(Crawford Notch – Tom 11, Willard, Avalon, Field-12, Red Bench)

con·tent (kənˈtent) adjective 1. in a state of peaceful happiness.

That definition says it all. Many of my friends and family, and probably most people in the state of Massachusetts and other NE states would, no doubt look at the winter of 2015 as a nightmare. I see it as a BLESSING. It gave me a whole new look at the mountains and the world in general. Yes, like many Massachusettsians, my roof took a beating, my pool collapsed, my bay window shattered and rotted, my ceiling, insulation, walls and carpet all got some pretty bad water damage, I dug out the driveway every day it seemed, I shoveled a mountain of snow off the roof a few times, I chipped away at ice dams… ON… AND…ON…. AND….ON … But in the end, we all made it through because we are New Englanders and we can take anything! Plus I got to PLAY in the snow every day!! So how could I complain??? I decided to cover the entire winter in this one 3 part entry…(Part 2 actually takes place after Part 3 but it reads better this way). So settle in, put another log on the fire, make some hot cocoa and get ready for ONE LONG TALL TALE, FOR ONE LONG COLD WINTER…that I never wanted to end!!!

 

PART ONE – New Life in the Dead of Winter:

I can’t stay away any longer- All of December and January was quite long enough! Now I am finally heading up to the whites for my first winter 4k hike. I have spent the last few months enjoying the holidays and accumulating winter gear and letting the ground accumulate a good snow pack. I love my new snow shoes and have used them a few times on some local trails. On January 11^th after having only received an inch or two of the white stuff, and eager to try out my new toys I posted the following on facebook: “Playin in the snow! Maybe I should be careful what I wish for but c’mon Ma nature is that all you got??? Give us something we can sink our teeth into!” Since then we have had a few good storms and conditions are perfect for my first winter climb Mount Tom in Crawford Notch. This is one that many people climb in winter due to its low level of difficulty, length, and elevation. It is often combined with its neighbors Mt. Field and Mt Willey, but today I am just going for the one peak.

I am staying at the AMC highland center which is located right at the trailhead so I can check in, gear up and head out to the winter playground. I’m so excited that I can include all four seasons now in my hiking options with a great start to my winter gear collection. I started out with some winter boots, nothing crazy a bit larger in size than my regular hiking boots so that I can insulate well with synthetic or wool socks. I am also layering properly with all synthetic moisture wicking breathable clothing including a base layer, an insulating layer and a weather layer, with some extra layers in my pack if needed. My pack is well stocked with the 10 essentials for hiking which cover Navigation, Sun protection, Insulation, Illumination, First Aid, Fire starter, Repair Kit, Nutrition, Hydration, Emergency Shelter. Some of these have started out pretty basic (a tarp and some rope are my shelter for instance), but I will expand and upgrade as time goes on. (Click here for a current “what’s in my pack” list- which has been fine-tuned since this hike).

My most expensive new toy is a pair of Tubbs Mountaineering snow shoes. After much research I got these because of all the features, including aggressive heal and toe crampons, lightweight flexible frame, easy strap binding with pivoting action, and heal lift. (Do I sound like an ad for Tubbs?) As I head up the Avalon trail I find all of these features are working like a charm! I am amazed at how natural this feels and in many ways I am finding winter hiking to be easier than standard terrain. The frozen well-traveled snow pack tends to smooth out the jagged rocks, slippery leaves, loose scree, river crossings, and other challenges that come with normal hiking. I am using my old XCski poles for now until I can get a pair of trekking poles, and they are working just fine. So it’s “So far so good” in the traction department.

Another item I have added, thanks to a Christmas gift from my boss, is a 3 liter water bladder that I have filled with hot (almost boiling) water, along with 2 extra insulated water bottles also filled with hot water. This will keep it from freezing up in the cold. This adds quite a bit of weight to my pack, but hydration is pretty important. (I have since cut down this amount by one bottle which is plenty for most hikes and I can always boil snow if I run out and can’t find running water)  After a while on the trail I noticed that the mouthpiece has frozen up in the cold air. I remembered reading somewhere that you could thaw this out by sticking it inside your jacket, or even try to get it under your arm where it is warm. I also remembered an article on winter hydration where they suggested that after each time you take a drink, try to remember to blow into the hose to get the water back in the reservoir, where it is not susceptible to freezing. These two tips came in quite handy… all part of learning how to hike in winter.  Getting the hang of all of this as I continue along the trail, with the snowpack crunching beneath my feet, toe crampons digging in on the upslope, and heels on the down, flipping my heel lifts up on the steeper slopes , adjusting layers as I get warmer, then again when I break…

…And then I noticed something out of the corner of my ear that stopped me dead in my tracks! It was a sound that I had rarely heard before. Where was it coming from? I looked up into the sky above me… I looked down the packed slope of the trail… I looked to my right through a clearing that revealed the face of the mountain… I looked to my left through the snow covered evergreens and forest of bare deciduous… I looked back where my tracks were following from… and I looked forward to where they had yet to go… Still, I could not tell where it was coming from, but there was no denying its presence. Then as I stood completely still and listened closer and longer it finally dawned on me what it was… SILENCE, not just quiet but complete and pure SILENCE, so profound and calm as if nothing was moving, as if time had stood still, as if the winter had frozen all life, not a whisper of wind, not a twig falling to the ground, not a droplet of water from a nearby stream, not a rustle of a birds feather, or even a crunching of the snow on the forest floor. I raised my hand to my ear and rubbed my two fingers together to test if I had gone deaf. No, my ears were in working order I just had entered a space where it was possible to be still and let nothing happen. So I stood there a while longer, slowing my breath, and clearing my head of any thoughts, until even the very beating of my heart seemed to be the only sound for miles! In this moment, I lost track of all time so I don’t know how long I was standing there, but it seemed like eternity and yet not long enough… And then, finally a sound: The of crunching footsteps in the distance a head of me and growing louder and louder as they approached closer and closer, until around the corner a solitary hiker descending down the trail toward me. We smile and I utter a single “hello” and this word seems as though I am shouting at the top of my lungs, the first word I have spoken in years, to echo for miles and miles. Now with the silence broken, I decide to get moving again. As I turn the corner, a sound of a gentle wind through the trees joins the crunching of snow beneath my feet, and then the rustle of a branch and the sound of the dropping of accumulated snow falling to the ground, then a scurrying of a small critter, and a bird spreads its wings and takes flight above me. I am in tune with every smallest detail of all that is going on around me and it is all very surreal.

I reach the trail junction of Mt Tom spur and the AZ trail, and there is a group there who had stopped for a snack, and they are in mid conversation gabbing away about gear, trails, and layering. We exchange greetings and I continue on to the right and complete my final ascent.  As I reach Toms semi-wooded summit, a clearing in the white covered Christmas tree like forest reveals a partial view of the surrounding winterized mountains under a cold gray sky.

I am well bundled at this point and pause to take some video and pics of the scene and a few selfies to mark the occasion of my first frosty peak, and then after my fill of the cold, I decide to get the blood flowing again and start my decent retracing my steps from whence they came. The AZ trail junction is now deserted as I am in a more protected area now, a good place to pause for my PBJ… I did say MY PBJ right? Nope, looks like I have company today. click here to watch “feed the bird” videoThe gray jays are hanging around and I decide to try to offer them some crumbs, at first throwing them on the ground at my feet, and then holding out my hand where they are not shy about swooping in for a meal. Its one thing to go to a petting zoo or to feed a flock of seagulls on the beach, but its quite another to connect with nature this way in the middle of the wilderness. I decide to get a video of this as well, and then I notice in the out of focus distance through the trees a shadow lurking in the distance. I zoom in on this figure to reveal some type of small mammal creeping in to get a closer look at the feeding.

It looks like a small fox-like or cat-like critter, like a large ferret or something. Not knowing what it was or what it was capable or incapable of, I decided it was better not to feed the creature or get too close ( I later learned that this was a Pine Martin).click here to watch “Pine Marten” video I feel like doctor doo-little, this is their home and they are at peace with me and welcoming me in for a peak into their world.  But alas the last of the crumbs are consumed and I must move on and make my way down to the Crawford Notch and the Highland Center. Move over autumn, I think winter may be my new favorite!

PART 2 – More Recruits

… And so the winter continued on, dumping inches, upon feet, upon yards of the fluffy white stuff upon us …and we continued to dig ourselves out to avoid cabin fever, to go to work, to go to the store, to go out and do what we do, to carry on with our lives because we are New Engladahz and we are tough as nails! This is what we do, and for me, the new thing I do is walk 3 feet, 6 feet, 9 feet above the ground and get a new look at the world around me at this height. I have been trying to share my new love for winter with friends and family, and although many don’t share my enthusiasm, there are those who I was able to infect and a few even joined me on my winter trips to the mountains.

So this was one of those weekends where I brought up a friend to the Highland Center, to spread this addiction I have. It is very contagious and I have no qualms of sharing the germ with whoever is willing to receive it. This weekend, my victim is Mike B, my coworker. He’s the guy that got me into mountain biking as another way to hit the trails. I always say that bike he found me on Craig’s List is the best $100 I ever spent! Well I returned the favor and tempted him to get some $50 snowshoes at BJ’s Wholesale, and we’ve been breaking em in on short trails around the office at lunch time and after work. So time to take it to the next level and climb some mountains!

The plan was do a small hike the first day just to get our feet wet (but hopefully keep them dry), then amp it up a notch the second day if all goes well, perhaps climb Pierce or Jackson. Well as I seem to learn over and over, the Mountains have a way of changing your plans. It started out according to plan. We left from the Lodge and walked to the same trailhead across the tracks at the historic Crawford Notch Depot railroad station, and took a left to ascend the 2865 ft Mount Willard: A nice little half day hike with a great view of Crawford Notch.  In all of the commotion of our usual goofing around, we forgot to stretch first (something I always do, to avoid injury) and by the time I remember we are already into our climb with all the gear on, so we do a half effort stretch shoes and all and get on with the hike. Lots of laughing goin on today, and not so much peace and quiet. But I get plenty of that on my solo weekends. Solitude is nice, but it’s fun to mix it up sometimes and have some laughs. It’s another perfect winter day. Not too cold but plenty of snow to go around and trail conditions are once again, perfect! Oddly enough it’s back home that seemed to get the jackpot this year and New Hampshire actually has less than Mass for a change. Mike brought his GoPro to catch some footage and got some great shots, best of all was him running down the trail, losing his footing and doing a faceplant in a snowbank! He wanted to bring a few beers up with us, but I didn’t want the extra weight in my pack, plus I think keeping your wits about you while hiking is pretty important. We got to the top in no time, and were treated to an awesome winter look of the notch, with Willey and Field to our prominent right and Webster cliff, and Jackson to our left. Some of the  smaller peaks of the SE edge of the Pemi wilderness and the SW edge of the Dry River wilderness are also visible in the distance. So I’d say this was a big bang for the buck hike for sure!  “NOT A 4000 FOOTER BUT….” That seems to be the popular opening phrase for hikers to share their hiking experiences of those countless journeys that don’t meet the technical criteria to make the 4K list, but are often every bit as spectacular, in even more so in some cases. This was definitely one of those cases.

We made it back down to the lodge even quicker than we made it up, with still much of the day left. So we decided on another short trek around the lake and to “the red bench”. This time Mike had grabbed a few Sam’s from the car and we set out once again. As we started part 2 of our hike my foot landed in a weird way and I tweaked my ankle a bit. I thought nothing of it, at the time and we continued to the bench where we cracked the 2 best tasting winter ales ever. We made it back to the lodge and stuffed ourselves with food, talked with some of the other guests for a while, and then headed out to a local brewery/ bar further south on 302 for a few more brewskies.  The next morning my injury became more noticeable so we decided not to chance making it worse and headed home early without having checked off a 4k from the list. Still it was a great weekend just the same.

…And the snow keeps falling

…and falling

…and falling

 

 
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PART 3 – Lessons in the woods

Another spectacular weekend in the Whites at Crawford Notch! What made it special this time is that in addition to taking in the beautiful scenery, breathing the mountain air, and having a lot of outdoor exercise, I was able to share this mountain experience with friends. As a bonus, over the weekend I learned something about myself, my gear, my friends & other fellow hikers, and most of all, the mountain itself.

 

Group hiking is not something I do very much of, not because I don’t want to, but because the people in my daily life don’t show as much of an interest in hiking as I have, and I haven’t had or haven’t seeked out the opportunity to hike with organized meetup groups or individuals looking for a hiking buddy. But this weekend I was lucky enough to have some company.

I learned a few things about group hiking on this trip, and was reminded how the slow gradual buildup to where I am now in hiking-shape was important. I brought along my good friend Lisa who I consider to be in great physical shape and who has been hiking trails and biking at lower elevations. Also along for the journey was her sister Kim (also in tip-top shape).

No plan is ever set in stone in the mountains but the options I had in mind were either 1) a short reasonably gentle climb up to Mt Willard (which has a great view of the notch, 2) attempt a steeper climb up to Avalon (also great 180 degree views) and finally 3) if we still had enough in the tank, we could continue up to Mt Field and I could check another 4K footer off the list. However, my personal goals were secondary this weekend. My main objective was to share the mountain experience with friends and hopefully spread the fever that I now have in a big way, for which there is only one cure (and it’s not more cowbell). We decided to try for option 2 since it had the possibility of option 3 afterward. The first mistake we made was that I let Lisa talk me into leading the way myself, which I knew was the wrong move being the so called “experienced” hiker, but she said she was up for a challenge and assured me she and her sister could keep up with my pace.  I guess I never realized it but I suppose I tend to start off somewhat fast at first and then level off when by myself, but when going in as a group the slower hiker should lead and set the pace. So I guess I pushed the pace a bit much out of the gate, but I did eventually right this by putting her in front.

After travelling about a mile up the Avalon trail, Lisa started experiencing a number of strange symptoms. She described them as difficulty breathing, inability to find her rhythm, dizziness, seeing spots, tunnel vision, nausea, and the feeling like she was “high”. To complicate things more, a few pre-existing health issues added to these strange symptoms were making her nervous as well. After several stops and continuing to try pushing on, Kim and I convinced a very stubborn, driven, and frustrated Lisa that we should turn back and maybe try the easier option 1 and see how it goes. The downhill section was easier and offered a chance for her to catch her breath. We met with a few other hikers and talked about our disappointing but smart decision to turn around. They were very reassuring that we had done the right thing. They headed up Willard ahead of us and after catching our breath we followed, but after hiking a short way up the Willard trail, Lisa’s symptoms returned and we changed plans yet again, something I am always willing to do. The trails aren’t going anywhere and there’s always another day to try. We think the combination of thinner air, the cold, and the higher altitude added to the strenuous exercise were all playing havoc with her somehow.

After discussing it a bit, although clearly disappointed, Lisa and Kim decided it would be best to head down to the base to see what trails were around at ground level. After all, we are still in the frikn mountains! There is beauty at every level and elevation! I continued up to the summit solo at this point and the sisters found the Around the Lake and Red Bench hike Mike and I had taken before, where they took in some great scenery.

I enjoyed my hike up to Willard and took in another great view of Crawford Notch. At the top I met up with the 2 guys that headed u ahead of us. They asked what happened to my friends and I explained the situation. We shared stories of previous hikes, compared our individual quest to complete different lists, and weighed in on the recent tragedy in the Presidential range where a young girl from NY lost her life. One of them was also nice enough to point out that my pack was wide open and I was about to “lose my lunch” so to speak. What I didn’t realize all this time was that I had an opening at the top of my pack for the bladder hose to exit through. I had zipping around it up to now and that’s what was causing my pack to open. I took in some more of the view and ate my PBJ, then headed back down to meet back up with Lisa and Kim. In the end we all had a great day and reconvened at Highland Lodge for a few beers, a big dinner, and a lot of laughs as we watched the snow fall and the view fade to white and then black.

The final day gave me some unexpected lessons about myself and the mountains. After a much needed restful sleep (I had been working on 3 hours the night before), we took a look out the window to see that the snow had stopped and the amazing view had returned. The storm was still going on to our south back home in the form of rain. We enjoyed a yummy breakfast and interesting conversation about upbringings, music, photography, and other silliness, as we sipped our coffee and pondered our Sunday plans. Lisa and Kim opted for an early start and leisurely ride back through Franconia Notch and the southern mountains. They ended up stopping at Lafayette Place for another short hike on their way home. My initial plans were simply to head over to cascade loop and then back down around the pond they had done the day before, and finally hit the road myself. As I said before, I had no agenda for checking off one of the 48, just to enjoy the mountains and friends, all of which I did. So a short hike and hitting the road was all I was planning, but I would soon find out that my plans were about to change once more.

Once I got to the cascades I made another gear discovery. I have run into my phone losing its charge over several hours of hiking but this time it died at the very beginning! Ugh! I did recently purchase a pocket charger to avoid this situation which comes “fully charged” from the factory. When I plugged my phone in though…. Nothing! I guess you need to recharge the charger just before the hike. Or maybe it only works with a low charged phone and not a dead one. In any case, I will no longer be dependent on my phone for pics/vid/time and will be purchasing a digital camera (perhaps waterproof) and a multifunction watch (with an altimeter). Because of this unfortunate oversight, I have no pictures of this day, just a fond memory, which I am attempting to put into a thousand words or more (So a picture is indeed worth at least a thousand words).

On the brighter side, I also discovered that I was feeling pretty energized, that the conditions were great, and that I was not quite ready to call it a day just yet. I decided to push on and find my way to the summit of Avalon and see how I felt from there. I had a great hike up the trail making sure to take it all in, especially with no means to take pics. At one point, as I had done on Tom, I just stopped to listen to some more of the winter’s profound silence. The fresh blanket of snow made the forest of Christmas trees look so gorgeous! As I hit the steepest sections near the summit I dug in hard with my toe spikes a bared down forward into my poles with heal braces up. I remember thinking that it was a good thing we didn’t do this yesterday. I didn’t realize it would be this steep.

Finally, I reached the summit and was rewarded with another awesome view of the surrounding mountains including Jackson, Peirce, and further around the corner the Cog RR leading to the clouds where Washington was hiding. Shortly afterward, a group of hikers I had passed further back joined me and we struck up a conversation. Everyone is nice in the mountains! John impressed us by performing a hand plant on the ledge. Dean was nice enough to snap a few pics of me and email them to me. They also informed me that Mt Field was only a mile up, at the same pitch I had already been travelling. So I decided I would definitely head up and snag my 2^nd winter 4k peak and 12^th overall. At this point I was starting to cool down so we parted ways and I got on my way onward and upward. Great meeting you guys!

The rest of the way up the snow was getting much thicker on the trees, and there were a few spots where I was ducking under and around bent and fallen limbs. One time one of them caught me staring at my feet and bumped me in the head, nothing too hard, but a reminder to keep my head up and eyes peeled anyway. As I reached the wooded Mt field summit, although there were no views around me, the sun above me started peeking through and the clouds occasionally gave way to small patches of blue. I sat for a while and shared a snack with the birds and jotted a few of these words. As I prepared to head back down via Willey trail toward Tom and back down AZ and Avalon trails I realized another lesson…

The mountains not only present obstacles and limits that force you to change your plans, but they also provide opportunities that you hadn’t originally planned on. Always be prepared to change for the worse AND for the better.