Mt. Monroe from Marshfield (the Cog)

[Mike P.]

Date hiked: 03/11/2006

Trails: Ammonoosuc, old route, Crawford Path (.1) & Monroe Loop

Total Distance: approx. 5.9 includes .3 RT from the lower parking lot

Difficulty: Moderate, difficult to walk in the wind higher up.

Conditions: Snow from top to bottom, very little low, & almost all ice up high except for where the snow was not blown away, like the huge snow drift in front of LOC hut.

Special Required Equipment: crampons from the brook crossing above the gorge to the top, & all the wind protection. Got by with a good wind-bloc balaclava but the face mask was in the shirt pocket just in case.

Trip Report: Got to the trailhead parking lot around 7:30, a few people were gearing up but no one who I was planning on meeting. While getting dresssed, Dr. Wu, a friend I had hiked with last winter, pulled into the lot next to with a plan to hike Jefferson. Twenty minutes after the meeting time, I headed up the trail solo. I soon hooked up with Wayne from MA & for the most part we hiked up together, never more than 3 or 4 minutes apart. Also met Todd, Jen & their dog, Denali, they were a few minutes faster than Wayne & I but we all met up again in the dungeon where we added some layers & gear for the final push up the Monroe Spur. The wind made walking tough, the MWO recorded wind speed at the time we were up on Monroe at 70 MPH. Walking slowly, we all made it up, staying on the summit for a minute or less before heading back to the dungeon.

Wayne & I spoke with a father & son team that had dug a snow cave into the large drift in front of the LOC hut. It took the son (college age or a little older I think) three hours to dig their Friday evening accomodation but they were pretty cozy. While it took us just over 3 hours to get to the top of Monroe with the stop, It was less than 2 1/3 down. Above 4500 feet or so on the way up, you couldn't see anything, while at teh hut it began to break some & by the time we reached the parking lot, all but Washington were cloud free.

[MtnMagic]

I missed you by mere minutes!

[Mike P.]

I saw you were an addition to the Dr.'s group but did not realize how soon after I left you got to the lot, I was signing in at the old Ammo register at 8:15.

Not only that but a few more minutes waiting would have got me some better views as I was on the way down as things cleared up.

[thetrailboss]

Awesome hike. I thoroughly enjoyed it in August. Was glad that I got to sit in silence on top of Monroe and was able to appreciate it on its own and by my own terms rather than "bagging it" on the way down from Washington.