Fat Tuesday
New member
Lriz, Eric Explores y yo.
Larisa and I woke up at Barnes to blue and calm. Quick coffee stop (one of us got a coffee and the other got a turbo-something-something…. Hmmm) and we were off to Appalachia to meet Eric at 8:00. We left a car there and continued to the Castle Ridge Trailhead. What a pleasant trail. Flat and gradual for over a mile, and then a gentle climb up through woods. We emerged on ledges and pretty suddenly we were having fun storming the castles.
As soon as we reached the junction with the link we entered the wind vortex. Slow half mile up to Jefferson. I foolishly waited too long to put on a wind layer, and thirty minutes after I did so my hands were numb and slow to warm. We found a pocket of calm on the south side of Jeff and climbed up to tag our first summit. Quick snack break. Down to Edmands Col where we crossed the snowfield. Snow was soft and unintimidating. Until you looked down. Snowfield became snow trench almost as tall as me.
Oppresively windy all the way to Adams. Passed two backpackers who had come from Nauman. We’d only seen one other couple all day. Up Adams. Dark clouds came, but passed quickly. There was one crazy wind gust- maybe in the mid 50s – on the cone of Adams that almost psyched me out. But I kept going as Larisa was ahead of me and unfazed. Summit of Adams was… windy. We didn’t stay long. Hiked down to Madison Hut where we met a group of about eight. Snacked again. Left our packs and went up Madison. Forceful gust continued, pushing us up the mountain until we rounded south and- ahhh- respite from the wind. And then back into it as we emerged on the summit. We hung out longer here, took some photos and video and down we went. We wanted the Valley Way as it would provide shelter, but accidentally took Airline. We were glad we did, as it wasn’t half as windy as on the ridge and provided sweeping views of King Ravine. Requisite rocky presidential descent and we arrived at the car, nine hours later.
Great hike, beautiful day! Fun to meet Eric, and Larisa and I were long overdue for a successful hike. Posting photos within a thread is above my pay grade, Larisa promises to reply with her shots.
Larisa and I woke up at Barnes to blue and calm. Quick coffee stop (one of us got a coffee and the other got a turbo-something-something…. Hmmm) and we were off to Appalachia to meet Eric at 8:00. We left a car there and continued to the Castle Ridge Trailhead. What a pleasant trail. Flat and gradual for over a mile, and then a gentle climb up through woods. We emerged on ledges and pretty suddenly we were having fun storming the castles.
As soon as we reached the junction with the link we entered the wind vortex. Slow half mile up to Jefferson. I foolishly waited too long to put on a wind layer, and thirty minutes after I did so my hands were numb and slow to warm. We found a pocket of calm on the south side of Jeff and climbed up to tag our first summit. Quick snack break. Down to Edmands Col where we crossed the snowfield. Snow was soft and unintimidating. Until you looked down. Snowfield became snow trench almost as tall as me.
Oppresively windy all the way to Adams. Passed two backpackers who had come from Nauman. We’d only seen one other couple all day. Up Adams. Dark clouds came, but passed quickly. There was one crazy wind gust- maybe in the mid 50s – on the cone of Adams that almost psyched me out. But I kept going as Larisa was ahead of me and unfazed. Summit of Adams was… windy. We didn’t stay long. Hiked down to Madison Hut where we met a group of about eight. Snacked again. Left our packs and went up Madison. Forceful gust continued, pushing us up the mountain until we rounded south and- ahhh- respite from the wind. And then back into it as we emerged on the summit. We hung out longer here, took some photos and video and down we went. We wanted the Valley Way as it would provide shelter, but accidentally took Airline. We were glad we did, as it wasn’t half as windy as on the ridge and provided sweeping views of King Ravine. Requisite rocky presidential descent and we arrived at the car, nine hours later.
Great hike, beautiful day! Fun to meet Eric, and Larisa and I were long overdue for a successful hike. Posting photos within a thread is above my pay grade, Larisa promises to reply with her shots.
