Double Bow
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- Apr 29, 2005
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CAUTION: SOME PEOPLE MAY READ THIS TR AND THINK I WAS NOT CAUTIOUS ENOUGH. MY ACTIONS WERE BASED ON THE CALCULATED RISKS.
Since I started peakbagging 7yrs ago, I've always heard horror stories about certain mean, nasty, trails that no one in their right mind ought to climb. At first, the mear mention of Huntington Ravine or The North Slide on Tripyramid was enough to strike fear into my heart. Most of these dreaded trails had "slide" in their name.
I did the Owl's Head Slide and the South Slide on Tripyramid as I was working on my 48 and in preparation for my trip out to the Cascades last June I did a gulley climb in Huntington Ravine. After tackling glacial peaks out west, the first thing I did after I got back was tackle the North Tri Slide. It was a tough exciting challenge, but I did it. It was invigorating and it felt good to do route that I had been intimidated by before and to do a familiar moutain a different way.
On Monday, I set off to do the one trail that was left that still made me uneasy thinking about it: The Flume Slide Trail. I needed this. I needed affirmation. I needed to chalk up something in the win column. Even the start was a little foreboding with no other cars in the parking lot. I brought my mountaineering axe and crampons as I thought that's what I'd need.
The start was boring as usual, heading up the Whithouse Trail. I passed some snowmobilers on the road section and then started up Liberty Spring. When I reached the juntion for Flume Slide trail, I hesitated and for a moment I thought of just continuing up Liberty Spring like so many other times. This time would be different though. I turned.
Starting in on Flume Slide Trail, I was nervous and excited about going on a trail I hadn't seen before and the sun was shining bright making for a gorgeous warm day. The trail was broken and that made me a little more at ease though a couple of times, I thought of turning back. The thought that kept me going was remembering Eric Savage's story about coming down Flume Slide in winter and not dying. Fine, he did it and lots of other people do too. I can hack it.
I finally hit the slide with my snowshoes still on but with the televator bars up and my axe still strapped to my pack. I couldn't believe how steep it was! I fought hard, slowly making my way up. There were a couple of points were it sort of leveled out for a moment and I thought of taking my snowshoes off so I could kick in better, but I didn't want to lose the benefit of those bars. So, on I went fighting my way up. Working hard, kicking in with my snowshoes and praying that I was almost at the ridge I made my way up. The steepness made me a little nervous and I was sure I wouldn't want to go down this way but I was also happand excited to be overcoming what this trail was dishing out.
Finally, I hit the ridge and I can't tell you how glad I was to see that sign. Victory!! Sure, the hike was far from over and I hadn't even hit the first summit yet, but I had accomplished what I had set out to do. After stopping for a brief break, I headed the rest of the way up Flume. The views were amazing! I took a bunch of pictures and was so glad I had gone up there, just in case I don't get the views for my W48 Finale on Sunday.
I continued on to Liberty and took more pictures from there before heading down to the Liberty Spring junction. On my way down, I came across two hikers heading up and we stopped and chatted for a bit before I continued on. I was trying to make good time to make it to the Nashua Beer Night so I butt slid for about 1/3 of a mile. That was fun.
It would up being a fantastic hike on a fantastic day. I was so glad to have overcome a fear and to have gotten such fantastic views. My one regret was that I got home too late to make it to Nashua. Next time!
Here are some pics!
Since I started peakbagging 7yrs ago, I've always heard horror stories about certain mean, nasty, trails that no one in their right mind ought to climb. At first, the mear mention of Huntington Ravine or The North Slide on Tripyramid was enough to strike fear into my heart. Most of these dreaded trails had "slide" in their name.
I did the Owl's Head Slide and the South Slide on Tripyramid as I was working on my 48 and in preparation for my trip out to the Cascades last June I did a gulley climb in Huntington Ravine. After tackling glacial peaks out west, the first thing I did after I got back was tackle the North Tri Slide. It was a tough exciting challenge, but I did it. It was invigorating and it felt good to do route that I had been intimidated by before and to do a familiar moutain a different way.
On Monday, I set off to do the one trail that was left that still made me uneasy thinking about it: The Flume Slide Trail. I needed this. I needed affirmation. I needed to chalk up something in the win column. Even the start was a little foreboding with no other cars in the parking lot. I brought my mountaineering axe and crampons as I thought that's what I'd need.
The start was boring as usual, heading up the Whithouse Trail. I passed some snowmobilers on the road section and then started up Liberty Spring. When I reached the juntion for Flume Slide trail, I hesitated and for a moment I thought of just continuing up Liberty Spring like so many other times. This time would be different though. I turned.
Starting in on Flume Slide Trail, I was nervous and excited about going on a trail I hadn't seen before and the sun was shining bright making for a gorgeous warm day. The trail was broken and that made me a little more at ease though a couple of times, I thought of turning back. The thought that kept me going was remembering Eric Savage's story about coming down Flume Slide in winter and not dying. Fine, he did it and lots of other people do too. I can hack it.
I finally hit the slide with my snowshoes still on but with the televator bars up and my axe still strapped to my pack. I couldn't believe how steep it was! I fought hard, slowly making my way up. There were a couple of points were it sort of leveled out for a moment and I thought of taking my snowshoes off so I could kick in better, but I didn't want to lose the benefit of those bars. So, on I went fighting my way up. Working hard, kicking in with my snowshoes and praying that I was almost at the ridge I made my way up. The steepness made me a little nervous and I was sure I wouldn't want to go down this way but I was also happand excited to be overcoming what this trail was dishing out.
Finally, I hit the ridge and I can't tell you how glad I was to see that sign. Victory!! Sure, the hike was far from over and I hadn't even hit the first summit yet, but I had accomplished what I had set out to do. After stopping for a brief break, I headed the rest of the way up Flume. The views were amazing! I took a bunch of pictures and was so glad I had gone up there, just in case I don't get the views for my W48 Finale on Sunday.
I continued on to Liberty and took more pictures from there before heading down to the Liberty Spring junction. On my way down, I came across two hikers heading up and we stopped and chatted for a bit before I continued on. I was trying to make good time to make it to the Nashua Beer Night so I butt slid for about 1/3 of a mile. That was fun.
It would up being a fantastic hike on a fantastic day. I was so glad to have overcome a fear and to have gotten such fantastic views. My one regret was that I got home too late to make it to Nashua. Next time!
Here are some pics!
