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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
When the Sun first crests the eastern ridge...
When the Sun first crests the eastern ridge (~mid February) the time is right for kicking your boots on crusted ice & snow in the high country. I spent much of the weekend before sharpening my piolets (axes) and crampons points, with a glee matched only by king's 3rd novel about Jack being an unhappy boy.
Let just say the neighbors were curious...
I pulled into the lot about 1:30 am after visiting 2 separate family members in the hospital before. The drive up shook off much of the days concerns and although tired I knew I would not sleep that night. By 2:30 the car's interior had reach equilibrium with the outside temperature ~ 6 or 7 degrees, but there was no wind in the car and I tossed & turned until I folded into a light drift not awake but not really asleep. I was just relieved to be free from concern or worry for a few hours.
By 5:30 I was suiting up, it would take me the next hour to get ready and by then the sky was glowing azure in east. I kicked off at around 6:40 and crossed the bridge moments after that. The trail was largely obscured by the snow and duffel, but the markers were clearly visible and I knew the path although steep would be recognizable.
The first difficult stretch is a spiral rise on a steep slope into deeply shaded and cold cavity, a virtual colure. In this case it is a desperate & lonely Catskill hollow, known far & wide as the last solitary place on earth. This loneliness pervades the region despite the 12 million + people who live within a 2 hour drive.
By the top of the rise I was post holing up to my thighs and sweating bullets. The temperature was a robust 11 degrees and the wind was starting to lick up. I shucked my mid layer and was chilled to the bone before seeing the sun brake above the distant hills. The winter clarity of the bright air was comforting. I quickly amped up the pace and this stoked the furnace with in. There is a delicate balance between freezing and boiling in the winter and far too little middle ground between the two.
At a point not long after the ground gave way and the mountain seems to sheer off to the abyss on my left, in the summer it would be hardly noticeable but a single poorly chosen step would lead to a steep precipitous & painful fall. In this situation you monitor ever step and carefully test each hold. I actually enjoy the demands and required focus which allows me time from life & this time there were no mistakes...
The first open clearing after the spring water pipe you will find a series of bolts which protrude the snow in an eerily sinister manner (be careful not to step on or pierce your foot with them they are rusty and if there was another foot of snow who knows I might have missed them. I think they were the anchors for the old lookout tower; the newer one is a few hundred feet beyond this in a very open clearing.
The steps to the tower were barred by a grate on the way up, but you could not go much further this day, as the wind was in full howl by this point and although only 30 or 40 mph it was enough to make me anxious for the tree line.
The trip down was equally pleasant and the car never felt better or the heated seats warmer.
The coco at the dinner was pretty good as well.
Let just say the neighbors were curious...
I pulled into the lot about 1:30 am after visiting 2 separate family members in the hospital before. The drive up shook off much of the days concerns and although tired I knew I would not sleep that night. By 2:30 the car's interior had reach equilibrium with the outside temperature ~ 6 or 7 degrees, but there was no wind in the car and I tossed & turned until I folded into a light drift not awake but not really asleep. I was just relieved to be free from concern or worry for a few hours.
By 5:30 I was suiting up, it would take me the next hour to get ready and by then the sky was glowing azure in east. I kicked off at around 6:40 and crossed the bridge moments after that. The trail was largely obscured by the snow and duffel, but the markers were clearly visible and I knew the path although steep would be recognizable.
The first difficult stretch is a spiral rise on a steep slope into deeply shaded and cold cavity, a virtual colure. In this case it is a desperate & lonely Catskill hollow, known far & wide as the last solitary place on earth. This loneliness pervades the region despite the 12 million + people who live within a 2 hour drive.
By the top of the rise I was post holing up to my thighs and sweating bullets. The temperature was a robust 11 degrees and the wind was starting to lick up. I shucked my mid layer and was chilled to the bone before seeing the sun brake above the distant hills. The winter clarity of the bright air was comforting. I quickly amped up the pace and this stoked the furnace with in. There is a delicate balance between freezing and boiling in the winter and far too little middle ground between the two.
At a point not long after the ground gave way and the mountain seems to sheer off to the abyss on my left, in the summer it would be hardly noticeable but a single poorly chosen step would lead to a steep precipitous & painful fall. In this situation you monitor ever step and carefully test each hold. I actually enjoy the demands and required focus which allows me time from life & this time there were no mistakes...
The first open clearing after the spring water pipe you will find a series of bolts which protrude the snow in an eerily sinister manner (be careful not to step on or pierce your foot with them they are rusty and if there was another foot of snow who knows I might have missed them. I think they were the anchors for the old lookout tower; the newer one is a few hundred feet beyond this in a very open clearing.
The steps to the tower were barred by a grate on the way up, but you could not go much further this day, as the wind was in full howl by this point and although only 30 or 40 mph it was enough to make me anxious for the tree line.
The trip down was equally pleasant and the car never felt better or the heated seats warmer.
The coco at the dinner was pretty good as well.
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