BIGEarl
Well-known member
January 18, 2014: Monroe
Trails: Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop
Summits: Monroe
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
The day started at The Highland as usual when we hike in the area; we took care of final hike prep and purchased new annual WMNF parking passes for the coming year. It was a quick stop and we headed to the hiker parking at Marshfield Station on Base Road. Soon we were on our way.
The lower part of Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail was ideal for light traction. We made our way to Gem Pool with no problems getting a few pictures along the way. At Gem Pool the steep climb starts and I was wondering how far we would go before changing over to crampons; it wasn’t a matter of if but when. I knew the ledges in the area of the crossing above Gem Pool would be pretty icy and a test for light traction.
We were making pretty good progress up the trail when we reached the steep climb leading to the area of the crossing. Looking up the trail I could see blue ice, and lots of it. Clearly, we would make a change soon. After getting a couple more pictures we continued up. The first sections of ice were very sketchy but we both managed to get past without a mishap. Eventually we found a small level area of trail and stopped to make the change. With the crampons in place we were again ready to climb. We finished making our way to the crossing with no trouble at all. From there to the LOC Hut we worked our way through steep icy sections of trail separated by some sections that were holding small drifts. As we cleared the treeline the wind was getting significant. No longer protected from it by the terrain or surrounding cover we stopped to layer up, add face masks, and goggles. Once again ready we continued our climb to the hut.
Our initial plan for the day included Eisenhower and Washington. I’m pretty sure both of us dropped Eisenhower before reaching the treeline. Stopping on the leeward side of the hut we had some refreshments and talked about how to proceed. It seemed the wind was significantly higher than predicted, and the conditions we could see on Washington were degrading much earlier than predicted. We decided to first do the up-and-down to Monroe and once back to the hut decide our next move.
Above the treeline was mostly ice with some areas of drifts. There were also many exposed rocks. The bony nature of the hiking conditions made for tough hiking. Some of the drifts were actually on large separations between rocks and hid deep holes. We had a pretty strong wind from the east-southeast which meant it was hitting us in the face as we made our way to the summit (masks and goggles were pretty important, and helpful). A little over half way to the summit we came to a section that was solid ice with limited foot placements and no handholds. We looked at possibly bypassing this section but couldn’t see an approach that didn’t include a significant retreat. Carefully we went straight up, across the ice and on to the milder slope above. We stopped briefly and Sue commented, “we should find a different route back down”.
On the final section to the summit there were a couple large rocks that provided shelter from the wind and we took advantage of it. Eventually we were on the short ridge leading to the summit and just hiked. The weather history suggests the wind speed was roughly 34 mph with an air temp of roughly 7 degrees; nothing scary but definitely brisk!
We stayed on the summit long enough to get the usual pictures, made the u-turn, and found a different route for our descent. We made our way to an area above the ice problem; it was easy to locate due to a turn in the trail and a couple cairns in the area. From there we generally headed straight across the snow and ice to the LOC Hut. Along the way we made our way through a few pretty deep areas of drifting, some sections of hard ice, and lots of exposed rocks; a little of everything. Again we found ourselves on the leeward side of the hut making a decision. Two others arrived at the same time and were evidently working on similar choices.
Considering a number of other factors we decided to call it a hike and descent the way we hiked in. Going back down Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail wasn’t our first choice but that’s the option we selected. I believe we were both pretty sure it was going to be a very difficult descent. Once the decision was made all we needed to do was hike.
We headed for Gem Pool; the trail from the LOC Hut to Gem Pool was our remaining test. The wind was generally on our backs and we were able to head back to the treeline with no problems at all. On the way we met others on their climb all asking about the wind conditions on the ridge. Eventually we were in the shelter of the terrain and trees and stopped to de-layer – we were both way too warm. Again working with a lighter hiking costume we continued our descent. The section leading down to the crossing above Gem Pool was still part of the easy stuff. The hard stuff was coming up with the ledges and ice bulges just below the crossing. We carefully made our way through this section. In the real difficult sections of ice my position is - if you start talking stop walking. We didn’t do any talking in this area. Both of us stayed focused on the job of getting across the ice and ledge.
Once past the ice we made a brief stop and then continued the final steep descent to Gem Pool. At Gem Pool we retired the crampons and went back to light traction for the final ~2.1 miles to the truck. We were hiking mild terrain in calm conditions and just walked to Marshfield Station. Along the way we passed one other pair also headed toward the trailhead.
Soon we were back to the truck to pack, and then headed to The Highland Center for a quick change, and then on the highway south for home.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
Trails: Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop
Summits: Monroe
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me
The day started at The Highland as usual when we hike in the area; we took care of final hike prep and purchased new annual WMNF parking passes for the coming year. It was a quick stop and we headed to the hiker parking at Marshfield Station on Base Road. Soon we were on our way.
The lower part of Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail was ideal for light traction. We made our way to Gem Pool with no problems getting a few pictures along the way. At Gem Pool the steep climb starts and I was wondering how far we would go before changing over to crampons; it wasn’t a matter of if but when. I knew the ledges in the area of the crossing above Gem Pool would be pretty icy and a test for light traction.
We were making pretty good progress up the trail when we reached the steep climb leading to the area of the crossing. Looking up the trail I could see blue ice, and lots of it. Clearly, we would make a change soon. After getting a couple more pictures we continued up. The first sections of ice were very sketchy but we both managed to get past without a mishap. Eventually we found a small level area of trail and stopped to make the change. With the crampons in place we were again ready to climb. We finished making our way to the crossing with no trouble at all. From there to the LOC Hut we worked our way through steep icy sections of trail separated by some sections that were holding small drifts. As we cleared the treeline the wind was getting significant. No longer protected from it by the terrain or surrounding cover we stopped to layer up, add face masks, and goggles. Once again ready we continued our climb to the hut.
Our initial plan for the day included Eisenhower and Washington. I’m pretty sure both of us dropped Eisenhower before reaching the treeline. Stopping on the leeward side of the hut we had some refreshments and talked about how to proceed. It seemed the wind was significantly higher than predicted, and the conditions we could see on Washington were degrading much earlier than predicted. We decided to first do the up-and-down to Monroe and once back to the hut decide our next move.
Above the treeline was mostly ice with some areas of drifts. There were also many exposed rocks. The bony nature of the hiking conditions made for tough hiking. Some of the drifts were actually on large separations between rocks and hid deep holes. We had a pretty strong wind from the east-southeast which meant it was hitting us in the face as we made our way to the summit (masks and goggles were pretty important, and helpful). A little over half way to the summit we came to a section that was solid ice with limited foot placements and no handholds. We looked at possibly bypassing this section but couldn’t see an approach that didn’t include a significant retreat. Carefully we went straight up, across the ice and on to the milder slope above. We stopped briefly and Sue commented, “we should find a different route back down”.
On the final section to the summit there were a couple large rocks that provided shelter from the wind and we took advantage of it. Eventually we were on the short ridge leading to the summit and just hiked. The weather history suggests the wind speed was roughly 34 mph with an air temp of roughly 7 degrees; nothing scary but definitely brisk!
We stayed on the summit long enough to get the usual pictures, made the u-turn, and found a different route for our descent. We made our way to an area above the ice problem; it was easy to locate due to a turn in the trail and a couple cairns in the area. From there we generally headed straight across the snow and ice to the LOC Hut. Along the way we made our way through a few pretty deep areas of drifting, some sections of hard ice, and lots of exposed rocks; a little of everything. Again we found ourselves on the leeward side of the hut making a decision. Two others arrived at the same time and were evidently working on similar choices.
Considering a number of other factors we decided to call it a hike and descent the way we hiked in. Going back down Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail wasn’t our first choice but that’s the option we selected. I believe we were both pretty sure it was going to be a very difficult descent. Once the decision was made all we needed to do was hike.
We headed for Gem Pool; the trail from the LOC Hut to Gem Pool was our remaining test. The wind was generally on our backs and we were able to head back to the treeline with no problems at all. On the way we met others on their climb all asking about the wind conditions on the ridge. Eventually we were in the shelter of the terrain and trees and stopped to de-layer – we were both way too warm. Again working with a lighter hiking costume we continued our descent. The section leading down to the crossing above Gem Pool was still part of the easy stuff. The hard stuff was coming up with the ledges and ice bulges just below the crossing. We carefully made our way through this section. In the real difficult sections of ice my position is - if you start talking stop walking. We didn’t do any talking in this area. Both of us stayed focused on the job of getting across the ice and ledge.
Once past the ice we made a brief stop and then continued the final steep descent to Gem Pool. At Gem Pool we retired the crampons and went back to light traction for the final ~2.1 miles to the truck. We were hiking mild terrain in calm conditions and just walked to Marshfield Station. Along the way we passed one other pair also headed toward the trailhead.
Soon we were back to the truck to pack, and then headed to The Highland Center for a quick change, and then on the highway south for home.
I’ve posted some pictures from the day.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
