McRat
New member
This is something of a companion report to HikerAmigas trip report "Mt Willard, Mt Tom: A BIG Lesson Learned on 2-19-06 " which is located at http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11468
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On February 19th, 2005 I set out to climb my second, third, and fourth NH48 peaks. It was freezing cold, gorgeous clear blue skies, and light breezes. Since BobandGeri were on that hike, there is of course an excellent trip report at http://rbhayes.net/Tom-Field-Willey.html
My hiking bud, McCoon had come with me, but wasn't feeling well. I summited Tom and Field, but wound up hearing from other hikers (possibly MEB) that he had turned back. Since I had borrowed his warmer gloves, I thought it best to follow him out. I took one last look at Willey and planned to return.
Fast forward exactly one year to the date. The temperature about the same, visibility around one mile, with much stronger winds as we arrived at the Highland Center.
HikerFast, HikerAmiga and I hit the trail around 10:00am. I know it is always coldest when you are just starting out, but the exposure in the parking lot was biting cold. I began to wonder if this was a good idea, but soon we had some cover in the trees and after a bit of incline, it was time to layer down.
The trail had very little powder, and appeared snowmobiled. The unseasonable recent weather followed by the drop in temperatures had left the trails a mix of hard pack and ice. It appeared that we were indeed in 'crampon country'.
That's where the problems began. Nilsa was discovering McRat's second law of hiking - 'borrowed equipment often misbehaves'. One of her crampons was missing a screw and began to become undone. HikerFast repeatedly tried to tighten them but by the time we arrived at the second river crossing, she began to express doubts in the trip.
After a brief period of discussing whether we should all head back, she insisted that we go ahead and that she'd meet us at the Highland Center. Since it was a pretty flat and short trip back, we parted ways and continued up along the A-Z trail.
By the time we reached the Avalon trail, I had started to blister my heel but figured we'd chug along to at least Avalon and decide what to do there. We told jokes to pass the time, and not a single one suitable for mixed company.
We came to a pretty steep section on the Avalon trail that was rather icy. We met a larger group working their way down, some walking, some glissading, and even some 'unintentional glissades'. We stepped off the trail for a welcome break as they went/slid by.
By the time we reached Avalon, visibility was slightly better. You could make out Webster and Jackson in the fog, but that was about it. God bless lists for making peaks count on those days where the views don't.
Funny how the mind plays tricks on you but with my heels somewhat raw, Field appeared to be a great distance away. I seriously toyed with turning back. I laced up my boots again, and warned Bob that I may turn around at any point, but wanted to get to Field and see how things felt then. I amused myself with the idea of turning back on Mt. Field again, on the anniversary of the first time. I thought, "Maybe this will happen every year. We'll call February 19th FIELD DAY".
Soon after leaving Mt. Avalon, there is a flat, open section of the trail that is quite pretty. I appreciated the level ground, as it seemed my heel was only shifting during the steeper inclines. Bob offered me some duct tape, but I marched on. I suppose it looked brave, but I was actually more afraid of taking off my boot and finding out I'd really messed up. Silly, no? I guess I figured that if I didn't see it... and could still walk OK... there was no excuse to turn back. All the extra breaks I took gave Bob the chance to experiment with different layers - from light fleece to -50°F down jackets, his pack seemed to be a cornucopia of winter gear.
When we arrived at the summit of Field, there were hazy views and a feeling of elation. I was finally back where I left off! I was disappointed that my Gray Jay friends weren't there, but I ate their portion and we headed off towards Willey.
The Willey Range trail is somewhat unusual. After going down a few steep sections that seemed to descend much further than the reported 300' col, it becomes a lovely winding trail with mostly gentle inclines. From a few points you can see the hump of Willey through the trees. I expected a steep climb up, but suddenly I found myself on the summit. Number 23.
The nice, albeit limited, views begged that I return again on a clearer day. I took a quick picture of Hikerfast, and then passed the camera to him. I stood triumphantly on the summit, hair and beard frozen, eyes squinting. "Say Cheese" He pressed the button and the camera began blinking... and that's all it did. The temperatures were outside the battery's comfort zone. It blinked for several minutes before shutting down. I guess I'll get a summit pic next time...
We turned around on the trail and headed back. The ascent up Field wasn't easy, but the blisters were great motivation to get back. We headed down the Avalon trail and aside from being a little slower my feet were feeling OK.
On the way down the A-Z trail we noticed a message in the snow. "Nilsa --> TOM". Further down we saw "Nilsa 2:20" We assumed she had decided to bag Tom, and either made it, or turned around. We debated heading back up, but since it was nearing sunset and we were less than a half-mile from the Highland Center, we thought we'd check there first.
The lights shined through the windows of the Highland Center, and it looked REALLY inviting in the cool evening air. There was a large gathering of people enjoying drinks by the fire, it would have been perfect... if Nilsa was there.
Bob watched the door and first floor, while I ran around the Highland Center looking for her. I checked everywhere and even discovered a basement gameroom I didn't even know existed before.
We went to the front desk and checked for messages. We asked if anyone had seen her or recalled if she purchased replacement crampons. We discovered there is no paging system at the Highland Center and we began to get quite worried as it was apparent there was no HikerAmiga at the Highland Center either.
Dinner was starting, it was dark out, and sat down to stuff some toilet paper in my boot for the unwanted walk back up. I must have looked disturbed because one of the AMC workers cleaning up after drinks asked if something was wrong. I told him a friend had left the group and may have headed up Mt. Tom.
After taking a moment to question the intelligence of our friend and our decision to head back and look for her, he advised that we borrow a couple of radios from the front desk, and load up on water and food.
He questioned our gear and abilities and concluded with well wishes and a warning - "Be careful," he said gravely, "the temp can drop out there like a hammer."
We helped ourselves to leftover cheese and got the radios. They asked if she had any communication means. We knew she had a cell phone, but did not know if she had any signal. My SprintPCS had no signal. The AMC staff let us use their phone, but it went to the answering machine. Just as we were ready to leave the phone rang. It was her! She was between the depot and the HC.
I'm not sure if I've developed quite the fondness for Nilsa, was elated to not have to hike back up, or if I was just happy to not be mentioned in the next edition of "Not Without Peril" - but I haven't been so overjoyed to see someone in years!
We still had leftover panic on our faces, while she was BEAMING. Apparently after parting ways, she felt a little better and decided to hike Willard, finished quickly and rode the momentum up Tom. She had left messages before each peak on my cell phone. I know this is true because I received them somewhere around Plymouth on the drive back.
We stopped off for a delicious meal at the Homestead Restaurant in Bristol, and headed home.
Between the three of us, we managed to hit all five peaks on the west side of Crawford Notch. I only got four pictures. I'll post them later. One of the blisters was indeed pretty ugly, but the other side wasn't damaged as much as it felt. Apparently I got home, got undressed, hit the pillow, and went out like a light.
It was a pretty full day.
-------------------------------
On February 19th, 2005 I set out to climb my second, third, and fourth NH48 peaks. It was freezing cold, gorgeous clear blue skies, and light breezes. Since BobandGeri were on that hike, there is of course an excellent trip report at http://rbhayes.net/Tom-Field-Willey.html
My hiking bud, McCoon had come with me, but wasn't feeling well. I summited Tom and Field, but wound up hearing from other hikers (possibly MEB) that he had turned back. Since I had borrowed his warmer gloves, I thought it best to follow him out. I took one last look at Willey and planned to return.
Fast forward exactly one year to the date. The temperature about the same, visibility around one mile, with much stronger winds as we arrived at the Highland Center.
HikerFast, HikerAmiga and I hit the trail around 10:00am. I know it is always coldest when you are just starting out, but the exposure in the parking lot was biting cold. I began to wonder if this was a good idea, but soon we had some cover in the trees and after a bit of incline, it was time to layer down.
The trail had very little powder, and appeared snowmobiled. The unseasonable recent weather followed by the drop in temperatures had left the trails a mix of hard pack and ice. It appeared that we were indeed in 'crampon country'.
That's where the problems began. Nilsa was discovering McRat's second law of hiking - 'borrowed equipment often misbehaves'. One of her crampons was missing a screw and began to become undone. HikerFast repeatedly tried to tighten them but by the time we arrived at the second river crossing, she began to express doubts in the trip.
After a brief period of discussing whether we should all head back, she insisted that we go ahead and that she'd meet us at the Highland Center. Since it was a pretty flat and short trip back, we parted ways and continued up along the A-Z trail.
By the time we reached the Avalon trail, I had started to blister my heel but figured we'd chug along to at least Avalon and decide what to do there. We told jokes to pass the time, and not a single one suitable for mixed company.
We came to a pretty steep section on the Avalon trail that was rather icy. We met a larger group working their way down, some walking, some glissading, and even some 'unintentional glissades'. We stepped off the trail for a welcome break as they went/slid by.
By the time we reached Avalon, visibility was slightly better. You could make out Webster and Jackson in the fog, but that was about it. God bless lists for making peaks count on those days where the views don't.
Funny how the mind plays tricks on you but with my heels somewhat raw, Field appeared to be a great distance away. I seriously toyed with turning back. I laced up my boots again, and warned Bob that I may turn around at any point, but wanted to get to Field and see how things felt then. I amused myself with the idea of turning back on Mt. Field again, on the anniversary of the first time. I thought, "Maybe this will happen every year. We'll call February 19th FIELD DAY".
Soon after leaving Mt. Avalon, there is a flat, open section of the trail that is quite pretty. I appreciated the level ground, as it seemed my heel was only shifting during the steeper inclines. Bob offered me some duct tape, but I marched on. I suppose it looked brave, but I was actually more afraid of taking off my boot and finding out I'd really messed up. Silly, no? I guess I figured that if I didn't see it... and could still walk OK... there was no excuse to turn back. All the extra breaks I took gave Bob the chance to experiment with different layers - from light fleece to -50°F down jackets, his pack seemed to be a cornucopia of winter gear.
When we arrived at the summit of Field, there were hazy views and a feeling of elation. I was finally back where I left off! I was disappointed that my Gray Jay friends weren't there, but I ate their portion and we headed off towards Willey.
The Willey Range trail is somewhat unusual. After going down a few steep sections that seemed to descend much further than the reported 300' col, it becomes a lovely winding trail with mostly gentle inclines. From a few points you can see the hump of Willey through the trees. I expected a steep climb up, but suddenly I found myself on the summit. Number 23.
The nice, albeit limited, views begged that I return again on a clearer day. I took a quick picture of Hikerfast, and then passed the camera to him. I stood triumphantly on the summit, hair and beard frozen, eyes squinting. "Say Cheese" He pressed the button and the camera began blinking... and that's all it did. The temperatures were outside the battery's comfort zone. It blinked for several minutes before shutting down. I guess I'll get a summit pic next time...
We turned around on the trail and headed back. The ascent up Field wasn't easy, but the blisters were great motivation to get back. We headed down the Avalon trail and aside from being a little slower my feet were feeling OK.
On the way down the A-Z trail we noticed a message in the snow. "Nilsa --> TOM". Further down we saw "Nilsa 2:20" We assumed she had decided to bag Tom, and either made it, or turned around. We debated heading back up, but since it was nearing sunset and we were less than a half-mile from the Highland Center, we thought we'd check there first.
The lights shined through the windows of the Highland Center, and it looked REALLY inviting in the cool evening air. There was a large gathering of people enjoying drinks by the fire, it would have been perfect... if Nilsa was there.
Bob watched the door and first floor, while I ran around the Highland Center looking for her. I checked everywhere and even discovered a basement gameroom I didn't even know existed before.
We went to the front desk and checked for messages. We asked if anyone had seen her or recalled if she purchased replacement crampons. We discovered there is no paging system at the Highland Center and we began to get quite worried as it was apparent there was no HikerAmiga at the Highland Center either.
Dinner was starting, it was dark out, and sat down to stuff some toilet paper in my boot for the unwanted walk back up. I must have looked disturbed because one of the AMC workers cleaning up after drinks asked if something was wrong. I told him a friend had left the group and may have headed up Mt. Tom.
After taking a moment to question the intelligence of our friend and our decision to head back and look for her, he advised that we borrow a couple of radios from the front desk, and load up on water and food.
He questioned our gear and abilities and concluded with well wishes and a warning - "Be careful," he said gravely, "the temp can drop out there like a hammer."
We helped ourselves to leftover cheese and got the radios. They asked if she had any communication means. We knew she had a cell phone, but did not know if she had any signal. My SprintPCS had no signal. The AMC staff let us use their phone, but it went to the answering machine. Just as we were ready to leave the phone rang. It was her! She was between the depot and the HC.
I'm not sure if I've developed quite the fondness for Nilsa, was elated to not have to hike back up, or if I was just happy to not be mentioned in the next edition of "Not Without Peril" - but I haven't been so overjoyed to see someone in years!
We still had leftover panic on our faces, while she was BEAMING. Apparently after parting ways, she felt a little better and decided to hike Willard, finished quickly and rode the momentum up Tom. She had left messages before each peak on my cell phone. I know this is true because I received them somewhere around Plymouth on the drive back.
We stopped off for a delicious meal at the Homestead Restaurant in Bristol, and headed home.
Between the three of us, we managed to hit all five peaks on the west side of Crawford Notch. I only got four pictures. I'll post them later. One of the blisters was indeed pretty ugly, but the other side wasn't damaged as much as it felt. Apparently I got home, got undressed, hit the pillow, and went out like a light.
It was a pretty full day.
