Mts Pierce & Jackson Feb17 - Mt Moosilauke Feb 19

[JohnL]

Mts Pierce & Jackson, Saturday Feb 17

After a good deal of email back and forth between Giff, Mike and I regarding a potential objective for Saturday, we ultimately decided on Ike/Pierce with Pierce/Jackson as a backup. There were about ten vehicles in the Crawford Path lot when we pulled in about 8:45 with a couple hikers just starting up the trail. We quickly geared up and headed up the well packed trail.

The walk up was straightforward and we admired the beauty and the quiet of the snow covered forest. We soon came upon the two hikers we had seen leaving the parking lot, briefly chatted and passed them by. As we climbed higher I took out the camera and began shooting a few shots of the guys in front of me making their way through the snow clad trees. The strong winds now made their way though the thin tree cover and we weaved our way through the undulating waves of windswept snow. Soon we broke into the open areas near the junction with the Webster Cliff Trail. Reduced visibility (less than fifty yards) combined with the heavy winds precluded our heading over to Mt Eisenhower. So up we climbed, over the viewless summit of Mt Pierce and with a broken trail ahead of us, we easily made our way over to the Mizpah Hut.

Here we stopped for a quick lunch and we were joined for a solo hiker, Gary, from Vermont. He also is on a quest to climb all the NH 4000 Footers this winter and he peppered us with questions. Come to find out later, this was his first season doing any winter hiking! He joined us for the remainder of the hike, despite our minor misadventure of missing the turn onto the Webster Cliff Trail and continuing down the Mizpah Cutoff for a short ways. With the myriad of false trails around the tent site, a moment’s inattention led us on a half mile goose chase.

The trail over to Mt Jackson was broken out but the packed snow was hardly consolidated. We broke through the track countless times, often popping a knee-deep posthole in the middle of the trail. With our four pairs of snowshoes along with at least two other hikers crossing over, it should be in better shape than we found it.

As we came into the proximity of the summit cone of Mt Jackson, we chatted with each other about backtracking to the Hut if we did not feel like breaking trail down the Webster-Jackson Trail. No sooner had we said this when two hikers came over the top from Mt Jackson. They had broken trail all the way (4 hours) with some assistance from two female hikers who had caught up with them. We gave each other a quick glance so we knew the answer to any question we may have had about which trail to take down.

We thanked the guys for breaking trail and headed to the summit where we met the two women who helped break trail. Through their drawn-up scarves, they chatted with us for a few minutes before I recognized one of them; Michelle. We had hiked together several times a few years back here in the Whites as well as when I finished up my NE67 in the Rangeley area and again up in BSP when five (IIRC) in our group finished up their NE67. It was great to meet again in such a serendipitous fashion, similar to the way we met up on Mt Eisenhower on a cold and very windy day five winters ago. She and her friend Priscilla were making a short day trip of Mt Jackson and their timing was excellent to have two strong hikers break trail ahead of them for most of the way up the mountain.

Our crew was eager to keep moving so we said our good-byes and with that, we were off. Just a short distance down the trail a group of what seemed like eight people was stopped and had taken over a large area directly on and around the trail. At first I thought someone might be injured. I asked if everyone was okay and they said they were just making a snowshoe repair. We were relieved with this news and we continued our descent. We now knew the trail was well stomped down and we cruised down the trail, slowing only to admire the early afternoon lighting in the forest.

We exited the woods shortly after 2:00 and about twenty minutes later we were at the car, gearing down and putting on some dry cotton clothes for the ride home. We said good-bye to Gary, hoping we would run into him again on the trails. After that there was only the long ride ahead of us with dinner and a hot shower waiting at home.

continue for Monday's hike....

 

[JohnL]

Mt Moosilauke, Monday Feb 19

The closer we got to Monday, the more forbidding were the weather reports. There was considerable concern that we would not be able to hike, at least not the hike we wanted to hike. Rick, Giff and Gary needed only Moosilauke and the three Northern Presidentials to complete their Winter 48’s this season. I had climbed Moosilauke via the Gorge Brook Trail just three weeks previously but that was not an issue. Despite the early morning conditions on Mt Washington, -20F and 50mph winds though we were expecting worse, we decided to go for it.

Rick, Gary and I met Giff at the Glenclif Trail lot just before 9:00 and the temp was minus 3 and breezy. WE expressed concern that we’ll be fortunate to summit today. The lot was full so we emptied out the car, I maneuvered the car out of the way up against a snow bank and we quickly geared up. Despite our quick take off, my hands had already gone south and I kept them deep in my mitts wrapped around the hand warmers for about ten minutes.

The trail was nicely packed out and we kept up a moderate and steady pace to prevent over-heating. Despite this, I was ready to drop a layer in less than 20 minutes so we quickly stopped while I stashed my vest in my pack. I was down to a T-shirt and long sleeve shirt, my hat was soaked in sweat but my torso was dry so I continued like this and was comfortable except when that frigid wind broke through the trees. Our winter philosophy is to set a moderate pace and keep moving, don’t get overheated, stopping only to get a drink, take a pee or change clothes.

We worked our way up the trail and unbeknownst to me, the three guys in front of me were filling in the numerous post holes in the trail. I saw only a few of them. I would soon see where all the post holes had originated. As we got higher, I was beginning to feel the lower temperature, particularly where the winds penetrated the forest. I needed to stop to gear up. We halted and I quickly donned my vest and parka. I was quickly warming up and felt much better, particularly knowing that we would be making another stop shortly to gear up for the open ridge.

Moments later we came upon a group of six guys heading down. None of them had snowshoes and it must have been a tough go for them without any traction aids. Some of their outfits looked like hunting clothing and though it may have been tough outdoor clothing, I might question its use in weather like this. They all looked fine and appeared fine; none of them complained about the conditions. The guy I talked to said he lost vision in his goggles and needed to turn around. I’m not so sure that all of them even had goggles. I do have to admire them for making the right decision on when they reached their limits. They did not split up and they all stayed together. We thanked them for breaking, wished them a safe return and we continued up to the junction where we started to gear up for the severe weather ahead.

At the trail junction we geared up for a major assault on our senses. I swigged down a quick drink and threw down a couple pieces of chocolate. More placebo than actual effect, I’m sure. Vest, parka, balaclava, hat, hood, goggles, expedition mitts, hand warmers, glove liners, vest and parka zipped up tight, snowshoe straps tightened, poles ready, everything else tightly stashed away in the pack. We checked each other for any bare skin; noses, cheeks, foreheads, necks, ears were all spots where your armor can separate. “Everybody ready?” “Ready.” “Okay, if one of us stops we all stop. Okay?” We all silently nodded our heads. We knew the drill. “Here we go.”

My goggles had already started to ice up. I had mistakenly breathed on them while putting them on. Drat! I still had most of the goggle visor free of ice but I was concerned about the ice spreading and hampering my vision. Fifty yards later we were still in the trees and my face was heating up. I lifted up my goggles and lowered the balaclava. Aaahh, much better. We were sheltered from the worst of the wind here so I decided to free up my breathing and keep my face cool. We stopped briefly a couple times before we got above the trees to check our status and made one last check for bare skin. We moved out and when we finally cleared the trees, the wind hit us like a blind side linebacker. Our poles got busy and steadied us as four staggering men made their way up the trail. We came to the spot where the other group had turned around and there were no more footprints ahead of us. They had only been exposed to the full power of the wind for a few yards and they wisely turned around. We were better geared and we kept going.

The brutal wind was at our left side and it seemed it could even penetrate into air tight spaces. We were moving ahead at a good pace and I could see Rick and Giff up ahead turning around occasionally to ensure we were all still together. I felt a burning sensation high on my left leg and I suddenly realized I had not zipped up the pocket. I quickly zipped it up and immediately felt better. My inner right thigh was also getting a sensory overload and I quickly concluded I needed a more substantial pair of pants for this type of weather. For now I would rub it occasionally but generally I just put up with it. Other than that I was feeling great, making my way up through the wildly sculpted snow waves and over the scoured rocks. Somewhere along here Gary had taken a quick check of his thermometer: 13 below zero. We still had about another hundred feet to climb. The winds were predominantly in the 35 to 40mph range with surges above 50mph and some lulls that were down in the 20’s. The variability created some creative walking and the poles were invaluable as our third and forth legs.

The orange summit sign came into view and we continued our scramble toward that visible goal. We all got to the top with in a few seconds of each other. We gave a few shouts and we stood around the summit area taking in the views. We took a quick look eastward, taking in the Franconia Ridge and Mt Washington. The view was awesome considering the severe conditions we were enduring. I would have loved to take some photos but it would be too risky with the metal body on the camera. The wind would have made it difficult to hold the camera still anyway. The sky was a perfect blue with no clouds in sight. The views in all directions seemed limitless, impeded only by a mist created by some flying spindrift. Mt Mansfield and Crouching Lion dominated the western horizon with numerous ridges and lakes in between. It was magnificent but it was no place to linger. Less than a minute on the summit and we were outta there!

I followed Giff off the summit with Gary and Rick close behind. The wind was now in our faces and we had to fight for every step. A sudden surge of wind hit us. We took a few unsteady steps and then stopped to realign ourselves. I leaned hard into this surge and it was all I could do to stay upright. The wind backed off and we continued back down the trail, eager to get back into the shelter of the trees but reluctant to give up the beauty of this dance. Once out of the wind I was able to take a few photos, once I warmed up the battery. I do know that the images in my mind of today’s hike will stay there forever.

We got back to the trail junction where we took off our wind gear and had a joyous lunch in the sun. The trail to Moosilauke’s South Peak was still unbroken. The adrenaline plus the solar radiation kept us warm while we enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Three of us had small spots on our cheeks where the wind had worked its treachery on us. Nothing serious but a stern reminder of what can happen in such a short period of time. We finished our lunch, packed our gear and headed back down the trail, seeing no one on the way up. At about 1:30 we left the woods, geared down and enjoyed the remainder of the day, basking in the afterglow of a treasured experience.

Photos are here.

JohnL

 

[LivesToHike]

Great trip reports

Mts Pierce & Jackson, Saturday Feb 17

After a good deal of email back and forth between Giff, Mike and I regarding a potential objective for Saturday, we ultimately decided on Ike/Pierce with Pierce/Jackson as a backup. There were about ten vehicles in the Crawford Path lot when we pulled in about 8:45 with a couple hikers just starting up the trail. We quickly geared up and headed up the well packed trail.

....

John:

Enjoyed your trip report - esp about the ridgeline conditions. I wondered. We must have just missed you guys. We were a group of four that tried the Crawford path from Rt302 first, then realizing it wasn't broken out yet, we headed by foot to the parking lot trailhead junction. We were there by about 8:50am. Thanks for helping pack the trails for us. We continued with snowplowing duties on our snowshoes. We didn't make it to the summit of Pierce owing to a group decision to turn-around, but very enjoyed our day in the enchanted forest as well.

I think we may have been the last group to use snowshoes, as all the other groups we met were bare-booting it up. One or two small groups didn't even have snowshoes on their packs. It often amazes me how people jettison necessary gear at the trail head. Er, not that I've ever been guilty of this act . But I found that if I just as so much stepped off the Crawford trail, I was up to my hips in snow. This made for some fairly hilarious moments on the way back to the trail head...

BTW. By the time we got back to the parking lot junction of the Crawford Path, a lone soul with 30-36" snowshoes had broken trail from Rt302. We then plowed the rest of the way, meeting two other hikers also pushing their way up.

--Mike

PS Also appreciated your Mooselauke reportl, as I had hoped to get up there this weekend. But given other committments I may have to punt and stay South instead, maybe trying Monadnock/Pumpelly trail this Sat.

 

[Michelle]

John!!

Great seeing you! It's always fun running into friends on random summits in the winter, you just never know who you are going to see! Sounds like you had a great weekend! Maybe I'll see you again on some mountain top before the winter's end!