Ridgewalker
New member
After last week’s aborted attempt to nail the Hancocks, Marty, Tuco, Rols, and LarryD and I went at it again. We were treated—an understatement—to a bluebird day, well, packed trails, with one imperfection with the summit winds on So. Hancock, it was a perfect day for hiking.
We stepped off, with much slowness in suiting up, strapping snowshoes, and gaiters as the wind gods surely challenged us as we brushed them off with colorful words and went our to Cedar Brook.
We could have barebooted it, but couldn’t risk potholes. The dicey stream crossings were nothing more than snow arches under our snowshoes. We broke off into a quicker group, and the scenic deliberators, for some wanted to move; and to document the amazing weather.
On a personal note, one of my feet opened up a nice big hole that revealed a frozen stream, hope Eric got pix of that, while stopping midway between junctions.
As the crunches and dangling of glove chords on our trekking poles lead us to the junction of North and South Hancock, we decided to climb from the south and over the north. It was not without a reminiscence of the legendary cocoa incident of ’06 that transpired in similar company, we did not have roses to leave on the rock where it happened.
I will not do the South Peak ascent at all! That was a challenge of character, a couple blowdowns and a very tricky slope that called for televators. But we made it and I suppose you call it a cocktease, in more vulgar terms in respects to the surprise turns that deceive you into thinking you made it.
The south summit had great views but not without the price of whipping winds. We all put on shells and heavier gloves, and I was freezing and my hands were numbing, Marty can attest to that himself.
Thankfully we kept moving across the gentle ridge between the two peaks. The whole surrounding was magical, tight snow laden conifers making passage feel like a maze, the glazed Arrow Slide, and the sheer majesty of the whole country was just amazing. The intricacies of rime ice and the whiteness, completed the definition of silence from the noise of our society.
We summited and prepared for the descent, glissading! My goodness it was the first for me on a mountain. The danger and manly risks of guiding by trees and braking with snowshoes sped the descent down, but it was definitely a highlight of our climb. Marty said later that, "I hope that next time we get out that there is some butt sliding like we encountered on N. Hancock and watching Eric get a treeful of snow fall on him was hysterical. What a blast!"
Larry was right, once after the second junction, you want out. We moved quickly in our time. My youth demanded the last run uphill after crossing the Kanc and then I rejoiced, it was all over. But it was the feeling of accomplishment that was the best name of that moment. For I was now number forty-one, and seven down. But the timing was crazy, seven flat hours! And we were done at 2:30.
We all missed you Mike and Bobby and we most certainly missed Ray’s presence and toasted to all three of you in celebration of as Eric said, "Was an unusual winter hike yesterday. Misery, fun, pain, grumbling, cold, 10 pounds of snow on the head, etc."
Trip pix: http://community.webshots.com/album/576269652aRjQai?vhost=community
We stepped off, with much slowness in suiting up, strapping snowshoes, and gaiters as the wind gods surely challenged us as we brushed them off with colorful words and went our to Cedar Brook.
We could have barebooted it, but couldn’t risk potholes. The dicey stream crossings were nothing more than snow arches under our snowshoes. We broke off into a quicker group, and the scenic deliberators, for some wanted to move; and to document the amazing weather.
On a personal note, one of my feet opened up a nice big hole that revealed a frozen stream, hope Eric got pix of that, while stopping midway between junctions.
As the crunches and dangling of glove chords on our trekking poles lead us to the junction of North and South Hancock, we decided to climb from the south and over the north. It was not without a reminiscence of the legendary cocoa incident of ’06 that transpired in similar company, we did not have roses to leave on the rock where it happened.
I will not do the South Peak ascent at all! That was a challenge of character, a couple blowdowns and a very tricky slope that called for televators. But we made it and I suppose you call it a cocktease, in more vulgar terms in respects to the surprise turns that deceive you into thinking you made it.
The south summit had great views but not without the price of whipping winds. We all put on shells and heavier gloves, and I was freezing and my hands were numbing, Marty can attest to that himself.
Thankfully we kept moving across the gentle ridge between the two peaks. The whole surrounding was magical, tight snow laden conifers making passage feel like a maze, the glazed Arrow Slide, and the sheer majesty of the whole country was just amazing. The intricacies of rime ice and the whiteness, completed the definition of silence from the noise of our society.
We summited and prepared for the descent, glissading! My goodness it was the first for me on a mountain. The danger and manly risks of guiding by trees and braking with snowshoes sped the descent down, but it was definitely a highlight of our climb. Marty said later that, "I hope that next time we get out that there is some butt sliding like we encountered on N. Hancock and watching Eric get a treeful of snow fall on him was hysterical. What a blast!"
Larry was right, once after the second junction, you want out. We moved quickly in our time. My youth demanded the last run uphill after crossing the Kanc and then I rejoiced, it was all over. But it was the feeling of accomplishment that was the best name of that moment. For I was now number forty-one, and seven down. But the timing was crazy, seven flat hours! And we were done at 2:30.
We all missed you Mike and Bobby and we most certainly missed Ray’s presence and toasted to all three of you in celebration of as Eric said, "Was an unusual winter hike yesterday. Misery, fun, pain, grumbling, cold, 10 pounds of snow on the head, etc."
Trip pix: http://community.webshots.com/album/576269652aRjQai?vhost=community
