Saturday, February 14, 2015


BRISK MORNING AT BEAVER BROOK: 2/13/15

I took this bitterly cold but sunny morning off for an invigorating snowshoe trek to near the top of the Beaver Brook cascades. Not surprisingly, I had this trail to myself today.

The numbers tell of a chilly start in Kinsman Notch.


Snow-caked "Jakey's Crag" rises above the trailhead.



A wind-sculpted snowshoe track near the start.


The classic DOC sign, lit up in the morning sun.


Tree shadows in open woods.


A skier caught some air off this ledge at the first cascade.

At the steep tricky pitch at 2300 ft., I followed a route we used last week, crossing the brook and climbing up along the edge of a cascade.


Old ski tracks on a higher cascade.


A scene along the trail, looking at the Dilly Cliffs.


The buried bed of Beaver Brook.


Looking up at the tallest cascade. This had been skied, too!


A side view of Jakey's Crag.


The snowshoe track took a winding course up the steep ledge with a long arc of wooden pin steps at 2850 ft.


At the top of this pitch the open brookbed offers fine views. There was unthinkable wind chill up on Franconia Ridge. When I got home at 12:30 the Observatory reported -22 F temperature with 68 mph wind atop Mt. Washington.


The south half of Franconia Ridge, veiled by wind fog.

Getting out on the brook expands the view to include the Hancocks and the top of Mt. Carrigain.


More cascades upstream, but this was far enough for today.


I couldn't resist taking a frosty selfie.


Mt. Lincoln emerging behind Mt. Wolf.


Descending the pin step ledge.


This was one of the hardest spots on snowshoes going up. The track was too slick and steep, so I made a new route up through deep powder on the right.


A major dropoff here, but comfortable on the snowshoe track.


Beaver Brook woods.


Nice sun back down in the hardwoods.


My earlier tracks already blown in by the wind.


Looking up at the Beaver Brook ravine from the parking lot. The spot on the brook with the fine view can be seen as a small white swath. A great trail for a morning snowshoe adventure!


4 comments:

  1. Great post. The Ice Man Goeth. Way Cool. (Pun intended)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, JimmyO! It's been a heck of a winter. Wouldn't want to hike in these temps all the time, but it's fun once in a while.

      Steve

      Delete
  2. Awesome Selfie !!!!!

    ReplyDelete