dirt_girl
New member
Date(s) Hiked: August 27 2004
Trails(s) Hiked: N. Twin, N.Twin Spur, Twinway,
Frost, Garfield Ridge and Gale River Trails
Total Distance: 3 Peaks/12 miles/3650 Elevation
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Perfect with a bit of humidity
Special Required Equipment: Extra socks
Trip Report: I have come to realize I do not know how to not leave early for my hikes. It felt foreign not having to be at the trailhead until 8:30 am.! What are the chances that two people, plan the exact same hike, on the same day and neither knows it until the last minute? Having arrived early hoping my buddy would do the same, I happened upon Magic, who had made the trailhead early as well. We kicked rocks around, entertained Ghostdog and shared trail stories until Julie and Dave showed up. They had decided on an earlier start time for their hike so having collected Magic and loaded up Ghostdog, they were gone. My buddy, Jerry much to his credit did arrived quite a bit earlier than I had expected (he’s not a morning person) off we went to the N. Twin Trailhead as well. We were on the trail by 8:30, a good thing as it was going to be a long day.
The temperature was pleasantly moist and walking the trail was child’s play. We decided to rock hop across the river and not take the well defined trail on the east bank which avoids the fast moving water of the first two crossings. The river was by no means dangerous but if you slipped, you were definitely going to get seriously wet. Jerry and I came across Magic and company at the second crossing, where Diane took to baptizing her boots and socks, after brief introductions Jerry and I set out ahead of this merry band of hikers. The Little River is one of the most outstanding rivers I’ve come across, the sheer volume of water it can accommodate is impressive and the length of time it keeps you company is very generous. The river teases a hiker on a warm day like this with a plentitude of enticing clear, mountain pools. After the last crossing the river bids farewell and vertical becomes the order of the day. :roll:
The uphill begins quiet innocently and requires only that you watch where you place you feet. I noticed a portion of forest looked as if the trees had been planted, they were so tall, straight and very evenly spaced, it looked as if we were passing through someone’s well tended tree farm. It was also about this time that I realized I had left my car keys in Jerry’s truck!
The stories of you faithful readers who have done the same thing, immediately came to my mind. We had few options but to shake our heads, have a good laugh and continue enjoying our day. Reaching the outlook ledges just shy of the N.Twin summit was a well earned treat, the cool breezes, clear skies and the grand views in every direction evaporated the labors of the hike. We stayed long enough for the group behind us to catch up and I took this time to fess up to the location of my car keys, Magic after a hearty laugh and the same quick reference to you gentle readers who found yourselves in the same situation, was kind and agreed to give Jerry a lift back to his truck at the end of the day. We parted company again and made our way towards the true summit and more importantly the outlook just to the west of N. Twin. Here we chanced to meet three, rock lounging, adolescent children, all of whom knew every peak in all directions and were quick to share this information. Quite delightful to see kids that young completely at peace in the sunshine, taking in the beauty and knowledge of the Whites. The surprising sight of four hawks soaring on the thermals, performing a magical arial ballet for a captivated audience was a rare and extraordinary moment.
We made the quick, pleasant trip to S. Twin and again took in a long look in all directions, peaks of every name vied for our attention and received it for quite some time. The group again caught up and opted for lunch on the summit, after a few Kodak moments, Jerry and I were on our way to the Galehead Hut for our lunch and a patch to add to our collections. The hut was quite busy, humming with human activity and several battalions of obsessive black flies. Dave and Julie made the Hut as Jerry and I had finished lunch and we followed them up to Galehead summit. If not for the lovely outlook this would be an unremarkable summit. Jerry and I joined the pack on the trip down Gale River Trail, many comments about the wisdom of not going up this trail were shared by several of us. Puzzle pieces of sunlight, bird songs and the distant call of the river accompanied us to level ground and all too soon the real world. While waiting for Jerry and Julie to return with the vehicles we shared company with two charming young Canadian sisters, from Quebec, who had come over from Lafayette Campground and needed a lift back to their car. Having just been faced with the dilemma of needing a ride, I immediately offered to take them. They asked a million questions on the ride to their car and the language differences made for quick laughter. As two extremely grateful young ladies headed home I did the same with the sun sliding off the horizon and the pale full face of the moon watching over me.
dirt_girl
Trails(s) Hiked: N. Twin, N.Twin Spur, Twinway,
Frost, Garfield Ridge and Gale River Trails
Total Distance: 3 Peaks/12 miles/3650 Elevation
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Perfect with a bit of humidity
Special Required Equipment: Extra socks
Trip Report: I have come to realize I do not know how to not leave early for my hikes. It felt foreign not having to be at the trailhead until 8:30 am.! What are the chances that two people, plan the exact same hike, on the same day and neither knows it until the last minute? Having arrived early hoping my buddy would do the same, I happened upon Magic, who had made the trailhead early as well. We kicked rocks around, entertained Ghostdog and shared trail stories until Julie and Dave showed up. They had decided on an earlier start time for their hike so having collected Magic and loaded up Ghostdog, they were gone. My buddy, Jerry much to his credit did arrived quite a bit earlier than I had expected (he’s not a morning person) off we went to the N. Twin Trailhead as well. We were on the trail by 8:30, a good thing as it was going to be a long day.
The temperature was pleasantly moist and walking the trail was child’s play. We decided to rock hop across the river and not take the well defined trail on the east bank which avoids the fast moving water of the first two crossings. The river was by no means dangerous but if you slipped, you were definitely going to get seriously wet. Jerry and I came across Magic and company at the second crossing, where Diane took to baptizing her boots and socks, after brief introductions Jerry and I set out ahead of this merry band of hikers. The Little River is one of the most outstanding rivers I’ve come across, the sheer volume of water it can accommodate is impressive and the length of time it keeps you company is very generous. The river teases a hiker on a warm day like this with a plentitude of enticing clear, mountain pools. After the last crossing the river bids farewell and vertical becomes the order of the day. :roll:
The uphill begins quiet innocently and requires only that you watch where you place you feet. I noticed a portion of forest looked as if the trees had been planted, they were so tall, straight and very evenly spaced, it looked as if we were passing through someone’s well tended tree farm. It was also about this time that I realized I had left my car keys in Jerry’s truck!
The stories of you faithful readers who have done the same thing, immediately came to my mind. We had few options but to shake our heads, have a good laugh and continue enjoying our day. Reaching the outlook ledges just shy of the N.Twin summit was a well earned treat, the cool breezes, clear skies and the grand views in every direction evaporated the labors of the hike. We stayed long enough for the group behind us to catch up and I took this time to fess up to the location of my car keys, Magic after a hearty laugh and the same quick reference to you gentle readers who found yourselves in the same situation, was kind and agreed to give Jerry a lift back to his truck at the end of the day. We parted company again and made our way towards the true summit and more importantly the outlook just to the west of N. Twin. Here we chanced to meet three, rock lounging, adolescent children, all of whom knew every peak in all directions and were quick to share this information. Quite delightful to see kids that young completely at peace in the sunshine, taking in the beauty and knowledge of the Whites. The surprising sight of four hawks soaring on the thermals, performing a magical arial ballet for a captivated audience was a rare and extraordinary moment. We made the quick, pleasant trip to S. Twin and again took in a long look in all directions, peaks of every name vied for our attention and received it for quite some time. The group again caught up and opted for lunch on the summit, after a few Kodak moments, Jerry and I were on our way to the Galehead Hut for our lunch and a patch to add to our collections.
The hut was quite busy, humming with human activity and several battalions of obsessive black flies. Dave and Julie made the Hut as Jerry and I had finished lunch and we followed them up to Galehead summit. If not for the lovely outlook this would be an unremarkable summit. Jerry and I joined the pack on the trip down Gale River Trail, many comments about the wisdom of not going up this trail were shared by several of us. Puzzle pieces of sunlight, bird songs and the distant call of the river accompanied us to level ground and all too soon the real world. While waiting for Jerry and Julie to return with the vehicles we shared company with two charming young Canadian sisters, from Quebec, who had come over from Lafayette Campground and needed a lift back to their car. Having just been faced with the dilemma of needing a ride, I immediately offered to take them. They asked a million questions on the ride to their car and the language differences made for quick laughter. As two extremely grateful young ladies headed home I did the same with the sun sliding off the horizon and the pale full face of the moon watching over me.dirt_girl
