Flatland
07-01-2011, 01:26 PM
Accidentally posted this in the wrong place the other day. oops...
A co-worker of mine has been intermitently mentioning how much he likes the mountains, etc. for the last four years. Unfortunately, he hasn't had a chance to do much hiking in the time I've known him, save a short trek with his son in the Holyoke Range of Western Massachusetts a year or so ago. Finally I managed to convince him to come with me for a hike in the Whites in celebration of the end of our school year (we are both teachers in the same elementary school in Rhode Island). He was extremely stoked about the prospect and his wife gave him the green light on it, so we planned on something for this past Tuesday. The planning was up to me, so I picked Moosilauke based on the facts that it is: A.)less than 4 hours from home, B.)an official AMC 4000 footer with an impressive, view-laden summit, and B.)a relatively easy hike with no scrambling or particularly stiff climbs.
This would be my own first ascent of the revered peak, though I generally knew what to expect based on accounts of peakbagging friends. We hit the road at 6 on the dot, making good time despite the relatively heavy Boston traffic flow in the section of 93 north of the city. By 9 am we were well into the mountains, and we found the road to Dartmouth's Ravine Lodge by half past. The lodge itself was reminiscent of the AMC huts, though we didn't venture inside for fear of being chased off by Ivy League caretakers defending Dartmouth's property. We meandered to the trailhead and signed in at quarter to 10. According to the log, 3 parties of 2 each had ventured ahead of us. We began ascending the Gorge Brook trail in isolation, accompanied by the sound of birdsong. The first section hugged the brook closely. We made our way up a heavily wooded, steady-yet-gentle ascent. At approximately the halfway mark we encountered a large group kitted out in various sized packs, reverently listening to a middle-aged, mustachioed fellow holding court about some obscure matter related to the local flora and/or fauna. The mustached expert later caught up to us whilst admiring a section of clear-cut and explained that he was a professor with Antioch University New England who was leading a Masters Class in Environmental Biology. He said that he had been studying the mountain (and, specifically, the results of acid rain) since the mid-80's. He seemed to know a lot about the area and was extremely personable, though I can only stand to hang around with leftists of any stripe for so long, so my co-worker and I were soon on our merry way.
Shortly thereafter we hit the switchback section of the Gorge Brook Trail. The going got a bit steeper, though never unreasonably so, and before we knew it we were at treeline. Soon we entered the fragile alpine zone, accompanied by the relevant signs. East Peak was impressive enough for a novice such as my tramping partner and, as always, the high mountain feel was cool for me as well. We descended modestly through scrub conifers and then began the brief climb to Moosilauke's summit. As many NH peaks do, it reminded me of photos I've seen of the Scottish Highlands. The overcast sky contributed to this feeling. At the summit were a number of hikers (quite a few more than I'd seen in the log - perhaps some had come from the other side). We had our lunch in one of the several stone bivy-areas at the top. Despite the haziness, a number of prominent NE peaks could be seen from all sides. My partner snapped a bunch of vulgar photos from the device know colloquially as a "smart phone". We made the decision to return to the car via the Carriage Road and Snapper Trails. Aside from the first half-mile or so, the trip down was uneventful and lacking scenery. It would have lent itself perfectly for a run down, but my co-worker was not quite ready for such a thing yet. We made it back in just about four hours even, enough time to hit up Milly's Tavern in Manchester on the way back. We each sampled the Manch-Vegas IPA and the Hopalicious APA. The wives were forced to excuse this based on the fact that it was preceded by something "healthy" like a hike. I'm hoping this whole experience will awaken a burgeoning peakbagging obsession in my co-worker, and he will subsequently risk his relationship with his wife, child, and parents as a result. Yes, I'm a bad person...
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke1.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke2.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke4.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke5.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke6.jpg
A co-worker of mine has been intermitently mentioning how much he likes the mountains, etc. for the last four years. Unfortunately, he hasn't had a chance to do much hiking in the time I've known him, save a short trek with his son in the Holyoke Range of Western Massachusetts a year or so ago. Finally I managed to convince him to come with me for a hike in the Whites in celebration of the end of our school year (we are both teachers in the same elementary school in Rhode Island). He was extremely stoked about the prospect and his wife gave him the green light on it, so we planned on something for this past Tuesday. The planning was up to me, so I picked Moosilauke based on the facts that it is: A.)less than 4 hours from home, B.)an official AMC 4000 footer with an impressive, view-laden summit, and B.)a relatively easy hike with no scrambling or particularly stiff climbs.
This would be my own first ascent of the revered peak, though I generally knew what to expect based on accounts of peakbagging friends. We hit the road at 6 on the dot, making good time despite the relatively heavy Boston traffic flow in the section of 93 north of the city. By 9 am we were well into the mountains, and we found the road to Dartmouth's Ravine Lodge by half past. The lodge itself was reminiscent of the AMC huts, though we didn't venture inside for fear of being chased off by Ivy League caretakers defending Dartmouth's property. We meandered to the trailhead and signed in at quarter to 10. According to the log, 3 parties of 2 each had ventured ahead of us. We began ascending the Gorge Brook trail in isolation, accompanied by the sound of birdsong. The first section hugged the brook closely. We made our way up a heavily wooded, steady-yet-gentle ascent. At approximately the halfway mark we encountered a large group kitted out in various sized packs, reverently listening to a middle-aged, mustachioed fellow holding court about some obscure matter related to the local flora and/or fauna. The mustached expert later caught up to us whilst admiring a section of clear-cut and explained that he was a professor with Antioch University New England who was leading a Masters Class in Environmental Biology. He said that he had been studying the mountain (and, specifically, the results of acid rain) since the mid-80's. He seemed to know a lot about the area and was extremely personable, though I can only stand to hang around with leftists of any stripe for so long, so my co-worker and I were soon on our merry way.
Shortly thereafter we hit the switchback section of the Gorge Brook Trail. The going got a bit steeper, though never unreasonably so, and before we knew it we were at treeline. Soon we entered the fragile alpine zone, accompanied by the relevant signs. East Peak was impressive enough for a novice such as my tramping partner and, as always, the high mountain feel was cool for me as well. We descended modestly through scrub conifers and then began the brief climb to Moosilauke's summit. As many NH peaks do, it reminded me of photos I've seen of the Scottish Highlands. The overcast sky contributed to this feeling. At the summit were a number of hikers (quite a few more than I'd seen in the log - perhaps some had come from the other side). We had our lunch in one of the several stone bivy-areas at the top. Despite the haziness, a number of prominent NE peaks could be seen from all sides. My partner snapped a bunch of vulgar photos from the device know colloquially as a "smart phone". We made the decision to return to the car via the Carriage Road and Snapper Trails. Aside from the first half-mile or so, the trip down was uneventful and lacking scenery. It would have lent itself perfectly for a run down, but my co-worker was not quite ready for such a thing yet. We made it back in just about four hours even, enough time to hit up Milly's Tavern in Manchester on the way back. We each sampled the Manch-Vegas IPA and the Hopalicious APA. The wives were forced to excuse this based on the fact that it was preceded by something "healthy" like a hike. I'm hoping this whole experience will awaken a burgeoning peakbagging obsession in my co-worker, and he will subsequently risk his relationship with his wife, child, and parents as a result. Yes, I'm a bad person...
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke1.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke2.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke4.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke5.jpg
http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af221/bkeefe1/Moosilauke%20June%2028%202011/moosilauke6.jpg