Silverfox
New member
After reading and re-reading Rocket's trail conditions report for Carrigain over the weekend we decided to stick to our plan..have a back up plan..(Tremont) and check out the water crossings on the Signal Ridge trail to Carrigain.
The water was flowing steady under the bridge by the parking lot so we avoided the first crossing and whacked through alternating soaking hobblebush traps and a defined herd path. Checking out the first crossing from that vantage point we were satisfied with decision and headed up the trail. The signal Ridge Trail starts off easily enough through open hardwoods and an easy pitch..in some places it comes quite close to the brook which courses though a couple of small gorges with numerous drops..Very beautiful and noisy today..There were a few short muddy stretches and one long section of mud, slippery slanted puncheon bars, and mud..Over all though the trail in pretty good shape to the corner. The water crossings were wet and most rocks were covered..doable though..poles helped..not wanting a slip i waded across the wide one and goretex boots and gaters kept the feet pretty dry.
The next section of the trail a long fairly straight ascent over mostly slabby rock..nothing difficult, a ledgey scramble here and there..but no real good footing for awhile..really had to watch your step today. On good days an axceptional view of the face of Mt Lowell rewards this climb but today we were i n the clouds happy to see some greeenery.
Finally the footing smooths abit and several switchbacks bring you on to the "Ridge" of Signal Ridge.. I had some friends a couple of years ago who made this climb on a similar day to this..when they reached the little knob on the ridge they assumed they were at the summit and turned back..it wasn't until a few days later when i asked about views from the tower when they replied.."Tower... we didn't see any stinking tower..we shook our heads
knowing the views that we were missing and trudged along in the now blowing swirling fog..ducking down in to the brief col before the main peak the air warmed a bit and the wind died.. Passing the old cabin and the well we knew the end of the climb was near and after a short steady climb up a fine section of steps we reached the base of the tower.. here the wind whipped the fog by at a pretty good clip..we ducked into the trees for a brief lunch and headed back over hoping to get off the ridge by the anticpated 2:00 rain showers and potential thunderstorms.. Sure enough, we were about half way
down when the rains came..just a steady moderate drizzle..no thunder in site..
I think it was Forest Gump who said "wet is wet" and by the time we reached the main crossing before the desolation trail Jct we were resigned to wetness and headed right across the brook..hey..it helped to wash some of the mud off... be fore the final water crossing a few of us retraced steps on the bushwack and a few successfully took the crossing..We were a pretty soggy lot by the time we regrouped down at the parking lot.
Good day out with OTHH
a few misty pics
www.overthehillhikers.blogspot.com
The water was flowing steady under the bridge by the parking lot so we avoided the first crossing and whacked through alternating soaking hobblebush traps and a defined herd path. Checking out the first crossing from that vantage point we were satisfied with decision and headed up the trail. The signal Ridge Trail starts off easily enough through open hardwoods and an easy pitch..in some places it comes quite close to the brook which courses though a couple of small gorges with numerous drops..Very beautiful and noisy today..There were a few short muddy stretches and one long section of mud, slippery slanted puncheon bars, and mud..Over all though the trail in pretty good shape to the corner. The water crossings were wet and most rocks were covered..doable though..poles helped..not wanting a slip i waded across the wide one and goretex boots and gaters kept the feet pretty dry.
The next section of the trail a long fairly straight ascent over mostly slabby rock..nothing difficult, a ledgey scramble here and there..but no real good footing for awhile..really had to watch your step today. On good days an axceptional view of the face of Mt Lowell rewards this climb but today we were i n the clouds happy to see some greeenery.
Finally the footing smooths abit and several switchbacks bring you on to the "Ridge" of Signal Ridge.. I had some friends a couple of years ago who made this climb on a similar day to this..when they reached the little knob on the ridge they assumed they were at the summit and turned back..it wasn't until a few days later when i asked about views from the tower when they replied.."Tower... we didn't see any stinking tower..we shook our heads
knowing the views that we were missing and trudged along in the now blowing swirling fog..ducking down in to the brief col before the main peak the air warmed a bit and the wind died.. Passing the old cabin and the well we knew the end of the climb was near and after a short steady climb up a fine section of steps we reached the base of the tower.. here the wind whipped the fog by at a pretty good clip..we ducked into the trees for a brief lunch and headed back over hoping to get off the ridge by the anticpated 2:00 rain showers and potential thunderstorms.. Sure enough, we were about half way
down when the rains came..just a steady moderate drizzle..no thunder in site..
I think it was Forest Gump who said "wet is wet" and by the time we reached the main crossing before the desolation trail Jct we were resigned to wetness and headed right across the brook..hey..it helped to wash some of the mud off... be fore the final water crossing a few of us retraced steps on the bushwack and a few successfully took the crossing..We were a pretty soggy lot by the time we regrouped down at the parking lot.
Good day out with OTHH
a few misty pics
www.overthehillhikers.blogspot.com
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