2.21.2007

Saturday's Mystery Date


Oh where, oh where will we end up on Saturday? Oh where oh where indeed! What are the choices? Why, all the choices in the world. What's been offered so far?

  1. The Hancocks, because of the descent from South Hancock
  2. Sandwich Dome (up Drake's Brook, out to Black Mtn, back via Sandwich Mtn Trail... or was it the other way around?)
  3. What about an x-c trek through Zealand Notch out to Thoreau Falls and back? tMail, I know you have experience=zero with the x-c thing, but with your arm strength you'd have it figured out in no time. The trail is almost completely flat. It's gentle uphill on the way in - a great way to get the hang of the skis. You'll do FINE! It's all about endurance - the technique will come along naturally. Check it out on the map. Start on Rte 302 in Twin Mountain. At the next right turn we park at the Zealand Campground and ski up the Zealand Rd (not plowed) to the Zealand Trail, to the Ethan Pond Trail. The falls are about 2 miles along the Ethan Pond Tr. at the junction w/ the Thoreau Falls Tr. I've never been to the falls. If we stay to the valley we could do it in light gear.
  4. Do we really need a 4th option?
UPDATE 2/22: The choice has been made: It's the Hancocks!
Meeting Place: The parking area on the ultra-sharp curve of the Kanc on the south side of the road.
Meeting Time: 8am? Still waiting for feedback from hikers.

UPDATE 2/24: See comments for MZ's partial trip report.

UPDATE 3/2: I finally posted my and Tim's pics to the website

31 comments:

  1. why did you have to get a google account set up? presumably they're free. Wait a sec, I think I can open the comments to anyone, including unregistered users....

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  2. ... oh yeh, now anyone and their mother can post comments - even w/out a google account.

    But back to you comments: cream puffs and espresso sound good. Fuck tMail and the mountain. He'll get up the Bad Boy 10 days from now.

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  3. Per the request of particular human being:

    the medicine is starting to wear off...PM gave me a heavy dose this week.........

    I like Hancocks option the best I need to check them off the list......I do have interest with the cross country ski thing and learning about it, I would rather spend the day learning it and get some enjoyment out of it than jam into into the day all while trying to summit the Hancocks or ski down them or whatever is necessary..FUCK IT I may climb up there and never come down!!!!

    that is my two cents.......or should I say "quarter"

    P.S. The Sith Lord Mountain Ghost kept me up all night....it kept repeating BAD BOY BAD BOY BAD BOY...If I sleep with my crampons on at night it stays away at night...

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  4. MadDog he/she/it comes at night....when the winds are calm and when there is a full moon.....it also says "you can't climb me" and when i wake up in the morning all the windows in my room are all foggy....

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  5. yeh, same thing happens to me. then the dog can't sit for a few days and cowers whenever i reach for the rubber gloves.

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  6. mad dog, thought you were out of town this weekend. you joining us on sat now?

    my vote is still the hancocks... sandwich dome is my distant second choice up drakes brook down smarts brook. black mt ridge traverse is optional.
    the x-c trek might be alright too but it's a long haul for a newbie. the conditions on Zealand Road are going to be choppy due to heavy snowmobile use..and if I wanted to spend 6 hrs skiing I can just do 600 laps around the Phillip Exeter Academy grounds and not have to burn any fossil fuels to get there. If you really want to play with skis then use them for the 2.5mi jaunt to the base of the hancocks

    I've made my peace..now it's back to my US 1040....whatever happened to Live Free or Die. damn taxes.

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  7. just a thought two teams for the hancocks x-c team that goes in after the hikers.....meet at the base....summit together...x-c group heads down either foot or ski....

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  8. Yeh, MadDog, I thought you couldn't make it. Also, no word from the PM recently. It sounds like the Hancocks are the trip du jour. Let's do it.

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  9. sounds good.....

    PM let me know if you want to meet at "the spot" is treadmill in?

    muthaz, will ice ax be weapon of choice going up to summit?

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  10. do i look like 'mr. equipment'? bring a goddamn hand-crank blender if you want, we can make pina coladas at the top.

    because the hancocks aren't bare summits and because the trails are probably packed in, i'm not even bringing snow shoes. crampons and poles w/ baskets - that's it.

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  11. If you take a look at the VFTT entry on 2/18 by hiking jesus it seems that snowshoes were key, but that was immediately after the snowstorm and all the trails in the whites would've required snowshoes. i'm going to wait until friday night in case things are looking fresh-snowy up there.

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  12. i am bringing a picnic table you bring the white and red check table cloth and i will teach you how to play HI LO JACK...at the summit....i don't want to bring a hand crank blender it is not heavy enough....

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  13. it sounds like those guys on VFTT had a pretty cool hike.....

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  14. bring snowshoes... postholing is not cool or is this going to turn out into a go fast go light speedfest. check that....I know it will...why am I even asking???

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  15. damn straight, g-$$$. with a protected hike like this, i say we zoom to the top and prep for a fast change into dry clothes. i'm seriously considering wearing snowshoes. i'll probably wear my big mountaineering units on Hillman's next week (really? Hillman's?) and want to remind myself how they do on the steeps.

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  16. Well, now that you're letting the non-Gmail users post, I guess it's time to saddle up...
    we're in for Hancocks on Sat - I'm bringing snowshoes, crampons, axe, poles, and some rope - just to weigh me down so I don't go too fast for you guys. Oh, and I'll be carrying Luna on my back too, with a keg and enough oreos to share.

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  17. heard from the PM and he said he is on. all we need mad dog to throw his hat in the ring and we got ourselves a quorum. i'm not sure if i'n bring my tele skis with skins, my regular x-c skis on no skis at all. do we have a start tiem yet... i thin the PM is the one that has the Fri night social engagement.

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  18. btw..tmail, you obvioulsy haven't been on the hancocks if the descent off the south peakis doable by x-c ski. maybe on metal edged alpiners doing jump turns all the way down but definitely not on fiberglass skinny skis.

    hey m-z, also the flats to teh base of the hancocks are not typically tracked out so a backcountry ski (or a sacrificial classic ski)is almost required.

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  19. hmmm, g-$$$, not sure about the skis. that means two pairs of boots unless i hike in my plastic bc boots... am sitting on the fence.

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  20. mz, that's my dilemna too. all these skis and I still don't have the right stuff. I could take my tele gear but then i have to prep my skis for skins and I am too lazy to do that tomorrow. my x-c gear is pretty much meant for groomed/tracked stuff. I need some b/c waxless skis w/randoneee bindings in the quiver....

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  21. i've got the Fischer Outtabound waxless w/ 3-pin bindings and the Garmont Excursion boots. i'm not going to skin up the hancocks because i'm sure not going to ski down - those woods were too dense. i'm going to take them out today to do some test driving of some gear combos but i think we should plan a ski trip.

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  22. hello...start time????

    I don't know what gear I am bringing or when we're going...but at least I know where...I think!

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  23. not sure i am waiting to hear from the PM it will depend on how long he has me in the parking lot behind the dumpster. for gear i am bringing determination, dedication and desire....

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  24. PM has spokem and it has been decided 8:30AM at the Kanc Hairpin. tmail expect an email from the Master of Puppets. I will coordinate my ride with the Dynamic Duo and MuthaZ you are on your own unless Mad Dog comes back intot he picture...(but we all know you like the solo adventures anyway)

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  25. Spoke to MadDog he is out going to be in RI...muthaz getting there you will be on your own but once there you will be embraced by many.

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  26. 11:15am... I assume you guys are at the top of North and heading over to South now. Hop eyou guys ahve a beautiful day up in the hills and a kick ass glissade down!

    As TMail has probably shared with you, I have been again taken by the bacteria/lymph monsters. I'll keep you posted on the diagnosis and consider me on the bench for all future hikes until you hear otherwise.

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  27. PM, we missed you and MD. Today was: me, tmail, g-$$$ and the unnamed couple from the south (and their dog Luna). tMail and I got to the trailhead a little early and by the time the others arrived I was getting cold. Basically, I took off and got to North Hancock in about 2-hrs ... but I was, at last, warm. I waited for a bit and then headed out but ran into tMail, who informed me that g-$$$ and the unnamed male were behind him, and the unnamed female and the dog had headed back to the car due to iceballs (the dogs, not the unnamed female's). I got cold again, so we cranked out to South Hancock (I got warm again) and headed downhill. We didn't take our snowshoes off, and did slide for sections, but i got snow up my back and wedged in my pack belt so i just kept on my feet.

    We got back to the cars just as the UF arrived from lunch out with the dog. After unpacking, changing and hanging out for a while, I got cold again and the UF kindly suggested we take off. She also informed us that the UM had a stomach virus. Uh Oh.

    Hopefully we'll hear how that turned out. I had toilet paper with me, but that wouldn't have done the UM any good.

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  28. My finger tips were cold. Then the got warm. Then my finger tips got cold again.

    I will send out pictures tomorrow at some point for Muthaz to post. Going to watch "The Departed"

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  29. We just got done watching Tthe Departed. Interesting movie...classic Scorcese.

    Anyway, not sure what today was all about. I know everyone has their own hiking speed and different agendas but I would have at least preferred to make that clear before we left the parking lot. I guess we all had a good time and that's all that matters.

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  30. yeh, my bad as far as that was concerned. i showed up w/ my engine revving and my fingers cold - a sure sign that i wasn't going to stop. 2/3 the way to the top of North Hancock I had the same thought since it appeared I was going to be hiking alone ... until tMail showed up. just one of those days, i guess. Unnamed Male, i hope you didn't have intestinal distress.

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  31. Mt. Washington is toying with my head......weather looks so nice up there....it is saying climb me climb me.....then we will and it will puke down our throats......

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