Rik
03-08-2010, 07:29 PM
Heard there would be trouble in the High Peaks this weekend. Talks of riots, police states, and possible violence got me thinking I ought to do my hiking elsewhere.
One great thing about the internet and hiking forums is knowing where everyone plans to be and more importantly where everyone isn't planning to be.
Packed the car. Brought a shovel. Apparently many people do not? Brought a wife. Apparently many people do not? Brought a dog...
I even brought a leash but I didn't plan on using it.
Over bagels and coffee we spun the car through the Champlain Valley northward. Music, food, sunshine. Drive went relatively quick.
Charlene had never been to Mt. Mansfield before. She's working on some silly list and "needed" this peak. I had climbed this here peak before we ever met so I was just out for a walk. We chose the route up Sunset Ridge cuz it has a fine reputation. We knew it was popular but by going on a Friday we hoped to avoid the masses. We did consider posting a thread about our plan a month ago to solicit trail breakers but decided against it. Our plan would remain covert.
In winter the road to the trailhead is not maintained up to the campground where the trail begins so it means extra walking. Road walking! The horrors.
There were a few cars parked at the start and one other couple getting ready to ski. They were from Lake George which was funny since it is the next town over from mine. Charlene and I would be snowshoeing. Dali chose to bare "boot".
Up the road to another road and then finally a trail. After a brief walk in the woods the trees started to thin and the views started to open up. Soon we were at treeline basking in the sun and snacking on some lunch. We could see one other person in front of us and tried to give him his space. After lunch we promptly caught him where he had lost the trail and fallen into a couple spruce traps. We quickly got back to where we should have been and followed the ridge to the top on windblown packed snow.
A few other skiers came up from various directions and headed off in even more various directions. Views were spectacular in every direction. Even the towers and buildings on the ridge to our south couldn't ruin the views since there was something to look at in every direction. The Whites looked white. The Adirondacks looked like they were swarming with rangers. Champlain. Jays. Camels Hump... All this but no whipped cream?
Eventually we had to head down. We considered various loops but agreed that no route could be finer than the one we had just come up. On the way down we encountered people on snowshoes, skis, crampons, and boots. And no one was fighting? Except for us New Yorkers that is. Dali and I fought the whole day over each other's chosen footwear or lack thereof. And for the record, Charlene, Dali, and I started and finished at three distinct times. Just because we all drove there together, and know each other, and live together doesn't make us a group.
The drive home was a bit long but the view of the high peaks wasn't a bad way to spend the time.
One great thing about the internet and hiking forums is knowing where everyone plans to be and more importantly where everyone isn't planning to be.
Packed the car. Brought a shovel. Apparently many people do not? Brought a wife. Apparently many people do not? Brought a dog...
I even brought a leash but I didn't plan on using it.
Over bagels and coffee we spun the car through the Champlain Valley northward. Music, food, sunshine. Drive went relatively quick.
Charlene had never been to Mt. Mansfield before. She's working on some silly list and "needed" this peak. I had climbed this here peak before we ever met so I was just out for a walk. We chose the route up Sunset Ridge cuz it has a fine reputation. We knew it was popular but by going on a Friday we hoped to avoid the masses. We did consider posting a thread about our plan a month ago to solicit trail breakers but decided against it. Our plan would remain covert.
In winter the road to the trailhead is not maintained up to the campground where the trail begins so it means extra walking. Road walking! The horrors.
There were a few cars parked at the start and one other couple getting ready to ski. They were from Lake George which was funny since it is the next town over from mine. Charlene and I would be snowshoeing. Dali chose to bare "boot".
Up the road to another road and then finally a trail. After a brief walk in the woods the trees started to thin and the views started to open up. Soon we were at treeline basking in the sun and snacking on some lunch. We could see one other person in front of us and tried to give him his space. After lunch we promptly caught him where he had lost the trail and fallen into a couple spruce traps. We quickly got back to where we should have been and followed the ridge to the top on windblown packed snow.
A few other skiers came up from various directions and headed off in even more various directions. Views were spectacular in every direction. Even the towers and buildings on the ridge to our south couldn't ruin the views since there was something to look at in every direction. The Whites looked white. The Adirondacks looked like they were swarming with rangers. Champlain. Jays. Camels Hump... All this but no whipped cream?
Eventually we had to head down. We considered various loops but agreed that no route could be finer than the one we had just come up. On the way down we encountered people on snowshoes, skis, crampons, and boots. And no one was fighting? Except for us New Yorkers that is. Dali and I fought the whole day over each other's chosen footwear or lack thereof. And for the record, Charlene, Dali, and I started and finished at three distinct times. Just because we all drove there together, and know each other, and live together doesn't make us a group.
The drive home was a bit long but the view of the high peaks wasn't a bad way to spend the time.