Friday, 7/11/2014
Day One: 6.8 Miles & +4812 Vert/-1791 Vert
Looking at my Full Moon app this past spring, I marked my calendar with all of the full moon weekends for the summer. I honestly wasn’t expecting to hit such a perfect weather window AND a full moon but it looked good so we upgraded a Northern Presi trip to a Presidential Traverse and Gus and I rolled up to Appalachia Parking Lot at 10:30 PM Friday.
This weekend, the long awaited Carters + Moriah 4-bagger were on the menu after a 3 month summer backpacking hiatus which in hindsight is inexcusable. Gus and I hit up Dolly Copp campsite at about 10 pm and got a fire going. We drank a few brews, scoped the full moon from the field and split up group gear and passed out around 1 am. I slept with the rain fly off and woke a few times to see the moon staring brightly down at me. We were awakened by the camp caretaker for not paying the fee at 7am. Since we got there late and the campground is quite large, we figured we’d pay on the way out and apparently the way out part doesn’t fly with them. My alarm went off as he walked away so it worked out.
After my Los Angeles trip + Gus’ Vegas bachelor party last week I was chomping at the bit for some Nature re-tuning. Gus and I had talked about the Northern Presidentials while drinking in the pool at Mandalay Bay so that was on the menu for this weekend.
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Back to the mountains and this time it felt overdue. Since we bailed on the previous weekend due to rain, we decided to stomp out a four peak trip after throwing around some two peak trip ideas that would have been less than acceptably arduous. The weather is getting nice so time to crank the vert back up around 6,000 feet per trip which was our average for last year. We decided on this trip after reading tantalizing tales of the carnage that is the Kate Sleeper Trail and having never done a Sandwich Range hike, this was new terrain and views for us.
Following the successful Moosilauke overnight the weekend before and facing a window of opportunity for back-to-back bluebird Saturdays, we decided to take the Presidential views a little closer up this time and headed to Carter Notch Hut on Friday night. After an interesting drive of getting passed by both an 18 wheeler (in a no pass zone!) as well as a Smart Car (WTF?) we finally arrived at the Nineteen Mile Brook Trailhead around 10:30 pm with my pride brutally shattered.
Friday, 10/26/2012
Day One: 2.74 Miles & 1516 feet vert
After a Kinsman Ridge Traverse trip fell apart last minute, Gus LT and I decided to try a Tom Field Wiley Loop out of a lack of a car spot. I’m positive these peaks are rarely done as a loop which made it even more enticing; I’m starting to develop a habit of hiking weird loops.
Willey Field Tom Loop from Ethan Pond
This past weekend I joined an AMC led trip for my first trip in the Presidentials to bag four peaks. Meeting at Crawford Notch at 9:15am Saturday, the leader decided to reverse the original route to take advantage of the weather as snow was predicted for Sunday. After car dropping at Rocky Branch Trailhead at Rt. 16, we returned to the Highland Center and began our six person trek on the Crawford Path at 11pm. The temperature quickly rose to near 40 degrees and the 3 or so inches of snow that had fallen the night before began to melt off the trees. We set a slow but steady pace up to Pierce and were greeted with blue bird skies and a great view of the path ahead of us.
The Presidential Range from Mt.Pierce
Bondcliff & West Bond (L to R)
It’s always difficult to decide which peaks to bag as I have a large amount left. With this hike however, I picked peaks that have been very highly recommended to me, the three peaks that make up the “Bonds”. This also let me stay within the Pemigewasset Wilderness, my go-to White Mountains area and a place I plan on redlining. One of the things I love about the Pemi is the remoteness of some of it yet it is still close to 93 and a quick hop back to civilization when you get out. It also has some great camping options if you backpack. On Friday night, I got the last walk-in spot at Hancock Campground, and posted up for the night. I knew that the area would be busy due to “Flags on the 48”; a tribute to those lost on 9/11 where hikers sign up to climb each of the 48 4,000 footers with a flag and raise it from 12-2pm.
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These are the first poles I ever bought or even tried. Next to getting hydraulic Cyborg legs these are the best thing for hiking. Ever. They instantly turned me into a four legged mountain goat.
Took them on a 7 mile fastpack initially, and I was flying down wet rocky trails faster than I could free fall. These give you the balance and confidence to make some INSANE steps and jumps you would have never tried without them! If your into crazy technical hiking these are must haves. I also have a questionable ankle that always gets sore and this negated that completely. Also great for skirting around a large muddy or wet section of trail and for water crossings.
Upper body workout is impressive as well, I read they take 25% of the work off of your legs. Spreading out the exertion kept me from taking breaks every 20 minutes. The shock absorption is a nice bonus, grips are great. On downhills I was putting 20-30 lbs of pressure on each pole and they held it like champs. Putting that much weight on them GREATLY diminishes leg impact. Pairing them with my Osprey Aether (60) with its pole storage straps made coverting to scrambling or walking flats super fast.
Some tips I picked up: Use the wrist tethers correctly and spread your weight through your wrist as well as your hand; you can make your lead pole longer than the other; sometimes using one pole is better than both; alternating your leg and pole arm on hills is clutch – try to maintain that form and you will crush uphills and get a serious workout.
If you are on the fence with a pole purchase ask yourself this: Would you go skiing without poles? Its really the exact same difference. Also if you go hiking with a friend that doesn’t have poles or good gear, letting them use one will greatly improve the odds of them hiking with you again.
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