TNAB Trip report for Mt Washington

Here's the trip report for Mt Washington, 5/13/04

Attendees: Alicia, Chris, Damon, Dan, Don, Drew, Larry, Maren, Mark, Mike, Russ, Tom

It is now necessary to bring a slide rule to keep track of everyone on the hike! GPS homing tags will be "applied" this week...

Last Thursday was the setting for yet another great evening for hiking, although most views were obscurred by high clouds. We gave proper respect to the gate, and started rolling out just before 6:00 PM. The paraglider that landed on Exit 38 declined to join us.

Events proceeded quickly from there. The large group broke up into several subgroups as we made our way up the switchback section of the trail. All too soon, it was time to contemplate the bushwhack to the ridge. Larry came prepared and left a bright pink blaze to show where to begin the ascent. Those that missed the blaze merely had to follow the loud voices and yells of the others already bushwhacking. The bushwhack to the ridge was typical for Mt. Washington: thick brush, loose footing and scratched arms. On the ridge, the way was much easier. Don was the first to rediscover the geocache, overfilled with rubber chickens, beanie babies, among other things (Reminder: Time to geocache Teneriffe! Bring any small items of modest value that you'd like to contribute to this week's hike).

The last remaining drifts of snow lay on the old logging road above the ridge. The exertion spent to bushwhack to ridge must have shorted out the capacity to reason (at least in my case) as several of us decided to take the scramble/bushwhack route to the summit, rather than breeze up the trail to the left. The former is staunchly guarded by an army of Devil's Club with no sense of humor. I will not take that route again, unless it completely covered in snow!

In short order, we gathered at the summit and assessed our wounds. The population of skinned and bloodied knees seems to grow every week. The majority pick for the descent was to follow the logging road out, although Larry, Chris and Russ chose to take a more direct route and bushwhack down the gully. (I wish I had joined them - they got out much faster) A million years later, we were back at the cars. A very satisfying hike and an excellent tune- up for....

TENERIFFE!

Traditional route is to hike up the trail and take the logging road out. However, the logging road off Teneriffe makes the one on Mt Washington look like I-90 - it'll be a game time decision whether or not to take the trail down as well (which has it's own hazards).

ALSO: Past history has shown low turnouts for hikes before three day weekends. The first hike holiday is scheduled for next week, with the Memorial Day Weekend coming up. Regardless, I plan to hike Mailbox on the 27th, since I missed the official hike. Let me know if you want to join me and we'll treat it like a regular TNAB hike.

-Mark "The sender believes that this E-Mail and any attachments were free of any virus, worm, Trojan horse, and/or malicious code when sent. This message and its attachments could have been infected during transmission. By reading the message and opening any attachments, the recipient accepts full responsibility for taking proactive and remedial action about viruses and other defects. The sender's business entity is not liable for any loss or damage arising in any way from this message or its attachments."