On a sunny, crisp November day - the opening day for deer rifle season - I wanted to hike in a south-facing area where there would likely be no hunters. I had hoped to head up to the southwest slide on Mt. Liberty, but a scan with binoculars from the Whale's Tale parking lot on Route 3 revealed that it was covered in ice and snow. Plan B was an old standby, the South Slides on Mt. Tripyramid.
White Cascade on Slide Brook was in low flow.
Nice November walking on Livermore Trail.
An old water pipe that a century ago served the first of two logging camps known as Avalanche Camp.
Had the pleasure of walking for a while with Lizz and Dave Mague, who have been to my store a number of times. They were out for a walk to the Scaur Ridge Trail junction and back.
On to the Mount Tripyramid Trail.
Into the Wilderness.
The gateway glade, with Tripyramid lurking in the background. Here I met a hiker who was coming down from doing the slides loop. He said the North Slide "was a little bit frosty."
Slide Brook.
Look at that sky!
Approaching the South Slides through high-elevation hardwood forest. Like Livermore Trail, the south section of Mount Tripyramid Trail is a good choice for shoulder season as it is virtually ice-free.
One of my favorite glades.
Leaving the trail, I explored the area below the open slides, looking for the lower tracks of the slides. This one is from the First (1869) South Slide.
This track is from the Third (2011) South Slide. It was likely superimposed on a track of the Second (1885) South Slide.
The headwater of Slide Brook.
Conifer whacking.
A very large old balsam fir.
I worked my way up to one of the few remaining open patches of the Second South Slide. I lounged here in the warm sun for a while, admiring the intimate view of Sandwich Dome and the Lost Pass area.
A similar view from the next open patch up the slope, at 3400 ft.
Cutting across the slope to the First South Slide, the one the trail follows.
One of my favorite slide-dwelling white pines rises on a narrow open strip parallel to the First South Slide.
Long view from the top of the lower open section of the First South Slide, at 3450 ft. It was clear enough to see Killington Peak, Ludlow Mountain and Dorset Peak, far off in Vermont.
Gravel and loose rock make for slippery footing, but this is still considerably easier than the slabby North Slide.
Late afternoon in the high hardwood glade.
Tripyramid illuminated, through the trees.
At Depot Camp, Tripyramid in the distance under a near-full moon.
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