moosilauke view

moosilauke view
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

Very soon, I had to store away my food bar, and put on the mittens that I'd brought along just in case. The trail heads down very steeply here after leaving the summit to the west. Even without the snow, I would have had to climb down using hands and feet. This is the most difficult section of the entire trail, and it doesn't last long. It's perhaps a 20 or 30 foot drop till the trail moderates.

After that, the trail gradually descends, fooling you into thinking you are done with climbing. But then it gradually begins to ascend, and soon you are going back up, up, up. The AMC White Mountain Guide says you cross three knobs. I didn't count them; I think the first climb was the steepest, and after that there were just a few minor bumps till I began to descend again.

The guide says there's a short trail to the left which leads to a view of Moosilauke from the third knob (p 338). I happened to notice what looked like a trail, all snow-covered, and followed it about 30 yards to the view. Nice! And the weather was still behaving nicely, the sun peaking out from behind clouds now and then.