moosilauke goes...

or rather simon and i went--truck to peak to truck on skis!  considering the 'wintry mix' we have been getting lately, moosilauke was in prime shape, 6-10 inches over a base, parking lot to treeline, and enough to keep the skis on from there to the top. for those of you following, that was the first of the nh 4000 footers to fall to my push to do them all in one winter. while i would be pleased as punch to ski everything, i would also be happy to get in a run or two of what si's dad, skip, refers to as "the best skiing ever!"

i had heard that some snow was coming in, so wednesday after school, i took skip his 4000 footer poster, and discussed the possibility of a ski. simon, his super fit 27 year old youngest, was the only taker. we set a time of 10-ish to allow for the storm to hit and beef up the base that had suffered a good bit of rain on sunday before. when i got there the next morning he and eben were off visiting a few other MOC alum home for the holidays. i made some lunch and shortly after they pulled in, we pulled out.

it was still snowing some, putting the roads in somewhat sketchy condition, but the truck didn't slide until we pulled on to the sawyer highway going by the eastern flank of moosilauke. we were not going fast at all, but the rear end let go and we went sideways, twice. i stuck it into four wheel drive and we kept going. when we turned off onto breezy point road, access to the carriage road, the snow wasn't plowed yet. by the time we got up to the parking area, there was such a good amount, we both got excited.

geared up and going, our enthusiasm grew with the increase in snow depth. soon enough we started running into the numerous drainage crossing. the open water contrasted sharply with the deep snow, and thankfully was fairly easy to get over. my scales were holding fine even after the flat-ish approach so i left my skins in the pack. we were following a mostly filled in ski track until it disappeared into a jumble of moose tracks a couple miles up. the moose really pocked up the trail for more than a few hundred yards which promised a bit of excitement on the descent.



we still had a couple of miles to go when the steady incline started working me over in my efforts to keep up with simon. i had made the mistake of mentioning my red-ish pee from eating beats the night before. the negative being, si told me beets increased blood oxygen and i mentioned that maybe that was why i could almost keep up with him. i rarely saw him after that comment. finally, i yelled that i needed to put skins on. when i was slip proofed and caught up to him he had his camera out and caught me looking almost tired.



i say almost tired, as i knew it would get worse before it got better. but with skins on i was not maxing out the upper body and core, so simon was often in view--even behind me a time or two. we got up to the mostly flat ridge leading up above treeline and met a snowshoer and his dog. he appeared out of the fog, we exchanged a few words, and he disappeared behind us. while i have long hoped to ski to the summit on a blue bird day--i once promised khiet chhu a picture of moosilauke, snow covered and regal--the dozens of time i had been on the mountain, only once had i been all the way to the top. and that day, like today, was totally socked in.

in the clouds or not, we kept on even though coming out of the shorter and shorter trees, the snow got pretty skimpy and really icy. we zigged and zagged following the over our heads cairns, built extra high to still have a presence when buried in feet of snow. we topped out amongst the rock foundations of shelters that had long since been burned or removed. i put on a hat, gloves, and zipped up my jacket before picking my way over to the sign post for summit picture. i asked si if he wanted me to take a shot of him but he had already put the camera back under his jacket and was getting another layer, mitts, and his helmet on. i guessed it was time we headed down.

we made it back almost to the glen cliff cutoff before we took off our skins and started sliding down for real. the snow was really amazing and when we stopped next we each had wicked smiles. it kept getting better and even though it was sometimes fast, it was never furious. well mostly. i did dive in too deep a few times. and by dive, i do mean head first, but that is what hoods are made for--i assume. getting back up did tire me out, way beyond the 'almost' noted earlier. after one crash right at his feet, he kindly pulled me back up and told me his legs were starting to burn too.

burning quads or not, we got in plenty of sweet turns, even through the moose tracks. i had to laugh as i half skied, half climbed over the one blow down that i wish i had brought my saw for. right after that we crossed the high bridge and unlocked our bindings and reversed the long approach, headed for the truck. our high five and hug was big: we had skied a 4000 footer, dropping a few thousand vertical over 5 miles in snow over a foot deep in places; the peanut butter-honey and cheese sandwiches for lunch were quite tasty; it was only 4:30, just getting dark and more than likely we would make it home well before our send out the troops time request!

just to celebrate all the happy things, we each had one of linda's, his mom, famous cookies, poured ourselves some hot tea, and cranked up jimi hendrix--we were experienced...! 

no moose today...

but more snow, only tomorrow it's supposed to rain. wtf?! ok, i won't complain, much...today, my second day out in the backcountry this week/winter, already surpassed all the woods skiing i did last year. nobody gives out snow guarantees around here, so i take it when it comes. but i am keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow's meltdown never comes.

today's six inches was not melting at all, given i never saw it get out of the teens. i made a few calls this morning trying to interest somebody in going to moosilauke but no takers. i mulled over a solo adventure but choose to stay local and loop the shaker trails again--a bit of play time in powder.

when i pulled into the la salette parking lot i had to put it in 4wh as all that powder was unplowed. i had first tracks and thought of spinning a 360° but thought the guy who would be coming to plow, wouldn't take too kindly to that. it would probably scare the two skiers and their dog going into the big hay field as well. as they turned up hill i recognized ann and andy--i don't recall the dogs name--so when i got out of the truck, i gave a hello. i booted up as they skied off. after fiddling around with my bindings and settling my pack, i took off after them, following their tracks.



i caught up with them at the top of the first hill and we talked a bit before i headed up further in the fields and they went off into the woods toward the canal trail. i got to the top of the upper hay field and went into the woods on a trail the same ann, sawyer, and i had cleaned up years ago when we started the shaker snow-shoe-fest. a quarter mile up earned me a quarter down. at the height of land, on that trail at least, a click out of free pivot put me into flow mode. the snow was silky and the turns came easy down the narrow path. no rocks kept it smooth, without any 'bottom' entanglements.


as i turned back onto the caleb marshall dyer and worked my way up over long stretches of barely covered rocks, i realized why i chose going counter clockwise. this way my route would avoid hitting these rocky sections on the downhill.



avoiding rocky sections was a good thing, as i found it often pretty thin under the hemlocks and pines. as well as rocks, there were plenty of blowdowns to negotiate--i would have to bring a saw out before this year's snow-shoe-fest. on monday, kevin and i had actually met kyle the new shaker museum educational director who would be working with me on trails for the event this year. he was out in the snow wishing he was on skis with us, unfortunately, he was looking for a snowblower in one of the barns. beyond the obstacles, i came over the second height of land and clicked into downhill mode.



as i pushed off and let gravity take over, i was hoping i wouldn't be sliding at speed if and when i met any blow downs on this section. there were a couple of steeper, very narrow sections ahead that didn't allow for much turning to brake. i was equally weary of the rocky section at the bottom of the trail. to my enjoyment, it was mostly deep and fluffy and made the skis go fast. i avoided all the junk i saw and when i got to the gullied, rocky part, i met up with a snowshoe track that looked rather obstacle free. i used that as a guide and pleasantly glided down to the junction with the james jewitt trail.


kevin and i had skied this section, both up and down, but today i was just going up to catch the moses johnson or what we call little sherburne. i was still following the snow shoe tracks which made the going easier. whomever was packing this out was following our ski track which made for a solid trail.




up at the 'potato field'--15 or so acres the fish and game had cleared for rabbit habitat--the snow had blown back into the tracks and i imagined the mj/ls would be nice and deep. i locked down again and tightened the boots back up for the longest run we have at la salette. one nice feature on this section are the water-bars that when things are fast offer some air time. things were fast enough today, and i got in some good unweighting as i turned of the crests of several. the rhythm was coming and sweeping back and forth across the fall line kept feeling better and better.

i stopped before the final pitch and took a picture of the interplay of ski and snow shoe tracks. when i took off again, i started playing on the banked edges until i hooked a rock and scrambled a bit to rebalance. i could be imaging it, but often when i push the 'edge' i end up thrown off--maybe that's the nature of the beast.


i recovered well in time to launch the last two water bars, bigger than most and with steeper landings. when i reached the trunk trail at the bottom i turned uphill and thought--i could go back up for some more of that! i unlocked, the bindings, unbuckled and unstrapped the boots and went for one more downhill. i decided to go up to the loop off the cmd and ski down into the upper hay field. that would be opposite of how i started, but it was a good run and would point me at a final finish on the big hay field.

up top again, i tightened everything back up, emptied the bladder, and drank some water to replenish. the other day, i read how students do better on tests when they drink water. that was my plan--to do well on this last run. while i did slow way down in a few flatter spots i don't believe i ever stopped, from top to bottom the ride was worth it. i made figure eights with my monday tracks where i could see them and found another snow shoe track to follow at the bottom to keep a little speed as i headed for the truck.

the plow guy was there and he waved when i  was taking off my boots. it had been a fine day even though i didn't go up to moosilauke and score my first 4000 footer. a little more time, a little more snow, and maybe a partner and i would start ticking the big ones off. for now, i was happy having soloed a little one...

the promise of winter...

i won't say finally, but...cold and snow has come to our neck of the woods! kevin also made it over sunday night before any white stuff started. we woke up monday morning with 4-5 inches and geared up for a ski. first, oatmeal pancakes, second skis/boots/poles, and third a loaded truck headed for the hills.

i have a snow depth 'rule' that helps me choose the hill of the day: 4" la salette; 6" cardigan; 8" moosilauke or carr; 10" anywhere! given that this was one of our first snows we were pretty much confined to la salette's trails with no appreciable rock-age. that fact matched kevin's new skis and his desire to keep the bottoms as scratch-free as possible. still, it was deep enough to get us out and raising heel.

speaking of raising heel, one of the reasons kevin got his new skis--with free pivot bindings no less--was for the nh 4000 footer project i had dreamed up last winter. we all know what came of those hopes--a nearly open, snow free, year in all but the highest backcountry. this year has already outpaced last for snowfall and got me sending out the call again to all who ski up to ski down. i even drew up a little logo to swag those who answered the call.

back at la salette, i was treating this as the practice session any first time out should be. we started with a quick run down the bottom of the 'hay field trail', to test out our ability to still link turns. that worked so we took off and up the james jewitt trail. we decided on one more test run back down after getting about 2/3 of the way up. one more time back up--all the time admiring our figure-8 turns--and we got to the top of the moses johnson trail, or what skip calls the little sherburne south. the real sherburne, is up on mt washington coming down from tuckerman ravine to pinkham notch. the resemblance is they are both fairly narrow and sustained for a good long way. the real one is more than 2 miles while this one is not even a mile, but for around here, it is long enough.




before sliding down we stopped for tea and sandwich. after our spot of lunch, we buckled up and started off and i couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful it was to be outside and playing. i won't go overboard and say "it was the best skiing ever." even if skip was not home sick, he probably wouldn't have phrased it quite that good, especially after plowing up a good deal of leaves if you carved much at all. but, and i have a pretty big butt (sorry if you have read that before), it was a fine first day out. and despite that one tangle with a trail side tree, i bet kevin would write the same thing. with the forecast for half a foot on the weekend, it was only going to get better.

before we made it to the weekend and deeper snow, we were slated for some pretty cold weather and really high winds on thursday. what better time to head up cardigan with a wind gauge. on the appointed day, with the thermometer showing a solid 10°F and snow showers blowing about like wild, i packed some extra warm clothes: my wooliest hat, fluffiest mitts, and puffiest jacket. i was the only truck in the winter lot, but a trail of boot prints led past the gate and up the road. i thought i saw a very faint ski track but there had been more snow since monday when we were at la salette. even though it crossed my mind to bring skis, i couldn' t imagine that beyond the road there would be enough coverage.

once i got onto the west ridge trail that lack of coverage was evident with plenty of rock sticking up. it would take at least one more good snow event to have any chance of rock-free skiing. hiking was fast and i warmed up quickly, doffing the hat, removing the gloves, and unzipping the jacket. the snow was almost heavy, but i knew it to be blowing through as a shower and didn't get too excited. i stayed off the ski trail and kept to west ridge. soon enough i was getting more and more wind as the trees got thinner and shorter. right after turn around rock, i got out the anemometer and took the first reading, where the wind started to really blow. it was a steady 10-20 mph, i actually saw it hold at 15 for quite a while, with gusts up to 30. i put the hat and gloves back on, and zipped up the jacket and kept going.

on the last, mostly treeless summit segment, it actually got hard to walk straight. at one point i measured a consistent 30 mph, gusting into the 40's fairly regularly with one or three blasts even going above 50. walking with my head sideways and hood up to cut the wind, i made it up without blowing over or away. the tower was plastered with ice and snow, carved in crazy fashion by the extreme winds. i wondered what it was like during the actual precipitation event with every single side of the structure covered thick.

as i was sheltering on the lee side, the snow squall that was with me the whole way up blew through to the southeast. i figured a couple of the huge bursts of wind that shook the tower, were likewise above 50 mph. but i was warm and comfy in the sudden sun so i didn't go out and check. i did add a neck gaiter to my layering in preparation for the descent.

between the summit and treeline, i was glad to be well clad. there was a funny wind drift, standing about five feet high with a path plowed through it. i stopped and carved the MOC logo on the sidewall. below the bare rock, the wind was more a noise above my head than at my back. the sun warmed me enough that i could unzip and take layers off. i came the rest of the way down wearing a big smile.

at one point i caught myself looking ahead for somebody coming up in all this 'nice weather' but never saw anybody. when i spotted the truck in the parking lot, there was another vehicle there as well. having seen no tracks besides mine, i guessed the hiker was still gearing up. sure enough, a person i have seen on cardigan in all kinds of weather, was shouldering his pack. i wished him a good time and un-shouldered my own pack. it was bound to be a good time for someone looking to hike in the cold and wind.

as i drove down the hill, i remembered that i had a couple of computer problems at ces that i could stop and attend to on my way by. if i could actually fix things, it would be a good end to the outing...

after turkey trot...

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.

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...

go up to fly down...

longboarding and mountain biking with kevin and owen in the north country. i went up to visit the fieder-sullivans last weekend and brought my mt bike. i got there friday afternoon with the sun shining (side note, i went the back way without making one wrong turn!) and for mid november, it was warm. we broke out a couple of longboards and went out the drive. their house is just at the height of land on old county road so there is a choice: to the north, straight and steep, perfect for speed; to the south, gradual curves and alternating hills with flat, allowing for cutting speed or even stopping. we went south.

i hopped on and pushed a few yards until gravity took over. carving back and forth with a big smile until i picked up some speed and noticed the trucks were setup much looser than on my boards. this one seemed prone to some crazy 'speed wobble' if i didn't stay right on it. still, fast was fun! i took a screen shot off google maps, just down the steep section. i am including it because i love the way they blend multiple images in street view. tell the truth, did you notice the 'anti-gravity' wires?

on the second steeper section, i felt the wobble just the 'other side' of each turn and wondered what that would mean when the car coming at me would force me into a single lane, straighter line. the car went by and i managed to make it to a flat section before taking one last hill, with no more cars.

at the bottom of that last steep--seen looking back up in the picture above--was a paved, side road that i remembered. it was often sandy and gravelly right at the turn, definitely a hazard, but offered a good uphill which would slow me. at least that was my theory as i turned. my rear wheels cut loose and slid without much of a prompt. the excitement was brief as i shot around the corner and swung a full 180° before i lost too much speed. now, cruising back to county road i gave a little victory slide in the sand at the corner.

it always amazes me at how lost in the moment i get when indulging in such downhill pleasure. i can focus and feel enormous joy at the same time. but as i stepped off the board i realized, i was alone--where was kevin? i got up one hill and still didn't see him. halfway up the next section he appeared, helmet first, carving deep turns across the road, shoulder to shoulder. he swept by me with a classic kevin wave, accompanied by his own wide smile. he stopped before tipping over that last hill and i knew he had been walking the steeper sections. helmet, elbow and knee pads, gloves, long pants, and solid shoes marked him as more cautious. maybe he was more sane too, compared to my shorts, tee shirt, and crocs.

we walked up together and took another run, then another, and then several others. i took that last hill three more times and even got kevin to try it--from a cautious, part way down start. both of us managed to avoid sliding out! we finally turned back to the house as the sun sank lower and the roads grew shadowy.

coming over to brownfield was always good for some gravity time as well as food, which we got right at after stowing the boards. after dinner kevin even made a dish of brownie-cake with kidney beans--that was new and different, "lil' kevie's moose poop brownies!"


saturday dawned equally clear and perfect for some more gravity time. today it was to be pursued on bikes and owen was coming with us. after breakfast, fixing a flat, and loading the bikes in the truck we drove over to new hampshire to the marshall conservation area kevin was raving about. the parking area was still fairly open but a large group of people were there, getting ready to hike. we unloaded the bikes and set out up the road towards the top of the singletrack.

the first trail we took down was the shumway! (the blue line on the map above) oh my gosh...this was heaven. the track was laid out incredibly sweet, with banked "technical turns and rock elements" galore. at just over a mile it didn't last nearly long enough, so of course we went back up--twice! we did another trail first but finished repeating the shumway on the final run. my goal that last trip down was to flow as natural as possible and hit a few of the lifts without breaking that 'stream of gravity'. i made it almost the whole way before my front wheel slid out from under me in a pile of leaves. back at the truck i watched the others skid about in the leaves and suggested with all that energy we hit another area.

kevin had another trail already in mind, sticks and stones. we loaded up and headed to a second round of 'flow' biking. before we took to the actual trail, i watched the other two again, this time circling round and round a pump track put in for practice. sticks and stones itself was two miles of fairly flat, compared to the downhill of the shumway, nor did i remember any built up bermed turns. but it was definitely full of highly technical turning. the track wound through the woods, with a scattering of stone elements designed to give bikers a challenge, usually by launching them into the air.

it was a fine day for playing outside! and why not follow that with some equally fine food and youtube inside. kevin and i each created a pizza for dinner: bacon blueberry on his; and beets and goat cheese on mine. we ate way too many pieces while watching danny macaskill videos.

if you have never watched macaskill work his magic on two wheels, i highly recommend it. videos always seem to look better following your own personal session with the outdoors. find some mtb trails if you like to bike, some smooth paved road if you longboard. maybe this winter will be snowful and allow us to get out to ski the backcountry, if not perhaps the ice on a lake near you will be smooth and thick.

whatever you do, when gravity starts to pull, let yourself go...!