After a somewhat snowless but cloudy day on Saturday, I just had to get out on Sunday as the forecasts were looking good. The clouds cleared out early evening and the moon was shining bright which further indicated that Sunday could be special. The low temp was -12 in Berlin but Sunday AM looked clear. I had a week on the road ahead but just had to get out even though I needed to get back early. Living in the whites I have several choices but my general go to short hike is Starr King and if I am in the mood Waumbek. Generally the Kilkenny range clears its summits quicker than the presidentials and several times over the years I have been in the sun on Starr King watching it snow on the presidentials. The other thing I like is the well graded carriage path than transitions over to a bridle path, the grade is about as consistent as can be. During the summer the hardwood canopy blocks out most views but on winters day with a low sun angle the views through the woods are quite good and its easy to get a bit too much sun. The conditions were closer to early winter with no more than 8 or so inches of snow topping out at best to 12" plus on the summits. Despite the low snow, the upper elevations firs had very consistent snow covered crowns and the bright sun illuminated them as thoughit had just snowed. The temps were just below freezing so dripping wasn't an issue but it was close in few spots. There was zero wind for much of the day. After a steady climb without a lot of stops except to shed layers I made it out to Star King. The cleared view from few years ago is holding up well. With some moving around to avoid a few trees that weren't cut I was able to see the majority of the AT's route from Madison south to the Kinsmans. The subsidiary views just before the fireplace were a bit of a disappointment as they weren't cleared and without the traditional snow depth, the views are non existent at most of the spots and obscured at others. When I did catch glimpses to the west and north it was obvious that it was 100 mile plus day. There is newer spot with view east northeast and although obscured by trees in spots, I believe I could see the Saddleback Abraham range well to the east. I was somewhat surprised that the new windfarm in Berlin was not readily visible, I expect the ridgeline between waumbec and the Weeks may be blocking it.
While hanging out at the Starr King summit, a pair of very laid back Gray Jays stopped by. They were definitely not aggressive, if treats were offered they took their time flying over and once over tended to hang around on my glove for longer than normal. After enjoying the super views I looked at my watch and decided that a walk over to Waumbek wasn't in the cards. I had a quick hike down and met a few folks along the trail including a couple of folks with sliding devices. In my opinion the trail was a bit bonier than I would typically butt silde on and it was potentially fast with not much depth to the sides to keep from heading into the woods. I later met a solo female hiker with an enthusiastic dog who had borrowed a swiss bob from a friend and expect that was the perfect device for the day as its double wall construction means that a rock sticking up is absorbed by the sled and not the tailbone. Of course staying in the track would still be an issue.
When I got down to my car I realized that the Polish Princess bakery in Lancaster was still open so I went to get a carb fix. This spot has become the weekend go to place for many in the area, the selection is not huge but everything offered is fresh and first class. I am not a coffee drinker but I expect its probably the only place west of White Mountain Café in Gorham for those who want high end coffee. I took the back road back to Jefferson north of RT 2 and by then the Kilkennys had great lighting. I challenge anyone to come up on a day like Sunday and not get tempted to look at the local real estate listings
In general days like this at or near the end of January are rare, the coldest part of the winter which usually occurs around the full moon of January. The forecast for this week is above average temps. Another minor plus for hikers but a major hit to the local economy is that the snow pack is really not adequate for the snowmobiling industry, some sleds are out on the trails but most clubs aren't grooming so the drone of sleds is far less prevalent than many years.
Logistics wise, the summer trail head had two cars parked in it and no discernible snow pile at the entrance. Its definitely passable for most AWD vehicles. The large winter lot on the south side of the RT 2 was plowed out quite large this year and unlike many years it wasn't a skating rink, although it still has the potential to be a rough pull out onto RT2. There are two large blowdowns in the hardwood section of the hike, the woods are open and there is distinct reroute so they are not an issue and would require cross cut saw or a sharp ax to deal with . There is another somewhat more significant "leaner" in the softwoods that when it comes down will be more of an issue but its perpendicular to the trail so it just will be climb over. For planning purposes, I know that Starr King/Waumbek is a long drive for many folks but the great thing is that a hiker is rewarded for a later than normal start. Due to the orientation of the trail, the sun take awhile to light up the woods and since it faces west you can walk down and watch the sunset. I generally target a 9:30 to 10AM start but have done as late as noon, although later in the season it can get real sticky down low on a late day. At best its a 4.5 hour round trip hike so no need to rush.
While hanging out at the Starr King summit, a pair of very laid back Gray Jays stopped by. They were definitely not aggressive, if treats were offered they took their time flying over and once over tended to hang around on my glove for longer than normal. After enjoying the super views I looked at my watch and decided that a walk over to Waumbek wasn't in the cards. I had a quick hike down and met a few folks along the trail including a couple of folks with sliding devices. In my opinion the trail was a bit bonier than I would typically butt silde on and it was potentially fast with not much depth to the sides to keep from heading into the woods. I later met a solo female hiker with an enthusiastic dog who had borrowed a swiss bob from a friend and expect that was the perfect device for the day as its double wall construction means that a rock sticking up is absorbed by the sled and not the tailbone. Of course staying in the track would still be an issue.
When I got down to my car I realized that the Polish Princess bakery in Lancaster was still open so I went to get a carb fix. This spot has become the weekend go to place for many in the area, the selection is not huge but everything offered is fresh and first class. I am not a coffee drinker but I expect its probably the only place west of White Mountain Café in Gorham for those who want high end coffee. I took the back road back to Jefferson north of RT 2 and by then the Kilkennys had great lighting. I challenge anyone to come up on a day like Sunday and not get tempted to look at the local real estate listings
In general days like this at or near the end of January are rare, the coldest part of the winter which usually occurs around the full moon of January. The forecast for this week is above average temps. Another minor plus for hikers but a major hit to the local economy is that the snow pack is really not adequate for the snowmobiling industry, some sleds are out on the trails but most clubs aren't grooming so the drone of sleds is far less prevalent than many years.
Logistics wise, the summer trail head had two cars parked in it and no discernible snow pile at the entrance. Its definitely passable for most AWD vehicles. The large winter lot on the south side of the RT 2 was plowed out quite large this year and unlike many years it wasn't a skating rink, although it still has the potential to be a rough pull out onto RT2. There are two large blowdowns in the hardwood section of the hike, the woods are open and there is distinct reroute so they are not an issue and would require cross cut saw or a sharp ax to deal with . There is another somewhat more significant "leaner" in the softwoods that when it comes down will be more of an issue but its perpendicular to the trail so it just will be climb over. For planning purposes, I know that Starr King/Waumbek is a long drive for many folks but the great thing is that a hiker is rewarded for a later than normal start. Due to the orientation of the trail, the sun take awhile to light up the woods and since it faces west you can walk down and watch the sunset. I generally target a 9:30 to 10AM start but have done as late as noon, although later in the season it can get real sticky down low on a late day. At best its a 4.5 hour round trip hike so no need to rush.
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