Winter Solstice. We were finally out of “ugly season” with everything freshly dusted with snow. Wind chill was manageable until the final stretch, and overall trail conditions were some of the least sucky we’ve had in this section of the range. But we’re still grateful to never have to do this again.
But first let’s back up…
The December grid was going to be ambitious. I needed all but two peaks, and Hummingbird needed all twelve of them. This in a month full of heavy work schedules, holiday demands, and for me, final projects for my college classes on top. Plus tricky weather that doesn’t always cooperate with our availability to hike. We vowed to get the big “middle” hike out of the way asap, since trailhead access is difficult in winter. But timing did not work out as hoped.
12/1
At least we started early. On the 1st of the month we attempted to hike Mt. Major, as it was the most accessible trail after a storm (plus all we had time for). Notice I said “attempted.” It would have been our first hike in winter conditions this season. Crazily, barely 1/8 of a mile in, when we stopped to put on our spikes (which we should have just dealt with at the car - lesson relearned), BOTH Hummingbird and I experienced equipment failures! We each had a spike come undone, and were unable to fix them on the spot. Well, so much for that plan. Out we walked, back to the parking lot, convinced this was another omen that we should not be hiking today.
12/2
Take two… on December 2nd, we headed out for another attempt with repaired spikes. I picked up Hummingbird and, as we’re driving towards Major, she presented a very good argument for hiking Rowe instead. We had just enough daylight to make it work, and logistically it would be beneficial to our grid schedule. So Rowe it was! It was a good warmup to winter hiking and a safe & successful test of our spikes. We were off to a productive start!
- Mt. Rowe, 2.29 mi, 761 ft, 1:12 hrs
12/12
Next up was a solo hike for each of us. Ironically on the same day, in the same area, and nearly the same time. It just happened that way! Hummingbird nabbed a 3-pack of Gunstock, Belknap, and Piper after an early work day. We agreed that, depending on schedules and conditions, it might be more efficient for her to get the big two (which I already had) on her own. Adding in Piper was an easy route option for her, so if I soloed that one, we would be caught up with each other’s grid.
And so, on the day of my last class for fall semester, I headed out early to grab Piper. Hummingbird requested a trail report, as she’d be done work slightly later and heading that way. Conditions were spring-like, with a mix of snow, ice, bare ground, and water. I was definitely grateful for waterproof boots. Hopefully it was mainly the conditions slowing me down, as I did not make good time and I felt really out of shape. It’s amazing how much strength you can lose in just a week! I ended up running a bit late for my photography class (which was really just a gallery party), but thankfully it wasn’t a big deal, and totally worth it for another grid checkmark.
- Piper Mt. via CR gate, 3.38 mi, 1020 ft, 1:59 hrs (solo)
12/14
A couple days later we had a extra special hike. We’ve been helping my sister work towards her Belknaps peaks patch. This was going to be her big finish with two mountains left! We hoped to make it a bigger family hike, but scheduling didn’t work out, so we stuck to a girl hike with the three of us. Which is always good, so no complaints.
We did an Anna - Straightback loop with a side quest on Marsh Crossing for Hummingbird and I to also hit West Quarry for the grid, as it’d be a convenient grab. Sondra took a break at the bottom of the rock scramble while we tagged the summit, which only took 5 or 10 minutes. Overall, the 6 mile hike was decent, with lots of ice and only a little grumbling.
Of course when we hit the summit of South Straightback, we made Sondra hang back momentarily while we set up “the thing.” I propped my camera on a rock and hit record, then Hummingbird and I assumed the position, poles held up like swords for Sondra to walk under, setting foot on her final summit. She had officially earned her patch! Yay!
- Mts. Anna-W. Quarry-Straightback, 6.2 mi, 1440 ft, 3:42 hrs
12/21
That brings us to the unavoidable “shit hike” (as Hummingbird calls it). Not our Solstice hike of choice, but it was productive, and gridding took priority, as it has lately. Since we’d tagged Quarry, we just needed Rand, Mack, and Klem for middle peaks.
As I’ve said in the past, the whole thing really doesn’t suck, and there are actually several pretty viewpoints. But between the sketchy parts, often wet areas, and it just being so long, it’s definitely at the bottom of our list for trails. And now we’ve done it at least 12 times (probably more during redlining)! That’s enough. LOL
I was grateful for the low temperatures being manageable for most of the hike. My balaclava rode in my pack the entire time. I even had to strip my mittens down to the liners on part of the ascent, which is rare for me. Of course, I made up for it on the final descent, when the temps dropped more, and my hands went totally dead, even in the heavy mittens that Hawk gave me because they were too hot for his White Mountain adventures. My hands didn’t regain function until we were nearly home. Glad I wasn’t driving!
At least I was able to appreciate the beauty of nature blanketed in white throughout our hike. You could argue it wasn’t a bad Solstice activity after all. It was certainly an accomplishment. I did however confirm my physical limits. This pushed me just over my edge between mileage and elevation. Incidentally, Hummingbird’s tracker said we did 2,006 ft of elevation, 300 ft more than my stupid AllTrails claimed, and I am more inclined to believe hers based on how my body felt! (Especially after all the times we’ve hiked these mountains.)
On the plus side, this made Belknap Grid 134/144. Only 10 peaks left to earn that gorgeous patch!
- Mts. Mack-Rand-Klem, 8.39 mi, 1706 ft, 4:47 hrs
12/27
A week later we were back to hiking with an easier jaunt up Whiteface. Conditions were good and the views were beautifully clear. I slightly regret not having my new phone/upgraded camera set up for this hike to capture the crisp mountain views. But it was still lovely. Hopefully next month will have visibility like this too. If not, at least this is a trail I’m not against repeating, esp. in winter.
Great photos or no, it’s another checkmark. Just one left for the month! — Funny enough, the one we originally tried to start with. Now that was to be tomorrow’s challenge…
- Whiteface Mt., 3.36 mi, 784 ft, 1:33 hrs
12/28
And that’s the December grid! Only 2 months and 6 hikes to go! (Some are combo hikes.)
It was a damp, cloudy morning, but the best conditions we’d have for a while, and the month would be over soon. We definitely did not want to put this off to the very last minute and risk missing out. We are set on finishing the whole grid now and not waiting another year to earn the patch. So we strapped on our spikes — Hummingbird having yet another failure with one (what is it with Mt. Major lately? LOL), but this time having a backup, so no problem — and we hit the trail.
It was a workout, and some of the ice sheets were pretty sketchy, but we made it to the summit in average time. From there we decided to loop down Brook Trail, which added some distance, but would theoretically be safer and more pleasant. For the most part it was, although one or two of the half frozen stream crossings were concerning. The thin ice creaked and popped beneath our feet, threatening to dunk us, which was almost as scary as the icy ascent, but we managed to stay dry. And overall the descent WAS much easier. I also didn’t mind getting the extra mileage, as I am officially committed to the Winter 100 Challenge, so I need the miles!
Overall it was a fine hike, and we are excited to have another month gridded out. On to coordinating January! We still need half the Belknap Range then, so it could be tight. Hopefully the weather is nice to us.
- Mt. Major, 4.46 mi, 1165 ft, 2:14 hrs
Speaking of the Winter 100 Challenge… I now have every other season patch from MyAdventureChallenge.com, but still need the winter one. I tried for it last year, but fell just shy of 100 miles between November & February. This year I am determined to make it. So far I’m on track! As of this last hike, my official winter miles sit at 56.73. Half the goal in half the time; perfect. January & February gridding should bump my miles to about 78, so if my math is correct, I only need to get an additional 3 mi. per week of non-grid hikes. That sounds doable!
On a related note, I have also been going for the Hiker’s 365 Challenge. I had yet to reach that many miles in a year, despite the amount of hiking I did, even when counting hikes/walks less than a mile long. Only late this year did I realize that the 365 Challenge has no mileage minimum, but it still made no difference to years past. This year, however, I think I am going to blow my previous mileage out of the water! I haven’t tallied lately, but in August I was already around 270 miles. And that was only counting the ones over 1 mi. So all in, I am pretty sure I hit 365 even before December! I guess I should do the official tally now that the year is over!
Next year: spreadsheets. LOL
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