Deep Powder on Dickey Mountain

For my first trek after the big snowstorm, I made an afternoon snowshoe climb of ledgy Dickey Mountain, following a softly packed track halfway up and then a single set of snowshoe tracks the rest of the way. It was a good workout in a setting of supreme wintry beauty.

 

The first mile or so of the trail up through the woods had been partly broken by a couple of backcountry skiers, either that morning or the day before. The snow from this storm was dry and powdery and was not packing well. It was slippery on steeper inclines.

In some places the skiers had taken alternate routes on the way down.

Sun in the hardwoods. Near the top of the climb through the hardwoods I chatted with a solo snowshoer who had broken trail up over both Welch and Dickey Mountains and was on her way down. That was a solid effort, having taken her 4 1/2 hours to reach this point.  Thank you! She was the only hiker I encountered.

 

Into the conifers. The skiers' tracks soon ended, and from here on its was just the single set of snowshoe tracks.

 

Ice flows along the approach to the first ledges.

To get onto the first big slab, I made a short bushwhack detour to bypass two steep ledge steps that I figured would be difficult with the powdery snow.

Some deep drifts guarded the final approach to the ledge.

Maybe not the best route.

Rejoining the snowshoe tracks, with Sandwich Dome and the two Black Mountains seen across the Mad River valley.

Heading up along the massive granite slab on the south shoulder of Dickey. The summits of Dickey and Welch are seen ahead.

A closer look at Welch.

 

Looking back, with a long view to the south. Though the temperature was cold, there was little wind on the open ledges.

The Campton Range.

A conifer corridor leading up to the next set of ledges.

Though the ledges can be icy and quite sketchy in times of snow drought, when there is good snow cover Dickey is a wonderful snowshoe excursion.

An open expanse at 2400 ft.

The ledges keep coming. 

This is a very entertaining trail as it ducks in and out of the spruces.

The tracks angle up and across perhaps the widest expanse of ledge on the mountain.

Looking back.

Vast southern horizon.

Approaching the summit.

 

Slow going through some serious drifts. Thanks to the snowshoer who made first tracks through here. Even with that, it was slow going - three hours to climb two miles.

 

 

Heavily laden summit spruces.

More drifts on the final approach to the summit view ledges.

Wide view of Tecumseh's wild southern spur ridges.

 

The West Peak of Tecumseh. For some reason this often seems to be snow-caked more than the main summit.

 

 

 

The sprawling mass of Sandwich Dome.

Adding Welch's bulbous peak to the view.

Sun on the snowy Sandwich Range: Scaur Peak, Tripyramid, the Sleepers and Whiteface.

Tripyramid front and center.

 

Ghosts of the Franconia Range.

Down through the drifts. Easier with two sets of tracks and going downhill.

 

Winter at its best. 

The light and sky became interesting as I headed down over the ledges late in the afternoon.

 

Homeward bound, down through the woods. 

 

 

 

Flume Brook Valley

On a chilly, gray day with persistent snow showers I wanted to get a good hike in close to home, before the one-two winter punch of a sub-zero cold snap followed by a major snowstorm. In any season I enjoy a ramble out into the quiet and remote-feeling Flume Brook valley. The day before, from a parking lot I had seen ski tracks on the Southwest Slide of Mt. Liberty, so I figured the Flume Slide Trail would be recently broken out at least as far as the access to the slide, and I knew there had been activity farther out in the valley in recent weeks. 

 

Looks like a new trail sign where Liberty Spring Trail leaves the bike path.

Along this section of Liberty Spring Trail I chatted with a backcountry skier who had gone partway in on Flume Slide Trail for a scouting mission.

 

A familiar junction.

A nice track (newer alpine touring ski tracks on top of old snowshoe tracks) for snowshoeing, with a bit of soft new snow on top.

Beautiful hardwood in this valley. Snow showers drifted down through most of the day, adding up to an inch or so by evening.

Crossing the brook that drains from the Mt. Liberty Southwest Slide.

Tracks from skiers who had swooped down through the woods after skiing the slide, perhaps the previous day.

Snow-draped conifers deep in the valley.

The first crossing of Flume Brook was not well-frozen, requiring some awkward rock-hopping on snowshoes.

The second crossing was quite sketchy, with deep holes hidden by unstable snow. On the way back I followed some old snowshoe tracks to a better crossing.

So quiet and peaceful out here...

 

Approaching the "inner sanctum" glade where the trail approaches its final crossing of Flume Brook before commencing its steep climb up the old overgrown slide.

I headed off-trail here towards the extensive birch glade on the steep slope to the northwest. Here, at 2600 ft., the snow was ~30 inches deep, with a bit of supportive crust partway down.

Into the birches, which seeded in after a 1908 forest fire burned more than 400 acres on the south slopes of Mt. Liberty.

Slow going heading up the slope.

Gorgeous glades.

Deep enough.

I wanted to get up to  spot where I could find a close-up view of the Flume Slides through a gap in the trees.

After some maneuvering I found a spot, but the upper mountain was fogged in. I changed shirts, layered up, and hung out here for a while. 

My patience was rewarded as the mountain briefly cleared out, most of the way.

 

Lots of ice bulges up there, as well as a phone I lost at the base last October.

Heading back down. Just as I began the descent, I broke a pole in the deep snow, so it was a single-pole trek going out.

A brief tease of blue sky.

Homeward bound on Flume Slide Trail.