Good morning people, the week-end before last was my annual 4000 footer hike with the old man. Now it so happens that this long week-end was also the one following tropical storm Irene... which meant that a number of roads in the area where washed away or shall we say, closed for renovations due to mother natures latest fit...
The AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) was very good in the days leading up to the storm by taking a number of safety precautions including sending out e-mails to members and mailing list, advising local hikers on the closing of trails and the Hight Huts as well as requesting already settled guest stay put or to make for clearer skies just to be on the safe side. Luckily by the following week-end we had descent weather all the way up and rolling clouds once on top. I even managed to get a nice tan in a perfect parrallele line with my badanna...lol.
The week ends Plan A was for ''take two'' on Mt Jefferson which was ... not completed a few years back due to you guessed it bad weather !! Unfortunatly Jefferson Notch Road leading up to Caps Ridge Trail was closed due to the previous week-end mountain floods. So we kept driving on the same road up to the Cog Railway and opted to instead tackle Mt Monroe and possiblly Mt Franklin weather permitting via Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail .
This trail is possibly one of the nicest we have hiked so far if only for the amazing mountain streams and beautiful waters and falls. Fast running streams flowing down the moutain by leaps and bounds into christal clear stone bassins only inches from the trail... I had never encoutered water this pure and this refreshing before. You could feel the freshness and flow even from the trail but it was't icy to the touch. Rather heart warming and soul uplifting. Cue the ''Coutry Folk Music''... tidlidi di didlidi di di... LOL Seriously, it felt great : ) We began our hike at 8:45 am and two and a hafl hours later,11:15, we where enjoying the sights at Lakes of the Clouds. Pretty steep once you reach the head of the Ravine and actually began to accend. Luckily, the Lakes Hut is always most welcoming and as tradition would want, they had oversized brownies laid on the table for the taking upon our arrival !!! mouahahahahaha !!
After a quick look around remebering our past visit nearly 10 years ago, we pushed to Mt Monroe while the weather was still holding. The above picture of Lakes of the Clouds was taken on our way up towards Mt Monroe summit. U can even see a little of Mt Washington and it 's weather towers sticking it s head through the clouds higher up. 20 min out of Lakes we reached the summit and decided to keep going to Mt Franklin.
The AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) was very good in the days leading up to the storm by taking a number of safety precautions including sending out e-mails to members and mailing list, advising local hikers on the closing of trails and the Hight Huts as well as requesting already settled guest stay put or to make for clearer skies just to be on the safe side. Luckily by the following week-end we had descent weather all the way up and rolling clouds once on top. I even managed to get a nice tan in a perfect parrallele line with my badanna...lol.
The week ends Plan A was for ''take two'' on Mt Jefferson which was ... not completed a few years back due to you guessed it bad weather !! Unfortunatly Jefferson Notch Road leading up to Caps Ridge Trail was closed due to the previous week-end mountain floods. So we kept driving on the same road up to the Cog Railway and opted to instead tackle Mt Monroe and possiblly Mt Franklin weather permitting via Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail .
This trail is possibly one of the nicest we have hiked so far if only for the amazing mountain streams and beautiful waters and falls. Fast running streams flowing down the moutain by leaps and bounds into christal clear stone bassins only inches from the trail... I had never encoutered water this pure and this refreshing before. You could feel the freshness and flow even from the trail but it was't icy to the touch. Rather heart warming and soul uplifting. Cue the ''Coutry Folk Music''... tidlidi di didlidi di di... LOL Seriously, it felt great : ) We began our hike at 8:45 am and two and a hafl hours later,11:15, we where enjoying the sights at Lakes of the Clouds. Pretty steep once you reach the head of the Ravine and actually began to accend. Luckily, the Lakes Hut is always most welcoming and as tradition would want, they had oversized brownies laid on the table for the taking upon our arrival !!! mouahahahahaha !!
After a quick look around remebering our past visit nearly 10 years ago, we pushed to Mt Monroe while the weather was still holding. The above picture of Lakes of the Clouds was taken on our way up towards Mt Monroe summit. U can even see a little of Mt Washington and it 's weather towers sticking it s head through the clouds higher up. 20 min out of Lakes we reached the summit and decided to keep going to Mt Franklin.
On our way to Mt Franklin with the clouds rolling in and out every few minutes. No hight winds nor rain though. Weather was quite comfortable despite the forboding clouds of a darker shade here and there.
Taken on our way back down at the feet of one of the numerous waterfalls.... yaaaa that clear reaching 3/4 of the hike up out of the 5001 feet to Lakes of the Clouds. Took us two hours and half also (same as going up) to reach our starting point off the Cog Railway. We took our sweet time heading back, breathing in every last ounce of greenerry and listening to the endless spring chatter as if entralled in an alternate world of wonder. For more pictures see my FLICKR account via ''Winter & Summer 2011'' photo album availiable later on this week from my website: The Third Burg.
Cheers !
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