mountainmeijin
03-12-2007, 04:47 PM
I started off of Moon Haw Road at 9:20 am, following a well broken out path up to the top of Friday's eastern ridge. Conditions were quite slick in some places, where a covering of snow hid a sheet of ice underneath. As I worked towards Friday's rocky summit cone, the path veered off to sidehill along the south side of the ridge, avoiding much of the worst of the infamous Friday cliffs.
I took my time ascending. I often found myself sitting down for a rest and spending ten minutes playing with the snow, gathering it up into little balls and throwing it down the steep hillside to watch it gather snow as it rolled. Temperatures were warm all day, and the cliffs near the top were dripping like a rainstorm. Every time the wind blew, chunks of snow and ice would rain off the trees, sometimes landing on me and scaring me half to death.
By 12:20 I was at the Friday canister, reflecting on what a tough trip up it had been. I can say that Friday has been the single toughest of the 35 so far. I started off towards Balsam Cap, investigating several semi-broken paths heading in a southerly direction below height of land at the col. These all led to dead ends before I finally found a good path to Balsam Cap. For those who hike these two, the path to Balsam Cap appears on the left side, just as the path that you are taking curves gently to the right and head up Friday, below and irregular assemblage of ledges and boulders. If you find yourself in a place where there is a large, near vertical rock wall in front and the broken out trail heads steeply up a slope, turning abruptly to the right, with a drop-off enclosed by balsams along the right side, you have passed the intersection and are heading up towards the summit of Friday.
The lower parts of Balsam Cap's flat summit were a sight to behold. The trees were very thick and covered with melting ice. The early afternoon sun cast a yellowish glow on the wet trees and icy branches, and the rain of ice chunks and water off the branches made the whole scene appear to be a sort of tropical rain shower (with several feet of snow on the ground to offer contrast). I left the broken trail several times only to rejoin it near that viewpoint to the east, just north of the canister. I signed in and began my descent.
There was some good sliding to be had on the way down, and in no time I was admiring the view of the Ashokan Reservoir from near that little house on Friday's eastern ridge. Whoever owns that place has got the right idea. Shortly after that, a light rain began to fall, and I returned to my car at 4:45 PM, thoroughly soaked from the drizzle and the melting ice.
Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2289105800099999532BvplFc
Apologies for the poor quality of some of the pictures. The water dripping down blurred that camera lens on some shots.
P.S. What sort of attire is preferred at the 3500 club dinner?
I took my time ascending. I often found myself sitting down for a rest and spending ten minutes playing with the snow, gathering it up into little balls and throwing it down the steep hillside to watch it gather snow as it rolled. Temperatures were warm all day, and the cliffs near the top were dripping like a rainstorm. Every time the wind blew, chunks of snow and ice would rain off the trees, sometimes landing on me and scaring me half to death.
By 12:20 I was at the Friday canister, reflecting on what a tough trip up it had been. I can say that Friday has been the single toughest of the 35 so far. I started off towards Balsam Cap, investigating several semi-broken paths heading in a southerly direction below height of land at the col. These all led to dead ends before I finally found a good path to Balsam Cap. For those who hike these two, the path to Balsam Cap appears on the left side, just as the path that you are taking curves gently to the right and head up Friday, below and irregular assemblage of ledges and boulders. If you find yourself in a place where there is a large, near vertical rock wall in front and the broken out trail heads steeply up a slope, turning abruptly to the right, with a drop-off enclosed by balsams along the right side, you have passed the intersection and are heading up towards the summit of Friday.
The lower parts of Balsam Cap's flat summit were a sight to behold. The trees were very thick and covered with melting ice. The early afternoon sun cast a yellowish glow on the wet trees and icy branches, and the rain of ice chunks and water off the branches made the whole scene appear to be a sort of tropical rain shower (with several feet of snow on the ground to offer contrast). I left the broken trail several times only to rejoin it near that viewpoint to the east, just north of the canister. I signed in and began my descent.
There was some good sliding to be had on the way down, and in no time I was admiring the view of the Ashokan Reservoir from near that little house on Friday's eastern ridge. Whoever owns that place has got the right idea. Shortly after that, a light rain began to fall, and I returned to my car at 4:45 PM, thoroughly soaked from the drizzle and the melting ice.
Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2289105800099999532BvplFc
Apologies for the poor quality of some of the pictures. The water dripping down blurred that camera lens on some shots.
P.S. What sort of attire is preferred at the 3500 club dinner?