Tuco
New member
Call it Mt. Clay, call it Mt. Reagan, Claygen is fiine with me. Each year Rols does a hike up to Mt. Clay just after the end of winter and its usually a stellar day.
We hit the trail at Marshfield around 630, needed to get back home early. Snowsoes used from station to station. Trail in good shape early, with some blowovers smacking our faces. We quickly got to the viewpoint and there was no wind and clear skies everywhere. Sun hadn't come up over the ridge yet, so it was cool temp-wise. Enjoyed a snack and then headed up.
After heading to the north end of the ridge, the trail came to a fork, to the right went up and to the left went flat to slight incline. We recalled the trail heading up north on the ridge and went that way. Although looking like a trail corridor as we went it became tighter, many more smacks in the face, dropping of snow on our heads, and the grabbing of packs by unseen hands. We questioned whether it was the trail, but knew we were heading in the correct direction.
We popped out into the clearing and there was no sign of trail. Snow and ice covered the path to the ridge so we took a straight line up. It became steep going up, we took advantage of the ice for good traction with the snowshoes. There was a very occasional cairn but alone told us nothing of the trail. We hit the Gulfside trail, or at least the cairns and surveyed. Rols asked me to check the thermometer and it said -5; and a steady breeze had picked up. Cold.
We angled directly to the Clay summit which was quick since we didn't go up by any trail and we hit the ridge just under it. Great views everywhere, enough said. We dropped packs in between two of Clays bumps, ate and headed over to take more pix. We spent a lot of time above treeline and never saw a person.
Going down we angled back and forth looking for traction as we were slipping a bit and the quick ride into the abyss didn't sound like a good plan. We looked for another enrty to the Jewell in the trees, and quickly whacked back to our trail up. Going down was very quick- we still have no idea if we were on trail or not but it got it us there and back.
Another excellent spring hike to Clay with clear views everywhere........
pix here. http://tuco.smugmug.com/General-Hiking/Mt-Clay-Via-Jewell-Trail-32710/11644432_QXuqJ#821032501_eNJsv
- of course that was 3/27 and not 37 ..........
We hit the trail at Marshfield around 630, needed to get back home early. Snowsoes used from station to station. Trail in good shape early, with some blowovers smacking our faces. We quickly got to the viewpoint and there was no wind and clear skies everywhere. Sun hadn't come up over the ridge yet, so it was cool temp-wise. Enjoyed a snack and then headed up.
After heading to the north end of the ridge, the trail came to a fork, to the right went up and to the left went flat to slight incline. We recalled the trail heading up north on the ridge and went that way. Although looking like a trail corridor as we went it became tighter, many more smacks in the face, dropping of snow on our heads, and the grabbing of packs by unseen hands. We questioned whether it was the trail, but knew we were heading in the correct direction.
We popped out into the clearing and there was no sign of trail. Snow and ice covered the path to the ridge so we took a straight line up. It became steep going up, we took advantage of the ice for good traction with the snowshoes. There was a very occasional cairn but alone told us nothing of the trail. We hit the Gulfside trail, or at least the cairns and surveyed. Rols asked me to check the thermometer and it said -5; and a steady breeze had picked up. Cold.
We angled directly to the Clay summit which was quick since we didn't go up by any trail and we hit the ridge just under it. Great views everywhere, enough said. We dropped packs in between two of Clays bumps, ate and headed over to take more pix. We spent a lot of time above treeline and never saw a person.
Going down we angled back and forth looking for traction as we were slipping a bit and the quick ride into the abyss didn't sound like a good plan. We looked for another enrty to the Jewell in the trees, and quickly whacked back to our trail up. Going down was very quick- we still have no idea if we were on trail or not but it got it us there and back.
Another excellent spring hike to Clay with clear views everywhere........
pix here. http://tuco.smugmug.com/General-Hiking/Mt-Clay-Via-Jewell-Trail-32710/11644432_QXuqJ#821032501_eNJsv
- of course that was 3/27 and not 37 ..........
