A
Anonymous
Guest
Jim B, Matt K, Rich R and I rendezvoused at Lowe's store 9:30 Fri. Proceeded to Appalachia to hike Air-Line-Short Line-Randolph-Spr to Crag Camp. Last 0.8 miles were NOT 0.8 miles (maybe for a bird). Arrived 1-1:20ish, dropped packs, ate lunch, and booted to summit in an hour and a half or so. Dropped into the vast cliff strewn abyss that is King Ravine at 5 or so via the aptly named Great Gully. 1200 joyous corn filled vertical feet later we hit bottom and thrashed through the appalachian version of Hell to join King Ravine Trail. Scrambled back up some 1600 verts to Thunderstorm Junction at the ripe hour of 8 or so, then linked snowpatches to near treeline and Spur Trail back to camp. Slept, or at least tried to, while a drunken party raged in the hut. <BR> <BR>Sat. Ambitions not fully squelched by the previous days' 6000+ foot climb-a-thon we embarked along Gray Knob Trail toward Jefferson to bag snowfields leading from it into Jeff Ravine. Arrive Edmands Col noonish and hit summit soon thereafter. Curse annying train whistle and head down Six Husbands to top of snow about 250 feet below. Ski another 1200 or so perfect verts down a virgin snowfield that rolled over a crevassed ridge into the most inaccessible ravine in the Presidentials, Jefferson Ravine. I just had to sign the headwall and traversed through diverse shrubbery to arc 6 or 7 GS turns on it then scramble back up rock slides and Ben's well made boot ladder. <BR> <BR>Stumble, slip, and slide, across Edmands Cutoff to the Col, where weather showed signs of souring. Made decision to high tail it for Thunderstorm Jct to hit snowfield and fast way to hut. Jim begins own adventure down Raymond Path. We set out on the very exposed Gulfside. Make it .5 mi before my helmet starts making weird buzzing noise and my hair stands up on the back of my neck. Scream in terror, drop skis and poles, and run for nearest shrubbery. 10 min later storm passes and we hightail it for the top before the next one rolls in. It is upon us as we stand atop Sam Adams, on snow, waiting for Rich. He appears and we signal that we are going down now, as it is now every man for himself. Abandon Ship. <BR> <BR>Black clouds boil over the ridge as we race toward treeline with reckless abandon. I wait at sheltered intersection for Rich. Matt and Ben ascend further. 2 min later a giant arm of mist shoots up King Ravine, swallows the Adams summit, and then us. We are socked in. 10 min later Rich appears and we contnue through thick fog along snowfields to a short bushwhack and the Spur Trail near treeline. All are cold and wet by this time and Ben and Matt are on their own, but we are below treeline. Safe. Get to the hut, abuzz with activity, 10 min later and warm up. Jim appears an hour or two later after getting stonewalled by avi debris on Randolph Path and deceides to spend the night. It is a long one, and ends with someone playing the organ around 5:00 am. <BR> <BR>Today we all hiked out, exhausted, content, but never finished. The season only ends when you let it. As far as I'm concerned this season started in Oct 99 and continues to this day, 20 months later. It really is an Endless Winter.