Re[2]: [at-l] Cold weather hiking

[lwbooher@halifax.com (Leslie Booher)]

Trip reports are mandatory.  You do understand that, don't you?  anklebear

----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net>
To: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2001 6:17 PM
Subject: Re[2]: [at-l] Cold weather hiking


> Keep in mind that in the north at least, once you get a good base of snow,
what
> used to be a trail of roots and rocks, becomes a gentle (or steep) incline
> plane.
>
>  I once hiked off the edge of the cathedral trail in February. The
cathedral is
>  what you are looking at when you look down to Chimney pond from the
summit of
>  Katahdin. As the name implies, it is a series of ledges that are used to
create
>  a trail along most of the 2,000 feet between Chimney pond and the summit.
Just
>  to the right of the trail (right while coming down) is a sheer cliff,
dropping
>  into the valley. In the winter after a series of snow slides the cliff
becomes
>  a steep incline, perfectly smooth.
>
>  We used ropes as protection. Once you start sliding, you are probably
dead. But
>  it was the easiest descent of Katahdin ever. A college group once tried
that
>  trick two days after I had descended. A snow slide wiped them out and
they lost
>  several thousand dollars (1979 prices) worth of gear. Luckily no one was
hurt.
>
>   Every winter for 30 years or so, I've climbed into Carter Notch to spend
a
>  winter night or two at the AMC Carter Notch hut. Most years -- especially
those
>  with a good snow cover -- the trail is easier than in the summer. Snow
covers
>  all the roots and rocks.
>
>   I use the annual backpack now as a medical test. When I can't climb in
January
>   faster than those 10 or 15 years younger than I am, I'm going to let my
>   doctors repair my heart valve. We do it again in a couple of weeks. Wish
me
>   luck.
>
>  Weary
>
>
>
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