MattC
12-26-2005, 06:23 PM
Coldfeet and I hiked these two Saturday from the Biscuit Brook trailhead. We just about had to come to a complete stop on the way due to a dozen or so turkeys crossing the road. I briefly considered 'whacking one and bringing it to my mom for X-mas. :twisted: The only other wildlife or signs during the hike were hare scat and tracks, deer tracks and one little black cap chickadee.
We barebooted for a while since the trail was so well broken-thanks to Ralph, Maddie, Laurie, Tom and some unknown guy! Made good time to the leanto, then followed the well-broken path to Fir, still in bare boots. Signed in and had a bite, then we put on the 'shoes for the tramp over to the Big I. Only Laurie and Tom had been this way, and it looked like it had snowed a little since then-the track was easy to follow, but we still had to break quite a bit. This was my first time on the Fir/Big Indian col w/ leaves down, and it was really striking to see how narrow it is.
As we approached the summit, the forest was alive w/ the sound of twig-size icicles falling off the trees-almost seemed like hail. Wild stuff. Signed it at the canister and tumbled back down to the blue trail. Took the 'shoes back off a little before the brook crossings near the leanto, since it was getting annoying hearing the clack and scrape of bare rock. Of course, the few inches of snow on the trail was very soft and wet by now, so the last two miles were kind of exhausting to walk in. We really need a couple feet of nice dry powder! Saw some bare boot tracks that we hadn't noticed before. We checked the register and it turned out that it had been a DEC patrol as far as the leanto-Ranger Dell, w/ whom Terri and I briefly chatted after coming out from the leanto in Nov.
Coldfeet got one more (he already had Big Indian) and I got a couple for the winter list. More importantly, it was a safe, enjoyable trip.
Matt
We barebooted for a while since the trail was so well broken-thanks to Ralph, Maddie, Laurie, Tom and some unknown guy! Made good time to the leanto, then followed the well-broken path to Fir, still in bare boots. Signed in and had a bite, then we put on the 'shoes for the tramp over to the Big I. Only Laurie and Tom had been this way, and it looked like it had snowed a little since then-the track was easy to follow, but we still had to break quite a bit. This was my first time on the Fir/Big Indian col w/ leaves down, and it was really striking to see how narrow it is.
As we approached the summit, the forest was alive w/ the sound of twig-size icicles falling off the trees-almost seemed like hail. Wild stuff. Signed it at the canister and tumbled back down to the blue trail. Took the 'shoes back off a little before the brook crossings near the leanto, since it was getting annoying hearing the clack and scrape of bare rock. Of course, the few inches of snow on the trail was very soft and wet by now, so the last two miles were kind of exhausting to walk in. We really need a couple feet of nice dry powder! Saw some bare boot tracks that we hadn't noticed before. We checked the register and it turned out that it had been a DEC patrol as far as the leanto-Ranger Dell, w/ whom Terri and I briefly chatted after coming out from the leanto in Nov.
Coldfeet got one more (he already had Big Indian) and I got a couple for the winter list. More importantly, it was a safe, enjoyable trip.
Matt