BIGEarl
Well-known member
July 7, 2012: Tecumseh, Passaconaway, and Sandwich Creamery
Tecumseh:
Trails: Mt. Tecumseh Trail
Passaconaway:
Trails: Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Tecumseh and Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Tecumseh:
The first part of our plans for the day was to return to Tecumseh and complete the hike we bailed on a week earlier. In the course of my usual hike prep I noticed some warnings posted by the State for Route 49 leading to Waterville Valley indicating it would be a good place to avoid all weekend due to runners on the road. After a little more digging I learned the Black Fly Triathlon was the event responsible for the traffic concerns.
One other vehicle was in the lot ahead of us. The conditions were generally overcast and comfortable but the humidity was high. The forecast indicated there was a chance of thunderstorms later in the day. With an early start we headed up Mt. Tecumseh Trail.
The trail was clear and in great shape. Right from the trailhead we settled into a comfortable pace and worked our way up the trail. A short distance from the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook we met a couple others on their way out. By the time we reached the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook I was really up to temperature and drenched. We made the crossing and continued on to the viewpoint spur where we had a short break.
Soon we were back on the move and working our way up the long ramp leading to the ridge. On the way we noticed the clouds were starting to break up and the overcast conditions were becoming partly cloudy. It was looking like the experts were again wrong in the right direction. The forecast also indicated there would be a nice breeze of ~10 mph between 2500 and 4000 feet – where was it? We reached the ridge and started getting the breeze; nice. From there to the summit is a short walk with a small amount of additional elevation. Before long we were at the summit cairn getting the usual pictures.
I noticed the views on the east side of the summit are a little more open than they were in the past. Evidently, a couple trees have fallen over; once one more tree falls over there should be a nice unobstructed view to The Osceolas. We finished with our pictures and took off for the trailhead.
On the way out we met a steady stream of people on their climb. We continued to the trailhead generally without any stops along the way. At the trailhead we found a pretty good line-up of vehicles in the lot and a number of people preparing to set off on their climb. We loaded our things into the truck and headed for Livermore to use the facilities. There was a small number of vehicles in the lot at the Livermore Trailhead. We noticed Ed Hawkins’ truck was one of the vehicles in the line-up.
At the turn onto Tripoli Road we were stopped by the Black Fly Triathlon. This section of Tripoli Road was part of the race route and the intersection was a turn-around point. There were runners on both sides of the road headed in opposite directions. Eventually we were allowed onto the road with instructions to drive in the middle to avoid the runners. We carefully made our way to Livermore and then back out to Tripoli Road. Instead of heading back out to Route 49 and on to the highway, we just made a right onto Tripoli Road and drove it to the highway.
Passaconaway:
The Ferncroft Trailhead was a very busy place. We found one open but very tight parking place and squeezed in. There was one other vehicle following us in that ended up parked at the kiosk. We started to get our things ready for our second hike. Just as I finished adding water to my pack I noticed a hiker headed our way. It was Becca getting ready for a little redlining in the area; a knee injury is keeping her out of the higher elevations for a while. She stopped to say hi. We had a short visit but were soon on our way. The conditions continued to improve and now we had partly cloudy, hot, and very humid. I wanted to get away from the trailhead and into the shaded areas of the trail quickly.
We were treated to very dry trail. All of the usual mud pits, even the ones that seem to never get dry on the lower part of Dicey’s Mill Trail were dry. We enjoyed a clean hike to the summit. The lower part of the trail from the trailhead to the crossing of Wonalancet River at the site of Dicey’s Mill was fairly fast; it’s a mild 2.3 miles with less than 1000 feet of elevation on the way.
After crossing the river we started the long climb to the ridge. Similar to the climb on Tecumseh, the climb to the junction with Rollins Trail is a long ramp. It’s a fairly mild climb but after a while it seems endless, especially on such a hot and humid day. We found a suitable pace and just climbed. We made more stops than usual, mostly for water. Both Sue and I were going through it faster than usual. For me it seemed I was dumping it through perspiration as fast as I was taking it in from the reservoir. We kept up the starting and stopping all of the way to the junction with Rollins Trail. Reaching that milestone seemed to provide a boost and we were on our way to Passaconaway.
From the Rollins junction to the summit is a short .9 miles and only ~750 feet of elevation. There are some really nice switchbacks along the way making the elevation gain a lot easier. We made it to the trail split near Camp Rich, took the left choice and headed up. Before long we were on the upper steep sections and soon on the open ledge near the summit. The conditions were a little hazy but we were able to enjoy views to Franconia Ridge, Kinsman Ridge, and beyond. After getting a few pictures at the viewpoint we continued to the viewless summit area and then returned to the ledge for a couple summit cookies.
We sat on the ledge for a while enjoying a nice breeze but soon it was time to go. We still had one more target to hit before the day was over. The hike out was more of the same; stop for a quick drink and go. We were able to keep a fairly constant pace on the hike out but there were many more water stops than usual. Fortunately, neither of us ran out on the way; I think we both recognized the difficult conditions at the start and brought extra to drink.
Once we cleared the crossing of Wonalancet River we had most of the downhill grade behind us and were left with a little less than three miles of relatively flat terrain leading back to the trailhead. We made it past Tom Wiggin Trail junction, the bridge to Blueberry Cutoff, and finally the large field. From there it was a short road walk to the trailhead lot. By the time we returned most of the other vehicles were gone. We changed into our traveling footwear, loaded our things into the truck, and took off for our third and final target.
Sandwich Creamery:
From past experience I know it isn’t possible to place an order for a particular item but I decided making the request couldn’t hurt. A couple days ahead I sent a note to Tom & Lisa at Sandwich Creamery to let them know we planned to stop by with an estimated time and asking if they could have some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in the freezer. Mint Chocolate Chip is very high on Sue’s list of favorite flavors, perhaps at the top. We pulled in just as the only other vehicle around was leaving.
Inside we both stood over the freezer examining the choices and noticed Mint Chocolate Chip in the mid-size container. This was more than Sue really wanted but she first went for it. I guess there’s no such thing as too much Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. After a little more checking we found Mint Chocolate Chip was also there in the large size and small size containers. Sue made the change (she went smaller). It’s been quite a few years since I had pistachio ice cream and when I noticed it in the freezer there was no hesitation at all. We paid for our treats; we tossed our change into the change pan, and the bills went into the mail slot.
Now we’ll properly finish a hot day in the mountains with some ice cream. Unfortunately, Sue’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream had very little in the way of chocolate chips. Sue said it tasted good but Mint Chocolate Chips needed chocolate chips and it’s tough to imagine too many. I asked Sue if she wanted to try something different but again she said it was fine, it tasted good, just needed more chocolate chips.
While we were making our way through our after-hike treats six other vehicles pulled in. It really was a good day for ice cream.
Pictures will follow.
Tecumseh:
Trails: Mt. Tecumseh Trail
Passaconaway:
Trails: Dicey’s Mill Trail
Summits: Tecumseh and Passaconaway
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
Tecumseh:
The first part of our plans for the day was to return to Tecumseh and complete the hike we bailed on a week earlier. In the course of my usual hike prep I noticed some warnings posted by the State for Route 49 leading to Waterville Valley indicating it would be a good place to avoid all weekend due to runners on the road. After a little more digging I learned the Black Fly Triathlon was the event responsible for the traffic concerns.
One other vehicle was in the lot ahead of us. The conditions were generally overcast and comfortable but the humidity was high. The forecast indicated there was a chance of thunderstorms later in the day. With an early start we headed up Mt. Tecumseh Trail.
The trail was clear and in great shape. Right from the trailhead we settled into a comfortable pace and worked our way up the trail. A short distance from the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook we met a couple others on their way out. By the time we reached the upper crossing of Tecumseh Brook I was really up to temperature and drenched. We made the crossing and continued on to the viewpoint spur where we had a short break.
Soon we were back on the move and working our way up the long ramp leading to the ridge. On the way we noticed the clouds were starting to break up and the overcast conditions were becoming partly cloudy. It was looking like the experts were again wrong in the right direction. The forecast also indicated there would be a nice breeze of ~10 mph between 2500 and 4000 feet – where was it? We reached the ridge and started getting the breeze; nice. From there to the summit is a short walk with a small amount of additional elevation. Before long we were at the summit cairn getting the usual pictures.
I noticed the views on the east side of the summit are a little more open than they were in the past. Evidently, a couple trees have fallen over; once one more tree falls over there should be a nice unobstructed view to The Osceolas. We finished with our pictures and took off for the trailhead.
On the way out we met a steady stream of people on their climb. We continued to the trailhead generally without any stops along the way. At the trailhead we found a pretty good line-up of vehicles in the lot and a number of people preparing to set off on their climb. We loaded our things into the truck and headed for Livermore to use the facilities. There was a small number of vehicles in the lot at the Livermore Trailhead. We noticed Ed Hawkins’ truck was one of the vehicles in the line-up.
At the turn onto Tripoli Road we were stopped by the Black Fly Triathlon. This section of Tripoli Road was part of the race route and the intersection was a turn-around point. There were runners on both sides of the road headed in opposite directions. Eventually we were allowed onto the road with instructions to drive in the middle to avoid the runners. We carefully made our way to Livermore and then back out to Tripoli Road. Instead of heading back out to Route 49 and on to the highway, we just made a right onto Tripoli Road and drove it to the highway.
Passaconaway:
The Ferncroft Trailhead was a very busy place. We found one open but very tight parking place and squeezed in. There was one other vehicle following us in that ended up parked at the kiosk. We started to get our things ready for our second hike. Just as I finished adding water to my pack I noticed a hiker headed our way. It was Becca getting ready for a little redlining in the area; a knee injury is keeping her out of the higher elevations for a while. She stopped to say hi. We had a short visit but were soon on our way. The conditions continued to improve and now we had partly cloudy, hot, and very humid. I wanted to get away from the trailhead and into the shaded areas of the trail quickly.
We were treated to very dry trail. All of the usual mud pits, even the ones that seem to never get dry on the lower part of Dicey’s Mill Trail were dry. We enjoyed a clean hike to the summit. The lower part of the trail from the trailhead to the crossing of Wonalancet River at the site of Dicey’s Mill was fairly fast; it’s a mild 2.3 miles with less than 1000 feet of elevation on the way.
After crossing the river we started the long climb to the ridge. Similar to the climb on Tecumseh, the climb to the junction with Rollins Trail is a long ramp. It’s a fairly mild climb but after a while it seems endless, especially on such a hot and humid day. We found a suitable pace and just climbed. We made more stops than usual, mostly for water. Both Sue and I were going through it faster than usual. For me it seemed I was dumping it through perspiration as fast as I was taking it in from the reservoir. We kept up the starting and stopping all of the way to the junction with Rollins Trail. Reaching that milestone seemed to provide a boost and we were on our way to Passaconaway.
From the Rollins junction to the summit is a short .9 miles and only ~750 feet of elevation. There are some really nice switchbacks along the way making the elevation gain a lot easier. We made it to the trail split near Camp Rich, took the left choice and headed up. Before long we were on the upper steep sections and soon on the open ledge near the summit. The conditions were a little hazy but we were able to enjoy views to Franconia Ridge, Kinsman Ridge, and beyond. After getting a few pictures at the viewpoint we continued to the viewless summit area and then returned to the ledge for a couple summit cookies.
We sat on the ledge for a while enjoying a nice breeze but soon it was time to go. We still had one more target to hit before the day was over. The hike out was more of the same; stop for a quick drink and go. We were able to keep a fairly constant pace on the hike out but there were many more water stops than usual. Fortunately, neither of us ran out on the way; I think we both recognized the difficult conditions at the start and brought extra to drink.
Once we cleared the crossing of Wonalancet River we had most of the downhill grade behind us and were left with a little less than three miles of relatively flat terrain leading back to the trailhead. We made it past Tom Wiggin Trail junction, the bridge to Blueberry Cutoff, and finally the large field. From there it was a short road walk to the trailhead lot. By the time we returned most of the other vehicles were gone. We changed into our traveling footwear, loaded our things into the truck, and took off for our third and final target.
Sandwich Creamery:
From past experience I know it isn’t possible to place an order for a particular item but I decided making the request couldn’t hurt. A couple days ahead I sent a note to Tom & Lisa at Sandwich Creamery to let them know we planned to stop by with an estimated time and asking if they could have some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in the freezer. Mint Chocolate Chip is very high on Sue’s list of favorite flavors, perhaps at the top. We pulled in just as the only other vehicle around was leaving.
Inside we both stood over the freezer examining the choices and noticed Mint Chocolate Chip in the mid-size container. This was more than Sue really wanted but she first went for it. I guess there’s no such thing as too much Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. After a little more checking we found Mint Chocolate Chip was also there in the large size and small size containers. Sue made the change (she went smaller). It’s been quite a few years since I had pistachio ice cream and when I noticed it in the freezer there was no hesitation at all. We paid for our treats; we tossed our change into the change pan, and the bills went into the mail slot.
Now we’ll properly finish a hot day in the mountains with some ice cream. Unfortunately, Sue’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream had very little in the way of chocolate chips. Sue said it tasted good but Mint Chocolate Chips needed chocolate chips and it’s tough to imagine too many. I asked Sue if she wanted to try something different but again she said it was fine, it tasted good, just needed more chocolate chips.
While we were making our way through our after-hike treats six other vehicles pulled in. It really was a good day for ice cream.
Pictures will follow.
