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Silent3

(15,020 posts)
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 02:44 PM Nov 2014

Hiking up Pack Monadnock after the snowstorm

This is my first mountain hike with substantial snow on the ground, three days after a Thanksgiving Eve snowstorm dropped 12 inches or so around here (southern New Hampshire). This was the kind of snow that clung to tree branches, brought down a lot of limbs and a few whole trees, knocking out power to many people in the area.


This is Route 101, about half way from home to Pack Monadnock. I was surprised to see so much snow still up in the trees three days after most of it fell.





Obviously several people have been up the Marion-Davis Trail ahead of me since the storm, making my passage a good bit easier.









































The auto road to the summit doesn't get plowed, so everyone up here has either climbed or (going by some of the tracks I see) ridden up on a snowmobile. Fortunately no roaring snowmobiles ruined the peaceful quiet at the summit for me.

















A snow-topped Monadnock in the distance.

























Full panorama here: http://www.dermandar.com/p/adpDzK/pack-monadnock-2014-11-29 (click the 2048p option for best results)













Not anywhere near as much foot traffic out this way.





















There are no footprints in the snow leading out to this outlook, so it looks like I'll be the first one out here since the storm.













Full panorama here: http://www.dermandar.com/p/dKwvUB/pack-monadnock-2014-11-29-jbb-outlook (click the 2048p option for best results)





The trail I left behind me coming down from the outlook.

















On my return to the summit of Pack, I'm now all alone up here. It's very quiet and calm. I break out my new thermos and have some nice hot green tea, along with a protein bar that's as hard and chewy as if it had been stored in a freezer.

The temperature up here is in the low to mid 20's (°F).





Moon above the tree.





Coming back down from the summit, I took the auto road. This is the only place I ran into other hikers hiking. Even though the Marion-Davis Trail had been moderately traversed the past few days, it's clear that the auto road has been the most popular route going both up and down.





12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Hiking up Pack Monadnock after the snowstorm (Original Post) Silent3 Nov 2014 OP
These are wonderful! CaliforniaPeggy Nov 2014 #1
Been there often but never in winter snow. JDDavis Nov 2014 #2
I wish I'd started out earlier in the day. Silent3 Nov 2014 #3
I used to live in the area JDDavis Nov 2014 #4
Wonderful! elleng Nov 2014 #5
Just Beautiful Silent3 Crewleader Nov 2014 #6
These are beautiful. Blue_In_AK Nov 2014 #7
gorgeous! handmade34 Nov 2014 #8
Thanks for the neat pictures. lark Dec 2014 #9
Florida is where I'll be in just four days. Silent3 Dec 2014 #10
Nice! Something you may want to consider for your next descent... adirondacker Dec 2014 #11
Or I could just hike the Cliff Trail... Silent3 Dec 2014 #12

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
1. These are wonderful!
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 02:58 PM
Nov 2014

So much snow! The trees are beautiful, with their branches covered in snow...

And I loved the icicles on the stony outcrop.

Thanks for sharing!

Silent3

(15,020 posts)
3. I wish I'd started out earlier in the day.
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 03:22 PM
Nov 2014

I'd have loved to have gotten all the way out to North Pack, but I was pretty sure I'd run out of daylight, or at least cut my margin of safety more than I'd have cared to, if I made the attempt. So I went as far north along the Wapack Trail as I could get before 1:30, then just turned around to come back.

Since this was my first hike in heavy snow I needed this one outing to get a handle on what a longer hike might be like. Climbing Pack took me about 50 minutes, compared to my usual 30 or so. Considering that part of that slow down was taking more pictures than usual, I'm going to estimate that these conditions make traversing ground take about 50% longer.

Although the going was a bit slower, it was also easier in some ways. With spikes strapped to my boots and most of the rougher, rockier parts of the path filled in and smoothed out by the snow, I found myself a lot less worried about my footing.

 

JDDavis

(725 posts)
4. I used to live in the area
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 03:24 PM
Nov 2014

Miss how many outdoor hikes there were to reward us with breathtaking views.

You did well, and never over-do on a hike, very wise.

elleng

(130,156 posts)
5. Wonderful!
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 04:15 PM
Nov 2014

And I just learned somethings about Joanne Bass Bross + her family. I suspect she was related to my neighbor/landlord's family, here in southern MD!

The family bought this property, with 60 surrounding acres, about 60 years ago, and landlord moved a larger house nearby to be able to raise their triplets. How lucky am I that they're renting this 100 year old 'cottage' to me!

Blue_In_AK

(46,436 posts)
7. These are beautiful.
Sun Nov 30, 2014, 05:11 PM
Nov 2014

I love snow, and we finally got some here, too, about three inches yesterday, the first since Oct. 20. Normally we'd have well over a foot on the ground by now, but it's been very warm and dry here.

lark

(23,006 posts)
9. Thanks for the neat pictures.
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 04:24 PM
Dec 2014

They represent such a beautiful yet alien landscape to this Floridian.

Silent3

(15,020 posts)
10. Florida is where I'll be in just four days.
Mon Dec 1, 2014, 07:49 PM
Dec 2014

I'll probably see fake snow while I'm down there, somewhere at Universal.

Silent3

(15,020 posts)
12. Or I could just hike the Cliff Trail...
Wed Dec 3, 2014, 06:08 PM
Dec 2014

...get to the cliff it's named after, and jump off.

The end results would be pretty much the same as me trying a sled like that.

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