dirt_girl
New member
Date(s) Hiked: Mt. Eisenhower August 1 2004
Trails(s) Hiked: Edmands Path
Total Distance: 6.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Humid and Hot… oh, surprise!
Special Required Equipment: None
Trip Report: The alarm beckoned me back into the real world at 4:30 this morning. Having no faith in man’s ability to accurately forecast the New England weather, I headed north in spite of the weather report. I had second thoughts as the rain thickened to a deluge, complete with lightening, just north of Concord, limiting visibility and reducing my speed to 45mph but with just three more Presidential Peaks to bag…I pressed on. After a brief stop at Crawford Notch Visitor Center and some lively conversation with Diane (we’ve hiked together before) I headed out Clinton Road for my rendezvous with Mr. Eisenhower. The temperature and humidity were high and the clouds doing there best to clear as I left the trailhead. As I crossed the Abenaki brook I was drenched in sweat and there was not a breeze to be had for quite some time to come. The elevation gain was not unpleasant or difficult, though it did seem endless at times. Watching where you walk is key, the trail is rocky. Apparently, substantial amounts of rain had fallen as the land was purging the excess from every place possible. Several times the trail became a convenient stream bed for the excess water. The sound of running water in various degrees, kept me company for a good part of the hike. Stepping through the stone gate gifted me with the first sweet breeze and the knowledge that the trail would soon become mostly level. With less than a mile to go I stopped where the water falling over a small ledge and a somewhat hazy view of the valley made for a perfect resting place. It was here that I met the first and only two hikers I would see on the way up, two very talkative Canadian gentlemen looping from Highland Center. I was a bit reluctant to end this entertaining conversation but having had plenty of time to rest and down a snack I said so long to this charming pair and moved on to the my favorite part of the ascent…level trail, refreshing breezes and snap shot views. Meaning the view only lasted long enough to take a picture, if that, before more clouds would roll in and a hazy vale would lie cross the valley. Visibility remained quite good as the cloud cover was thin and reaching the summit was effortless. I stayed at the summit long enough to see a partial clearing and short glimpses of the outstanding views. While the summit remained thinly shrouded, just a half a mile down from there the views were clearly breathtaking and continued to cause me to stop along the open north slope of the mountain. I met an engaging couple from Germany at the water fall and five other sweaty, huffing, puffing hikers after that. None of them were in a position to stop and visit. Except for a shy, starving girl in jeans and sneakers, she stopped long enough to stare at the chocolate power bar I was eating and queried if I had another. I gave her my last one and wished her luck reaching the summit. Peace, quiet and an occasional mosquito were my only companions for the rest of the trip. What a great day...
dirt_girl
Note: I took a cool down walk around Ammonoosuc Lake behind the Highland Center and another short walk along the banks of Saco Lake, adding the Red Bench and Elephant Head stamps to my collection.
Trails(s) Hiked: Edmands Path
Total Distance: 6.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Conditions: Humid and Hot… oh, surprise!
Special Required Equipment: None
Trip Report: The alarm beckoned me back into the real world at 4:30 this morning. Having no faith in man’s ability to accurately forecast the New England weather, I headed north in spite of the weather report. I had second thoughts as the rain thickened to a deluge, complete with lightening, just north of Concord, limiting visibility and reducing my speed to 45mph but with just three more Presidential Peaks to bag…I pressed on. After a brief stop at Crawford Notch Visitor Center and some lively conversation with Diane (we’ve hiked together before) I headed out Clinton Road for my rendezvous with Mr. Eisenhower. The temperature and humidity were high and the clouds doing there best to clear as I left the trailhead. As I crossed the Abenaki brook I was drenched in sweat and there was not a breeze to be had for quite some time to come. The elevation gain was not unpleasant or difficult, though it did seem endless at times. Watching where you walk is key, the trail is rocky. Apparently, substantial amounts of rain had fallen as the land was purging the excess from every place possible. Several times the trail became a convenient stream bed for the excess water. The sound of running water in various degrees, kept me company for a good part of the hike. Stepping through the stone gate gifted me with the first sweet breeze and the knowledge that the trail would soon become mostly level. With less than a mile to go I stopped where the water falling over a small ledge and a somewhat hazy view of the valley made for a perfect resting place. It was here that I met the first and only two hikers I would see on the way up, two very talkative Canadian gentlemen looping from Highland Center. I was a bit reluctant to end this entertaining conversation but having had plenty of time to rest and down a snack I said so long to this charming pair and moved on to the my favorite part of the ascent…level trail, refreshing breezes and snap shot views. Meaning the view only lasted long enough to take a picture, if that, before more clouds would roll in and a hazy vale would lie cross the valley. Visibility remained quite good as the cloud cover was thin and reaching the summit was effortless. I stayed at the summit long enough to see a partial clearing and short glimpses of the outstanding views. While the summit remained thinly shrouded, just a half a mile down from there the views were clearly breathtaking and continued to cause me to stop along the open north slope of the mountain. I met an engaging couple from Germany at the water fall and five other sweaty, huffing, puffing hikers after that. None of them were in a position to stop and visit. Except for a shy, starving girl in jeans and sneakers, she stopped long enough to stare at the chocolate power bar I was eating and queried if I had another. I gave her my last one and wished her luck reaching the summit. Peace, quiet and an occasional mosquito were my only companions for the rest of the trip. What a great day...
dirt_girl
Note: I took a cool down walk around Ammonoosuc Lake behind the Highland Center and another short walk along the banks of Saco Lake, adding the Red Bench and Elephant Head stamps to my collection.
