March 18, 2018 by Lone Stranger

Two Nights on West Baldpate – March 2018

“It’s been a while, but lets see how this goes.” is a good theme for this trip and this post. Obligations at home and a Winter that seemed to have fears about commitment had left me unable to sneak away for more than a few hours at a time for quite a while. When things at home were conducive the weather would warm up to ruin the snow and bring rain. Finally given the chance to get out into actual snow I loaded up my sled and headed up one of my favorite mountains!

I didn’t have much time to work with so the plan was to set up camp for two nights near the MATC lean to on Friday in hopes of a clear summit at some point on Saturday. This was my first real world test of my sled. There were some issues to be found dragging gear up a mountain that didn’t occur during tests dragging my daughter around the golf course 🙂 Modifications have since been made and I look forward to more real world testing soon.Friday was definitely not the day to be on top of the mountain. Having been here many times before I knew which direction to point the camera for this shot. If not I would have had no clue there was a mountain there at all.I checked the tiny stream behind the lean to and while I could hear water way down below it was unreachable. Well at least by me, as I noticed the squirrels had kept little tunnels open so they could get to it. That is how I knew I was looking at about a foot of ice and then another foot or more of air before I’d reach that tiny trickle I could hear down there somewhere. That meant melting snow for water so rather than enjoying the afternoon quiet I got to work so I could have dinner before dark with all my bottles filled with warm water to get through the night.The low was around 20°f with a few snow squalls during the night. I was using my big tarp configured for snow and wind. That let me enjoy the sounds of the weather out there while snuggled warm in my hammock.Using the sled meant I could bring way too much crap and have a place out of the snow to keep it. After years of winter camping in a two man tent this is very different, but I am learning how to make it work for me. Not sure I’d enjoy it as much without the sled.The climb to the summit after breakfast was treacherous with lots of hard ice flows buried under varying amounts of snow. The steeper sections were a bit gnarly but I was testing out some back country snow shoes with pretty aggressive toe traction so didn’t switch to spikes.I was pretty happy to be done climbing because it meant I could take off my pack and start taking pictures. I’d been trying to get up to this spot to take some winter pictures for the last several years but kept getting chased off by rain on my summit day every time. Lots of good camping but no summit pics.

I’ll just shut up for a while now and let you enjoy the pretty pictures. I shot about 100 pics while I was up there. The sun kept fighting through the clouds more and more changing the scene around me. I was pretty dang happy about it all!By camping on the mountain and hitting the summit early I had it all to myself for quite a while. Once I started down shortly after noon I soon began to meet folks on their way up. After more than 24 hours of solitude it was nice to share the beauty with other folks but nicer to move on and return to the peace of being alone in the snow.There was a lot of ice lurking under the recent snow. The warm melts combined with rain can create some beautiful but dangerous works of art.These sort of works of art are a lot less dangerous. Well so long as you stop to enjoy the view rather than trying to stare at them too hard while falling off an ice cliff heh.Speaking of stopping to enjoy the view…I was taking a much wider shot of some trees when I noticed this little bit of valley view hiding back there. I ended up liking this zoomed in shot more than the one I’d taken the camera out for.Back in camp the mountain was much easier to see now. It really isn’t far, but the climb is pretty steep so going up takes a lot longer than coming down.I was happy to be back in camp. I’d set up in the trees far enough away from the LT that the shelter mice didn’t seem to find me out there. Having camped here before I know there are some fearless rodents under that thing.I may have scared a few of them off by drying my feet and socks in the afternoon sun. It didn’t seem to bother the squirrels which were numerous and seemed to think I was in their house.A cup of potato soup is perfect in camp on a winter afternoon. To be honest though, I’m a fan of this soup and think it is pretty darn good for a summer trail lunch too!Sunday morning dawned as my last day here usually does with the best weather of the trip. Suddenly the mountain could be seen clearly. Definitely the day to be going up and as usual, I was going down heh.Speaking of which there definitely was some going down on the descent. Seems my snowshoe testing is so thorough that I’ve discovered an issue no one else appears to have ever reported. If you’ve had a similar experience I’d love to hear about it in detail including specifics of the snowshoe, boot and conditions. When descending a slope with the sled and maneuvering around a tree on the right I managed to slip the tail of my left shoe through the toe of my right shoe. One time is a fluke, but I did this multiple times coming down this mountain.

This only happened under very specific circumstances for me and so far my research is coming up with nothing in terms of other folks having something like this happen with these or any other shoe. Post comments here or email lonestranger@lesstraveledby.net please and thanks if you have any experience with something like this. I’d like to hear if anyone else has ever seen this sort of thing under any circumstances.Other than a few tumbles caused by that odd snowshoe hook up issue it was a great day to be coming down the mountain. Lots of sunshine on the snow and the day hikers were getting a late start. In the parking lot I ran into enough folks to make it a crowd but not enough to take any fun out of the day. The day hikers seemed confused by my sled or perhaps concerned I had a body on there.Definitely great to be out there for a few days. It has been a few weeks now and I’m ready for more. This is my sort of anger management!! Hope you are getting out where and when you can!

February 24, 2018 by Lone Stranger

The North Face Venture 2 Jacket Review Posted on Trailspace

I’ve been a bit lazy about posting my review links here on the site, but I wanted to share this one that went up yesterday on the Trailspace site. TNF has started to get a bad rap for being coffee shop gear, but this jacket is the real deal. Not gonna duplicate the review here, but follow the link or save it for later and check out what made me give the Venture 2 my highest rating.

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/the-north-face/venture-2/#review38564

Disclosure: My wife bought me this jacket, but she didn’t force me to say nice things about it 🙂

February 21, 2018 by Lone Stranger

Gettin’ While the Gettin’ is Good

This annoying, on again-off again Winter continues apace. With most of the snow replaced by ice it was time for a reminder of what a joy the season can be if the weather cooperates. A nice dump of heavy, wet snow overnight followed by a bright, sunny day had us racing to pull on our snowshoes.The breeze was just starting to wiggle the trees enough to shake the snow off the branches. With the dazzling light it really was a beautiful show.We had fresh snow to trample, but the forecast was ominous with warmth and rain expected in a few days. I guess we could have spent the day inside complaining heh, though a family stomp through the woods seemed the best use of our limited time to enjoy this bit of snow.As I post this most of it is already gone. With an expected high in the mid 60s today what remains won’t last long. Might be an important lesson here about enjoying what you’ve got when you can because that is about the only chance you get. Might just be prattling a bit so it doesn’t look like I was just posting pics to brag about having fun playing in the snow with the girls.

Hope you’re enjoying what you can when you can too!

February 6, 2018 by Lone Stranger

Mansfield 2 the Revenge of the Mama

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The reservations have been made so there is no turning back now. We’ve booked a two night stay at the Underhill State Park campground from which to mount our second attempted family assault on Mt Mansfield.

Last year’s amazing adventure came up just short of the summit as we stopped within sight of the crest of the Chin. Mother and daughter astounded me with their determination to reach the top, but the climb had taken a toll. Thankfully some clouds rolled in and I was able to convince them it might rain or they may have insisted on continuing. Good thing because everyone, daddy included, was wiped out by the time we got back to camp.

When Frau Stranger told me she wanted a rematch I was surprised, but happy to oblige. This time we know what we’re getting into. The plan is to bring more food, more water and more legs this time. We’ll get an earlier start so we can have an extra long lunch on top, food and rest tend to be good motivators we find. Hmmm, maybe two lunches heh.

I’m already assuming victory this time because I know how hard my wife has been working to get ready. I have a feeling she will be a great inspiration should we feel a bit weak and might just carry us on her back if we’re slowing her down too much 🙂

Hope you are getting out to enjoy whatever random weather this very random Winter has been throwing at you. Mostly ice here which is no fun, but there is talk of snow tomorrow. Just because I’m making plans for Summer doesn’t mean I’m ready for Winter to end!

January 12, 2018 by Lone Stranger

Cold Weather Testing

It finally warmed up enough to do a valid test of my hammock set up for cold weather. With the sub zero temperatures we’d been seeing the last few weeks I’d have needed so much additional insulation that the quilt set up wouldn’t really be tested. Seeing a forecast for a 10°F night I loaded up the sled and set up camp in the woods behind the house. I’m getting ready to do a Trailspace review of the Cooke Tundra Tarp so it was also a chance to get some pics of that set up in the snow.I won’t be doing a review of the Hammock Gear under quilt for a few months, but always good to grab pics when you can. By the time I write the review the snow may well be gone. Reviews always look better with gear in its natural habitat I think. As for the testing, it went very well. I slept with minimal insulation from clothing to see what the quilts could do and was still a bit too warm early in the evening. By the wee hours of the morning my thermometer showed 11°F and anything sticking out was feeling the chill. Inside I could tell that my top quilts were still keeping me very warm, but the under quilt was getting close to its limits which wasn’t surprising given there was a bit of a breeze.

Now that I’ve run this test it will be safe to start finding out how low I can go by adding layers to my sleepwear. Based on my tenting experience I’m sure I’ll be good for at least another twenty degrees lower, perhaps more. Despite the big thaw today I’m sure there will be plenty more cold nights to continue the testing. Hope you are getting out when you can and sitting by a warm fire when you can’t 🙂

January 4, 2018 by Lone Stranger

Anger Management Part Two

Sure, quiet reflection can be nice and all, but sometimes a more visceral response can be cathartic. Last year’s fun filled family attempt at climbing Mansfield in Vermont left Frau Stranger feeling a bit miffed at the mountain. Her response has been to direct that anger into a plan for revenge this coming Summer. Given the progress she’d already made by eating salads and lots of walking it was time to give her more of a challenge so I set up this lovely pain cave with a view.

Seeing her stomping on the pedals next to me I am worried I may be holding her back on that climb this year. Definitely fun to have a training partner this Winter and the view out the back window is a lot nicer than being stuck in the basement on the recumbent. Bet the climb up Mansfield will be a lot more fun this year too!

December 30, 2017 by Lone Stranger

Anger Management

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Wish I could say I have it mastered, but most every day makes a lie of that. Time doesn’t heal all wounds. Some things you carry with you. No amount of conscious acceptance seems to take that anger away either. It waits quietly and then, with a quick flash of razor sharp teeth, announces its continued presence. The heat of it doesn’t seem to fade which seems fitting given its birth in a heat wave that would not end.

What I’ve shared here over the years has always been as honest and positive as I could manage. I just don’t think anything I’d write now would fit that theme because I honestly can’t believe things played out the way they did and seem to be positively POed about that fact at random moments. Thought I’d make it clear that I’m not dead, just ticked off at the universe. Hopefully that will change for the better. If not, maybe I’ll just post pictures 🙂

September 21, 2017 by Lone Stranger

LT Day 4 and 5

1.5 LT miles, 6 mile road walk, 20 mile hitch, 9 mile shuttle

I got an early start in hopes of either putting in some long miles or a shorter day ending early depending on how the climb up Haystack went. It soon became clear that Monday had done more damage to my body than I realized. Any sort of climbing was a struggle and by the time I reached the road in Hazen’s Notch I knew it was time to sit down for some hard thinking. Going up Haystack seemed sure to make things get ugly fast so the prudent thing seemed to be to get off trail to regroup.

As road walks go the six miles or so down RT 58 to RT 100 were beautiful. No one stopped to offer a ride but traffic was sparse and it was a nice morning in the shade.

Rather than focus on my troubles I opted to try to enjoy how pretty of a place I was walking through. There were a few dog encounters along the way, a German Shepherd that looked like it might have been abandoned threatened me for a while until a voice in the woods called him home. Another two big dogs followed me, barking at my heels, for a good quarter mile.

Still it was such a pretty place it was a walk to be appreciated. Various streams and brooks ran under the road in both directions.

Eventually I reached the highway and realized that I needed to figure out my next goal. Heading down to Johnson to pick up my resupply seemed logical since food was running low, so I stuck out my thumb. Once that was accomplished I talked to my wife a bit and decided to find a place to stay to either recuperate or wait for a ride home. Smugglers Notch to the rescue!

Dinner, beer and breakfast are behind me and I am still feeling a bit broken. I am coming to terms with the fact that this hike is over before it really got started. There has been some cussing and a few tears, but to keep going at this point seems foolish and probably dangerous to my health.

As much as I regret the way this turned out I am glad I tried to chase the dream. For an old fat man this was an ambitious challenge to begin with, but no one could anticipate tropical weather in VT at this time of year. With my aversion to hiking in the heat I planned to start this late in hopes of much cooler weather.

Will I try again? No, probably not. Putting my family through all of this again seems unfair. I also have to acknowledge that the universe seems to be trying to tell me something.

Still, no regrets! Not sure what crazy dream will come to me next, but I will keep chasing them, you can be sure. Thanks for coming along on this adventure and I apologize for not being able to share the rest of this beautiful trail with you.

September 19, 2017 by Lone Stranger

LT Days 2 and 3 Hazen’s Notch

8.7 LT miles

Day two started with the climb up to Jay Peak. Looking up at the ski buildings was a bit intimidating but the climb actually wasn’t too bad.

Nice views up there in all directions. I was sorry I didn’t have time to stay longer until I met a big school group headed up the other side.

I stopped at Jay Camp near the bottom for water and potato soup for elevensies. Then came a series of climbs that took me over three mountains on my way to Hazen’s Notch. Not sure how hot it was but it was way too hot to be climbing mountains. The last big climb up Buchanan did me in.

The last two miles to camp were quite a struggle as my stomach was angry and not afraid to show it. I arrived in camp just before dark in pretty ugly shape. Getting the hammock up was all I could manage before collapsing. Then it started to rain hehe. I managed to sort of string the tarp over me, but didn’t have the strength to stake it out.

Knowing from past experience that hiking today would only serve to anger my stomach I opted to stay here today to see if I can recover. I hung out the wet clothes and even staked out the tarp.

The shelter here is a classic and smells like one inside heh.

There is a nice view of Jay Peak from just outside the door. Considering I came up the other side and all the way here on a hot, breezeless day certainly explains my body falling apart.

Tomorrow will tell me a lot once I hit that first climb. The weather has improved with cooler temps and a nice breeze so that will help. Hopefully yesterday didn’t do too much damage, but it certainly has given me some doubts.