Ed'n Lauky
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,802
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- 168
Left from the Piper parking lot at the crack of dawn.
The temperature was 47* when I left. It slowly dropped and reached a low of 30* at the summit. On the way down it slowly rose and was about 37* when we arrived back at the trailhead.
The crossing of the Chocorua river was easier this time than I found it this Spring.
The snow line started around 1600'. I barebooted up to about 2000' then put on the Yaxtrax which I find more practical than the Hillsounds for the mixed dry rock and ice and snow conditions we encountered most of the day. Left them on until we dropped down off the ledges around 2400' on the Piper trail. On the way down the snow line was around 2000'.
Lauky pulled another of his levitation stunts on the ledges above the Liberty Cabin. There's a scrambling ledge with something of a diagonal ramp you can climb up. Today there was snow on it and Lauky wanted nothing to do with it. He walked around the side and in one leap jumped to the top.
If I hadn't seen it I still wouldn't believe he did it.
The Liberty trail was relatively sheltered from the wind going up to the summit. The wind was wicked strong at the top. I sat on the top ledge but didn't try to stand up. Lauky didn't have much trouble with the wind but he didn't like it. On the way down on the open ledges on Piper, north of the summit, I was blown over twice. It was a dicey descent until we reached the tree line. After that the descent was relatively straight forward but would have been difficult at the higher elevations without traction.
On the way down we made a side trip to Camp Penacook. I'm glad we did, it's an incredibly beautiful site with a great open view into the valley. It must be really nice up there on a summer night.
There are a few blowdowns on the lower sections of Weetamoo and Piper but nothing that hinders your progress.
Light traction, balaclava and softshell/windbreaker indispensable today. Goggles not necessary.
We met a couple on the lower section of Piper on our way out, otherwise we saw no one else all day.
Mileage 8.4
Elevation gain 2700'
The temperature was 47* when I left. It slowly dropped and reached a low of 30* at the summit. On the way down it slowly rose and was about 37* when we arrived back at the trailhead.
The crossing of the Chocorua river was easier this time than I found it this Spring.
The snow line started around 1600'. I barebooted up to about 2000' then put on the Yaxtrax which I find more practical than the Hillsounds for the mixed dry rock and ice and snow conditions we encountered most of the day. Left them on until we dropped down off the ledges around 2400' on the Piper trail. On the way down the snow line was around 2000'.
Lauky pulled another of his levitation stunts on the ledges above the Liberty Cabin. There's a scrambling ledge with something of a diagonal ramp you can climb up. Today there was snow on it and Lauky wanted nothing to do with it. He walked around the side and in one leap jumped to the top.
If I hadn't seen it I still wouldn't believe he did it.The Liberty trail was relatively sheltered from the wind going up to the summit. The wind was wicked strong at the top. I sat on the top ledge but didn't try to stand up. Lauky didn't have much trouble with the wind but he didn't like it. On the way down on the open ledges on Piper, north of the summit, I was blown over twice. It was a dicey descent until we reached the tree line. After that the descent was relatively straight forward but would have been difficult at the higher elevations without traction.
On the way down we made a side trip to Camp Penacook. I'm glad we did, it's an incredibly beautiful site with a great open view into the valley. It must be really nice up there on a summer night.
There are a few blowdowns on the lower sections of Weetamoo and Piper but nothing that hinders your progress.
Light traction, balaclava and softshell/windbreaker indispensable today. Goggles not necessary.
We met a couple on the lower section of Piper on our way out, otherwise we saw no one else all day.
Mileage 8.4
Elevation gain 2700'
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