Roxi
Active member
I hate limitations. I knew from my Dec hike up Mt Crawford’s slippery summit, and my Jan hike with Sticks up an icy Avalon, as well as my desire to return to Jefferson, that I needed to get some traction on my feet if I wanted to be able to hike in the winter. Many thanks to Cruddy Toes, Kevin Rooney, Maddy, AndyF, and Hiker Bob for all their helpful info and great advice! In the end, I bought a pair of Katoolas and tried them out on Jackson today.
They were bloody awesome! I can’t get over how secure my footing felt climbing up the snowy trail, and was especially impressed every time I came to a mini frozen waterfall peaking through the snow. I can understand how easy it would be to become over confident in these things, as I seriously did not feel like I was hiking on snow or ice at all!
Hiking solo, I had several random thoughts while going up and down Jackson:
1) Up is definitely harder than down. Yes, I have a habit of stating the obvious even to myself. I don’t think it was so much the cold. Hey, Saturday it started out at -22 and rose to -1 by noon reaching 5 in the afternoon, but today it was in the double digits above zero at 11 degrees when I started my hike near noon, a relative heat wave! I think the slow pace going up was in part because I recently repacked my backpack with anything I think I might need if I were to end up outside overnight. The three rescue operations in the Whites this month have left an impression, so now my backpack weighs twice as much. I made a point of stopping and covering my mouth and nose with a neck warmer when I felt them starting to get chilled, as well as eating and drinking on the way up to maintain body heat and energy. I had no problem with having enough energy or staying warm on the way down! I felt like a mountain goat in the Katoolas and the pack’s weight seemed inconsequential on the way down.
2) It’s easy to forget a trail’s characteristics. The last time I went up Jackson was in the summer. As I looked at the trees and the sky today, there were several moments when I thought I was near the summit, only to turn the corner and be met with more endless trail. At one point I turned the corner and saw the summit....in the distance....and thought, crap, I forgot about this part! But at least I could see the summit. Actually it was the most beautiful part of the trail, with a thick heavy blanket of white on the sagging evergreen branches.
3) I never understood why some quilters would make a quilt that was all white, except maybe to show off their stitching, but seeing how beautiful Mother Nature’s quilt of white draped the mountain today, I think I now understand how something all white can still be incredibly beautiful.
4) Godiva hot chocolate is going to taste really good when I get home!
5) While at the summit, which was cold and windy, I did get a chance to view George briefly before another cloud came over him and obscured the view. Suddenly I realized, oh my Goddess, I think this is my first winter 4K! Crap, now I’m going to have to do 47 more. Maybe I should do Owl’s Head in the winter so I only have to do it once. I hate lists, and I’m within 8 of finishing the first one. But my grandmother will be 97 this April, so if I live as long as her, I’m not at the half way point yet. So I guess I have enough time to finish whatever lists I choose.
6) I’m now doing what I said I never would - hiking a 4K in the winter, solo. I’ve become one of those crazy people....
7) I didn't fall ONCE during this hike - that NEVER happens! There's a reason why I'm not named Grace. But thanks to the Katoolas, I am no longer limited by the type of ground cover as to when I can hike.
Three hours from start to finish, I had a blast! I hope everyone had a fun weekend and no one needed rescuing.
They were bloody awesome! I can’t get over how secure my footing felt climbing up the snowy trail, and was especially impressed every time I came to a mini frozen waterfall peaking through the snow. I can understand how easy it would be to become over confident in these things, as I seriously did not feel like I was hiking on snow or ice at all!
Hiking solo, I had several random thoughts while going up and down Jackson:
1) Up is definitely harder than down. Yes, I have a habit of stating the obvious even to myself. I don’t think it was so much the cold. Hey, Saturday it started out at -22 and rose to -1 by noon reaching 5 in the afternoon, but today it was in the double digits above zero at 11 degrees when I started my hike near noon, a relative heat wave! I think the slow pace going up was in part because I recently repacked my backpack with anything I think I might need if I were to end up outside overnight. The three rescue operations in the Whites this month have left an impression, so now my backpack weighs twice as much. I made a point of stopping and covering my mouth and nose with a neck warmer when I felt them starting to get chilled, as well as eating and drinking on the way up to maintain body heat and energy. I had no problem with having enough energy or staying warm on the way down! I felt like a mountain goat in the Katoolas and the pack’s weight seemed inconsequential on the way down.
2) It’s easy to forget a trail’s characteristics. The last time I went up Jackson was in the summer. As I looked at the trees and the sky today, there were several moments when I thought I was near the summit, only to turn the corner and be met with more endless trail. At one point I turned the corner and saw the summit....in the distance....and thought, crap, I forgot about this part! But at least I could see the summit. Actually it was the most beautiful part of the trail, with a thick heavy blanket of white on the sagging evergreen branches.
3) I never understood why some quilters would make a quilt that was all white, except maybe to show off their stitching, but seeing how beautiful Mother Nature’s quilt of white draped the mountain today, I think I now understand how something all white can still be incredibly beautiful.
4) Godiva hot chocolate is going to taste really good when I get home!
5) While at the summit, which was cold and windy, I did get a chance to view George briefly before another cloud came over him and obscured the view. Suddenly I realized, oh my Goddess, I think this is my first winter 4K! Crap, now I’m going to have to do 47 more. Maybe I should do Owl’s Head in the winter so I only have to do it once. I hate lists, and I’m within 8 of finishing the first one. But my grandmother will be 97 this April, so if I live as long as her, I’m not at the half way point yet. So I guess I have enough time to finish whatever lists I choose.
6) I’m now doing what I said I never would - hiking a 4K in the winter, solo. I’ve become one of those crazy people....
7) I didn't fall ONCE during this hike - that NEVER happens! There's a reason why I'm not named Grace. But thanks to the Katoolas, I am no longer limited by the type of ground cover as to when I can hike.
Three hours from start to finish, I had a blast! I hope everyone had a fun weekend and no one needed rescuing.
