with MOC alums... for many years now, the outing club has hiked on the friday after thanksgiving--hence that name. the past four or five have been down to just pam and i going, quite a drop from the days of two dozen or more. this year we added numbers, hiking with two other parents, my old co-leaders skip and linda, and four alum: eben, sawyer, hannah, and andrew.
i walked down to the school to gather any current students that were planning to go, but waited without seeing anybody. it was raining/sleeting/snowing so i wasn't too surprised nobody showed. pam, soy, and han swung by to pick me up and we headed over to the AT trailhead on goose pond road. the thick slushy snow on the gravel section of goose pond was quite slippery and made us all wonder what condition the trail would be in. usually it is thick with leaves, slippery even when dry, and with three four inches of snow could be "like a bottle!" as they say.
at the trailhead andrew pulled in right after we did and the pendletons not long after that. a few of us doffed jackets and donned raincoats in hopes of keeping cool and dry enough to say we were comfortable. it wasn't below freezing or pouring rain, but things were pretty wet and gloomy. there was some mush ice on the beaver pond which looked cool.
the beavers were active as freshly gnawed trees were down across the trail and sticks floated in the water. i made a mental note to come down fast, cut up the gnaw-downs, and move them out of the way.
we hiked and chatted, hiked and chatted, leisurely making our way toward the dartmouth skiway, our traditional lunch stop. the snow from the past few days was wet and heavy which actually made for great footing getting everybody's approval. a few heavy inches stuck to hemlock boughs, branches of beech still holding their coppery leaves, and smaller saplings, loaded and bent them all downward into the path. it was like walking through the proverbial wonderland only with wet scratchy sticks whapping you in the face.
when we got to holt's ledge at the skiway, the wind had picked and the jackets and extra clothing came out of the packs. it felt cold, but not so bad that we couldn't eat lunch. hence, sandwiches and drinks were also pulled out.
sawyer passed out some chocolate and i shared around some hot tea to cap off the break. the crew lined up as they finished lunch and i snapped a picture just before skip tipped over and domino-ed the line...
going back downhill was much faster and the snow atop the leaves held our feet without too much slippage. pam came along with her camera out so we posed for a few final shots before i took off to go cut that beaver gnaw-downs.
i walked down to the school to gather any current students that were planning to go, but waited without seeing anybody. it was raining/sleeting/snowing so i wasn't too surprised nobody showed. pam, soy, and han swung by to pick me up and we headed over to the AT trailhead on goose pond road. the thick slushy snow on the gravel section of goose pond was quite slippery and made us all wonder what condition the trail would be in. usually it is thick with leaves, slippery even when dry, and with three four inches of snow could be "like a bottle!" as they say.
at the trailhead andrew pulled in right after we did and the pendletons not long after that. a few of us doffed jackets and donned raincoats in hopes of keeping cool and dry enough to say we were comfortable. it wasn't below freezing or pouring rain, but things were pretty wet and gloomy. there was some mush ice on the beaver pond which looked cool.
the beavers were active as freshly gnawed trees were down across the trail and sticks floated in the water. i made a mental note to come down fast, cut up the gnaw-downs, and move them out of the way.
we hiked and chatted, hiked and chatted, leisurely making our way toward the dartmouth skiway, our traditional lunch stop. the snow from the past few days was wet and heavy which actually made for great footing getting everybody's approval. a few heavy inches stuck to hemlock boughs, branches of beech still holding their coppery leaves, and smaller saplings, loaded and bent them all downward into the path. it was like walking through the proverbial wonderland only with wet scratchy sticks whapping you in the face.
when we got to holt's ledge at the skiway, the wind had picked and the jackets and extra clothing came out of the packs. it felt cold, but not so bad that we couldn't eat lunch. hence, sandwiches and drinks were also pulled out.
sawyer passed out some chocolate and i shared around some hot tea to cap off the break. the crew lined up as they finished lunch and i snapped a picture just before skip tipped over and domino-ed the line...
going back downhill was much faster and the snow atop the leaves held our feet without too much slippage. pam came along with her camera out so we posed for a few final shots before i took off to go cut that beaver gnaw-downs.
after pictures, i motored ahead and soon caught up with and passed the younger crowd. beyond them, i got in a couple of good slides down some of the steeper sections, pretending that i had skis on the feet--living the dream. where i wasn't schussing by too fast, i shook off some snow loads letting branches rise out of the way for those coming behind me.
i came up to the beaver's work soon enough and took off my jacket, got out the saw, and set to work on a couple of 8" diameter maples. it went fast--sharp saw--so i had a cup of tea as i waited. andrew wandered up and we walked out the last quarter mile together, talking about the 'old days'...
back at the cars, we distributed holiday hugs and hopes for more hiking opportunities. i personally wished for more and more snow, but for now, i was happy with another turkey trot...
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