path to make it more clear (A-H).<br />
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Left Murren on a rainy morning (Trail mark A). The north face trail climbs a narrow paved road at first, and then exits onto a farm path with lots of very large, not very shy cows. At several points, I had to navigate around groups of cows blocking gates and pathways. Not being a farm guy, they're pretty intimidating up close, but I got the sense they're harmless. From there I continued on the #3 trail (pink) climbing steeply up the side of the Schilthorn with lots of switchbacks. The rain stopped and in the brief periods that the clouds broke, the scenery was incredible. There was still a decent amount of snow (considering it was June).<br />
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I continued on the ridge below Bryndli (Trail mark B) and worked my way up to the Rotstockhutte. Before I left on this hike, in town, I had a hard time getting a sense for the trails and what was "safe" to do. When I arrived in Murren, I was carrying some of the luggage from my business trip, so I probably didn't look like much of a hiker. The recommendations I got were mostly paved paths and chair lifts. I was not trying to get into any ice climbing, but I don't mind some snow, and certainly can comfortably climb some grades. The B&B host discouraged me from going upward in altitude at all, and told me that the trail up Schilthorn was "closed". There's nothing marking closed trails, so I took a method of cautiously going where I wanted and backtracking if it got ugly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xtoID6vtBUOrPLWhrTA9eMlco3DyvKeIhl7q968769rgCMBYBq0mptgguL3pe8GaSGa8BWaK0ZPmTp9Zau0C_gYd7RU5EWyZA7zZPRDiEJk7iZmZKHxLfRjHej-YL4T3WrQ69gtGssI/s1600/20160611_135636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xtoID6vtBUOrPLWhrTA9eMlco3DyvKeIhl7q968769rgCMBYBq0mptgguL3pe8GaSGa8BWaK0ZPmTp9Zau0C_gYd7RU5EWyZA7zZPRDiEJk7iZmZKHxLfRjHej-YL4T3WrQ69gtGssI/s320/20160611_135636.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Back at the Rotstockhutte (Trail mark C), the clouds cleared and I got some incredible views of the valley down to Lauterbrunnen and across the valley at the Eiger. I could also see Schilthorn from there. I never really intended to go all the way up because I knew the trails were closed, but this was my first view at how impassible it really was. The steep ridge was covered in ice, and precariously balanced 15 foot tall walls of snow overhung various points of the trail. The sound of avalanches in the valley below, made it an easy call to stop going any further up-hill. I got some soup and crackers from the hut and continued on my way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH9C0L8lAwl-YxFoxeCHFCr2c_U29FbiEaxwBY59ThBY7-iMiCbaqglnwdYySEro94Oi8AujHrGbf_4yswzmiBNri5G_JMF_tUBe-OVxu1yOfT-rHX4aQeEu_WGj08XpRvneAYHvIeM8/s1600/20160611_122843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH9C0L8lAwl-YxFoxeCHFCr2c_U29FbiEaxwBY59ThBY7-iMiCbaqglnwdYySEro94Oi8AujHrGbf_4yswzmiBNri5G_JMF_tUBe-OVxu1yOfT-rHX4aQeEu_WGj08XpRvneAYHvIeM8/s400/20160611_122843.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3SJmnbEyRjTQmsafJMeo3oXXwZ-lI7Brogikv2nD7OnKNNTHUp2sSO3miXJYkPeehDqJyp4poMyJ4Twc-DUqX209kZTZeXMkppSCZ_4xSNfhHSm20WikG3IoodumxfFdVelCNsKIZOk/s1600/20160611_122931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3SJmnbEyRjTQmsafJMeo3oXXwZ-lI7Brogikv2nD7OnKNNTHUp2sSO3miXJYkPeehDqJyp4poMyJ4Twc-DUqX209kZTZeXMkppSCZ_4xSNfhHSm20WikG3IoodumxfFdVelCNsKIZOk/s640/20160611_122931.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From the Rotstockhutte I decided I'd try to take the #11 trail back to Schiltalp and reconnect with the Northface trail to get back down to Murren. I climbed the south side of the Wasenegg ridge (Trail Mark D) which is a mostly gradual climb, but increases in grade as you approach the ridge. At the top, I could see down into the valley below. It was quite clear that descending the North side of the Wasenegg was not happening (Trail Mark E). A snow bowl had formed and collected at least 8 or 9 feet high. It was a perfect crevasse recipe. My legs were still feeling good, so I decided to take one more crack at descending the north side of the Wasenegg ridge from a different (and hopefully safer route). I had heard from my brother Jimmy, that walking along the Wasenegg was disorienting. It's about as wide as a sidewalk, so quite safe to walk along, but on either side of the sidewalk is a fall that would last about 1,000 feet and not end well. If you're walking along a sidewalk, there's little risk of suddenly stepping off, but the stakes are certainly elevated walking this sort-of tightrope.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrDhKCqE7B3McMqBUHEct3y4T-ou80BdhFKWUWNkzwC_sc3W4lbxHhGVmnv4KK6u93o_jj5dzxJHFve_Lq90vDjrKiwLy4m4jAgmwFJxKS_UIdSzWBy2hj6Bs7r9iFf0fgeRG-IOnVQ/s1600/20160611_143343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UrDhKCqE7B3McMqBUHEct3y4T-ou80BdhFKWUWNkzwC_sc3W4lbxHhGVmnv4KK6u93o_jj5dzxJHFve_Lq90vDjrKiwLy4m4jAgmwFJxKS_UIdSzWBy2hj6Bs7r9iFf0fgeRG-IOnVQ/s400/20160611_143343.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50tJ1hkpLr4Fz4CifhfY07Os5pilq0O-WCU9Qvm6gbKgFM7xT7XJAzT3OxVx-Rz-aRAX0daLS50IYiigY859KjqvXMOAjOK3M5pyBF65Nl4B049KSIzVkTyDJbw7545Aos_Qqc-ar8FI/s1600/20160611_135337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50tJ1hkpLr4Fz4CifhfY07Os5pilq0O-WCU9Qvm6gbKgFM7xT7XJAzT3OxVx-Rz-aRAX0daLS50IYiigY859KjqvXMOAjOK3M5pyBF65Nl4B049KSIzVkTyDJbw7545Aos_Qqc-ar8FI/s400/20160611_135337.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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("the sidewalk")</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAVtfoFV0-gBDnPqL_zxvOpqD9fFB6RGi924wVlzSNxMf-v_BS_nftzWZUs_BW6yPaeZwWdowyF4hE-JzDa6yBQR1W6Wts0vaewYrUfBNBkl0JbzqQ8gr3lV9l5chJLrhVPpIDXtpg0o/s1600/20160611_142210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAVtfoFV0-gBDnPqL_zxvOpqD9fFB6RGi924wVlzSNxMf-v_BS_nftzWZUs_BW6yPaeZwWdowyF4hE-JzDa6yBQR1W6Wts0vaewYrUfBNBkl0JbzqQ8gr3lV9l5chJLrhVPpIDXtpg0o/s400/20160611_142210.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I headed west, climbing uphill toward the Schilthorn. To the south, the rocky ridge descended back down to the valley near the Rotstockhutte. To the North, the snow bowl continued to be a daunting obstacle. I made it to the high western edge of the Wasenegg ridge (Trail Mark F) where the last trail branched north into the snowbowl, but again found it impassable. I backtracked east along the ridge toward Bryndli, once again, trying not to look down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSOWsNlKiijcd-CrBF56PYcoQrDEdL3YD49mCpFYJQ5o_0EFBtCmKysJhE7aOGo0bDI-1n6hdQ9BISw2L8lSqvA4arGbHnHz1iwdANBAfYufOT0BqVabQOmBmBDjAaRPHmBZV9LTW8oM/s1600/20160611_141247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSOWsNlKiijcd-CrBF56PYcoQrDEdL3YD49mCpFYJQ5o_0EFBtCmKysJhE7aOGo0bDI-1n6hdQ9BISw2L8lSqvA4arGbHnHz1iwdANBAfYufOT0BqVabQOmBmBDjAaRPHmBZV9LTW8oM/s400/20160611_141247.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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(not climbing down that)</div>
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When I got back to the eastern part of the Wasenegg where I started, rather than backtracking, I decided to make my way all the way down the east side of the ridge called "Bryndli" (Trail Mark G). This part was scary. The trail narrowed, and the ridge got steeper. Because of some major erosion, the "sidewalk" narrowed substantially, and was no longer flat, but rather pitched at a 45 degree angle down hill. There was a traverse rope to navigate this portion, but that's a lot of faith to put in a stranger's rope. I very carefully side stepped across the Bryndli section and stayed very low to the ground to avoid losing my balance in a gust or muddy slip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVcYmeKlXybTtNVO4dW53E4af1liX51168Qn_RDj-Lfls3GQqTRgV9zPMaspYYRChbbBVXiz_Kr1JZqdvYppz2pe0mq_8Ks8cr7CMNg04HFCt4_gtQ9vSomvyU-axtPOLWmp5z6PIn38/s1600/20160611_144650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVcYmeKlXybTtNVO4dW53E4af1liX51168Qn_RDj-Lfls3GQqTRgV9zPMaspYYRChbbBVXiz_Kr1JZqdvYppz2pe0mq_8Ks8cr7CMNg04HFCt4_gtQ9vSomvyU-axtPOLWmp5z6PIn38/s400/20160611_144650.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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(I don't have a picture of the worst part for obvious reasons)</div>
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After Bryndli, it was mostly back tracking to Murren (Trail Mark H). I cleaned up and headed over to the Eiger Guesthouse to watch the Euro cup. Pretty great day.<br />
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While the clouds and rain were not ideal, they made me appreciate the unbelievable views when the weather cleared. This area was the most beautiful place I've ever seen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCIZyuy5dU0VpbZN95I9Bq2RgupprHIlAdTQ55Ez2XpePIdadRee8tcRYOw4A6cCtXUOy_5Al7BJpAUXKSjeNqlCCnlOE5_WUo29E7PqQPGba9QLINp53L8AcX3gWttDiuCJEKRwlO1Y/s1600/murren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCIZyuy5dU0VpbZN95I9Bq2RgupprHIlAdTQ55Ez2XpePIdadRee8tcRYOw4A6cCtXUOy_5Al7BJpAUXKSjeNqlCCnlOE5_WUo29E7PqQPGba9QLINp53L8AcX3gWttDiuCJEKRwlO1Y/s1600/murren.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOpMsWqAqnHWJs-tIb2WGFp6JI8YuLBpiiGsk3a9zei6r4adprbKXKjFgNMrsIvqUBaENeH9X3K6kxNgpNlyl8dupgWJExN5ILvuqOJdW7B6v8dkse_acDAnGQuq8xJtHDSAT1t0IFb8/s1600/murren+topo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOpMsWqAqnHWJs-tIb2WGFp6JI8YuLBpiiGsk3a9zei6r4adprbKXKjFgNMrsIvqUBaENeH9X3K6kxNgpNlyl8dupgWJExN5ILvuqOJdW7B6v8dkse_acDAnGQuq8xJtHDSAT1t0IFb8/s1600/murren+topo.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hike and other Murren Pictures <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/ciYWyaALybwPJkrn7">here</a><br />
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<br />michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791908820356877145.post-66846255050882479452016-02-06T11:43:00.000-08:002016-02-08T12:22:36.191-08:00Mount Moriah (4,049')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCwMsdb7ZNTz8IkytRDK7k5VGRNz0obugNNgApSDrJ4U01tJJnI6inwQDuvGRGJsLkbG2RbryiTdVlPsVkDaFUNvxtdAD3KUoHvpZM-98MAs3LM9asGtijVBI-tyPexZ2Onn-QnmoVlE/s1600/IMG_9788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCwMsdb7ZNTz8IkytRDK7k5VGRNz0obugNNgApSDrJ4U01tJJnI6inwQDuvGRGJsLkbG2RbryiTdVlPsVkDaFUNvxtdAD3KUoHvpZM-98MAs3LM9asGtijVBI-tyPexZ2Onn-QnmoVlE/s640/IMG_9788.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Headed north around 6:30 arriving at the Carter-Moriah trailhead in Gorham at about 9:45. The out-and-back trip up to the Moriah Summit is 9 miles with 3,550 feet of elevation gain with a book time of 6 hours, 15 minutes.<br />
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There was very little snow, but the trail was frozen from the parking lot. Footing was tough right away, and I had to take hard steps with the microspikes to gain good traction. For the most part the bottom third of the trail was very fast moving and not too steep. I was trying out my new winter boots for the first time (Solomon X Ultra Winter) and opened up some solid blisters almost immediately (which was expected). </div>
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The middle third of the trail was not as fun. There were lots of short steep sections which would have been fine if they were dry or well covered in snow; however, the thick layer of hardened ice made them very challenging to navigate with just microspikes. Full crampons would have been much better. On a few of the steeper sections, I actually backtracked to make sure I could safely get down them too. I didn't want to get all the way to the top and figure out that it was too slippery to get down.</div>
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The summit had awesome views in all directions and the wind was light so I was able to enjoy it for a bit.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgyN2PdyKRlOBZgGW9OlmAf-HmTCJKoNb56mny9ZC7BKDzbM6wy2fVnJJLEKE4heuSH3oLqCGenmdWqkKJLtmNe518Htbzwzjq-02bKeG73OUEFzwoxYtxWSWbuxXMnCVqGENwrj7dm0/s1600/IMG_4509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgyN2PdyKRlOBZgGW9OlmAf-HmTCJKoNb56mny9ZC7BKDzbM6wy2fVnJJLEKE4heuSH3oLqCGenmdWqkKJLtmNe518Htbzwzjq-02bKeG73OUEFzwoxYtxWSWbuxXMnCVqGENwrj7dm0/s320/IMG_4509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The way down was pretty quick but challenging. The steeper sections required sledding on my butt and using the spikes to keep from going to fast. Pretty sore all over by the time I got down. Here's an example of one of the trickier rock slides:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4THz-XhD9Zm2XbWL-MWeuOa-xFbQ7WxOpodSDvyxPcrfozSL0GhTqE4LGVXGYTXSYBSMT5ziVJHX-eXEtRF2aTHwzf5TqskqLxUndATfxr4o-0KSKi_-tIcK7ytzZ-1UJAw22zrs-NE/s1600/IMG_4498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4THz-XhD9Zm2XbWL-MWeuOa-xFbQ7WxOpodSDvyxPcrfozSL0GhTqE4LGVXGYTXSYBSMT5ziVJHX-eXEtRF2aTHwzf5TqskqLxUndATfxr4o-0KSKi_-tIcK7ytzZ-1UJAw22zrs-NE/s320/IMG_4498.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made it down in just under 6 hours which was pretty good considering the amount of time I spent staring at the steep parts figuring out the best way up or down. There were a few other groups on the trail and everyone had some form of traction. The few with crampons seemed to be cruising. I saw one guy with Yak-Tracks (just chains, no spikes) I have no idea how he made it down. Must have sledded the whole way.</div>
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I also tried out my Spot PLB tracking for the first time. It spits out a cool report that shows your time splits every 10 minutes:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbTSSPH-3Ngcf3FCZCoUrmTBVR4cX5Y6NSddXT5EkJkMJOM2-ElL3Vs4AeA-22OrY3d3-OzMuteAFr4PfBxZdBAILdR1Z82S3CLnR-ETxJ3ZPF-N-nB7p4_mJ15mMU8R1DuUa1GHA3dI/s1600/Spot+gen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbTSSPH-3Ngcf3FCZCoUrmTBVR4cX5Y6NSddXT5EkJkMJOM2-ElL3Vs4AeA-22OrY3d3-OzMuteAFr4PfBxZdBAILdR1Z82S3CLnR-ETxJ3ZPF-N-nB7p4_mJ15mMU8R1DuUa1GHA3dI/s320/Spot+gen3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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SLR and iPhone pictures <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/CqQ1GGKUNx6wt8rZA">here</a></div>
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michael.j.maxwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02418255743363048293noreply@blogger.com0