[at-l] Wash

[RockDancer]

Monday was an interesting hike for me, 6 miles round trip to Mt. Jackson
from Crawford Notch via the Webster-Jackson trail. Elevation gain is about
2100 feet. It was 15 F at the trailhead, snow about 3 inches. The snow
increased in depth and the temps dropped while I climbed. At tree line it
was perhaps 2 feet of snow, and only +5 F, and still sheltered from the
wind. Mt. Jackson is on the AT, and just barely above treeline. For
southbounders, the peak just before Webster and the big descent (ouch for
Felix) to Rt. 302.

 

I held up at treeline and tried to ready myself for the dash to the peak. In
only 100 feet the wind chill went to -20 F and I could feel the cold seep
into the side of my body facing the wind. I wiped the snow off the sign,
caught a photo and turned to descend. No footprints! and facing into the
wind my glasses fogged. I kept my hands on my face to shield my eyes from
freezing and, using the sun, guessed the general direction back to treeline.
Descending I was occupied with thoughts of why we do these things and just
how deadly the top of that peak was in those conditions.

 

Not deterred, I’m spending some time tonight sorting through my winter gear
– snowshoes, crampons, facemasks, goggles, etc. Might be a great winter
herein the northeast. 

 

AT miles this trip? Well, the distance that a point makes when intersecting
a line – any math philosophers out there? --RockDancer

 

From: at-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:at-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On
Behalf Of Felix J
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 8:16 AM
To: at-l
Subject: [at-l] Wash

 


 <http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/conditions.php> Current Summit
Conditions


Temperature

-5.5°F


Wind

64.2 mph


Direction

287° (W)


Gust

80.6 mph


Wind Chill

-41.8°F


Sunday 8:00 AM

-- 
Felix J. McGillicuddy
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
ALT '03 KT '03
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/
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