Known alternatively as ‘The Moose’ or ‘The Gentle Giant’, Mt. Moosilauke is the tenth highest peak in the White Mountains & Abhi & I hiked to its top yesterday! With a grueling 3,300 ft elevation gain and 8 miles (13kms) of hiking, the mountain truly lives up to its name -the ‘Giant’ part (I wouldn’t call it ‘Gentle’ by any stretch). Despite the steep ascent and super-gusty cold winds, the trip was very rewarding, made especially so since this was our second attempt. Last winter we attempted to climb it via the arduous Beaver Brook Trail and had to turn back 1 mile shy of the summit due to un-packed trail conditions. This time we went up the Glencliff Trail which I thought was equally steep for the most part, until it met the Carriage Trail near the summit.
We got off to an early start from Boston at 5 am. and were on target for reaching the trailhead the 8.30. Alas! we got lost and went almost 15 miles ahead. Fortunately, we realized our mistake & circled back in time so that the group we were hiking with had not yet set out. Arriving late and the ensuing haste to get ready, left me a little frazzled at the beginning of the hike. Our group started at a steady pace and the trail soon picked up a moderate elevation gain. I was so out of breath!! Inside my head I started blaming myself for all those missed days of exercise and got a little worried about how the hike was going to pan out. Fortunately, my exhaustion was short-lived and soon I got into the rhythm and rigor of the hike. It also helped that the leaders slowed the group pace a bit from what we started with.
I have always liked climbing more than descent. Although it is more work, it is filled with anticipation and somehow feels better on my legs (I routinely have injured knees & hate the pounding they get on descents). But this ascent was not an easy one! It was both steep and unrelenting. There were very few flat areas for respite and we had 2 infamous steep sections to encounter before hitting the carriage road. The best part was the absolutely wonderful New England day—crisp sunshine, clear blue skies, and warmer (20F!) temps made it fabulous to be outdoors. Since we were still below tree-line, there were only pockets of sun to be had, nonetheless it made things so much more cheery! And some good spirit was much needed as the strenuous climbing began – the incline must have been about 60 degrees, though it felt more like 90!! We took small but steady steps – I could feel my quads burn with every step, and recall thinking more than once about how/why I manage to get myself in these situations! And yet, each step got us closer to the top of the ledge and rekindled hope that it may soon be flattening out. After an hour of really steep climbing, we finally came to intersection of Glencliff Trail with the flatter, though more exposed Carriage Trail. It did feel great to think that the major climbing was done -Yipee!
Soon the trees started thinning out and the bald summit of Mt. Moosilauke became visible in the distance. Viewing one’s destination surely acts like an adrenaline shot and the group hastened its pace to claim the summit. But first, we had to take a break to make sure we had our windproof jackets, face-masks and eye goggles on, to protect us from the 50 mph wind gusts up top. I underestimated the force of the winds and only wore my jacket. But ten minutes in, as the tress totally disappeared and the winds hit us with full force, I realized what a mistake that had been. I had to stop and put on the face-mask and felt a lot better after that. Hiking up the rocky and icy terrain to the summit, I had to try pretty hard to not get knocked off by the wind! I was literally swaying to the right and fell on the rocks once, and Abhi teased me incessantly afterwards about how I was about to get blown off the mountain! The summit was marked by a board. We all got numerous pictures taken around it and also met up with a good friend SK who was solo-hiking that trail. Despite stunning 360 degree views, it was difficult to stay at the summit for a long time and we soon made our way down. At the intersection with Carriage Trail, we stopped for a quick lunch break, while a few intrepid hikers including Abhi made their way to ‘South Peak’ – a 0.4 mile round trip.
Once everyone was back & refueled, the descent began. The slower and steeper the climb, the faster the descent!! For a change I felt great during the descent, and Abhi & I tore down the mountain at a brisk pace. By 4 pm we were back at the car. After 3 hours of driving we were back in Boston by 7.30 to catch a glimpse of the humungous ‘Super-Moon’. Home-delivered pizza, ice-cream and Holi wishes phone-calls to India turned out to be a perfect finale to possibly the last winter hike of 2011. Looking forward to spring!