We started out for the Tripyramids but ended up with Moosilauke. And what a wild sky we had just before reaching the summit by the Gorge Brook Trail! It grew very windy and cold today and the summit was socked in, making for an incredibly brief visit to the top of Moosilauke. We chose the GBT because of the limited exposure to the elements as compared to the shorter but more exposed approach from Glencliff. The strategy was to reach the treeline and stick our heads out to see what the weather held. The winds were strong but not impossible and we moved as quickly as possible through the clouds, touched the summit sign and then retreated to the trees with the wind nipping at our heels the entire way. Now we await the rain and see how bad it will get in the next 18 hours. Hopefully not too much of this snow will wash away and hopefully the ice that will be left behind after the freeze comes again won't be impossible to deal with.
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan is published by William Morrow. It tells the story of my adventures with Atticus M. Finch, a little dog of some distinction. You can also find our column in the NorthCountry News.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Moosilauke: February 17, 2008
We started out for the Tripyramids but ended up with Moosilauke. And what a wild sky we had just before reaching the summit by the Gorge Brook Trail! It grew very windy and cold today and the summit was socked in, making for an incredibly brief visit to the top of Moosilauke. We chose the GBT because of the limited exposure to the elements as compared to the shorter but more exposed approach from Glencliff. The strategy was to reach the treeline and stick our heads out to see what the weather held. The winds were strong but not impossible and we moved as quickly as possible through the clouds, touched the summit sign and then retreated to the trees with the wind nipping at our heels the entire way. Now we await the rain and see how bad it will get in the next 18 hours. Hopefully not too much of this snow will wash away and hopefully the ice that will be left behind after the freeze comes again won't be impossible to deal with.