Hitting the Trails: March 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

03/29/2014 Mount Moriah

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Mount Moriah

Carter Moriah Trail

Wow, what an amazing Spring day on the mountain! Saw nothing but overcast skies driving through Franconia Notch, but the forecast called for clear skies in the morning. Things got better by the time I reached the trailhead. It was warm, I only needed two light Patagonia layers the whole day. The summit was glorious, bright sunshine and no wind (It felt like 50 degrees up there). After having the summit to myself for about an hour, I reluctantly headed back down. By now the snow on the trails was getting pretty sloppy and snowshoes were a necessity unless you like postholing!

Another group had built a snowman near one of the outlooks, so I stopped to add an addition to the "family" The snow was perfect for building snowmen!

Trailhead

Carter Moriah Trail - 1st clearing

Carter Moriah Trail

Carter Moriah Trail - Sunshine pouring through

Mount Moriah - Summit!

Mount Moriah

Views from Mount Moriah Summit - Northern Presidentials

Views from Mount Moriah Summit - Northern Presidentials (Zoom)

Views from Mount Moriah Summit

Summit - Gorgeous Day!

Mount Washington Zoom

Clouds rolling below Northern Presidentials

Views from Mount Moriah Summit

I added junior to the family on the way down - perfect snow

Final shot on the way back down

Views from Mount Moriah Summit

Sunday, March 16, 2014

03/15/2014 Bondcliff

Saturday, 03/15/2014

Bondcliff

Lincoln Woods Trail / Bondcliff Trail

18.5 miles with a healthy dose of deep snowy goodness...First one out of the gate on Bondcliff Saturday morning, broke trail the whole way up, turned into 2 feet of deep drifts for the last long stretch to the boulders just below tree line...saw fresh animal blood on the trail for a while, something had a nice breakfast this morning!...didn't have any energy left for Bond/West Bond...got hit with snow, sleet, hail and rain on the way back down

My thanks to Don who caught up to me near the end of the long trail breaking slog and kept me going at a good pace for the final push to the summit!

View of Pemigewasset River from 2nd bridge

Pemigewasset Wilderness

Bondcliff Trail begins

Bondcliff Trail - trees still heavy with snow

Bondcliff Trail junction with old Wilderness Trail

Old section of Wilderness trail continues to river

Bondcliff Trail - 1st clearing blue skies (for now)

Bondcliff Trail - fresh blood on trail for a few hundred feet

Bondcliff Trail - fresh blood veers onto game trail

Bondcliff Trail - the end of any "assistance" big drifts to summit

Bondcliff Trail - looking back - about 2 feet of fresh snow (when will it end?)

Bondcliff Trail - first view above treeline

Bondcliff Trail- summit ahead

Bondcliff Trail - pointy Garfield barely visible

Bondcliff Trail - summit closer, blue skies are gone

Bondcliff Trail - the iconic "cliff"

Bondcliff Trail - clouds rolling in at summit

No views of Franconia Ridge today

Another hiker checks out the cliff

Constant stream of cloud cover

Sky gets lighter for a few seconds

No views of Washington today either

One last shot getting most of Franconia Ridge before heading down

Trail much better on way down, about 10 more folks had come up by now

Pretty much sums it up! my compliments to the artist!

03/15/2014 Views from summit of Bondcliff

03/15/2014 Snow falling on Bondcliff Trail

Saturday, March 8, 2014

03/08/2014 Mount Washington

Saturday- 03/08/2014

Mount Washington

Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail / Lake of the Clouds Hut / Crawford Path / Mount Washington / Trinity Heights Connector / Gulfside Trail / Jewell Trail

Relatively mild conditions, all trails packed in nicely (micro spikes did the trick), steady wind after Lake of The Clouds Hut, but not too bad....great day to be at 6288 feet!