Mount Meader and the Basin Rim 11-30-2013

Ok so it was requested that i give a report of my hike on Mt Meader, so here it is.

I had originally intended to do an overnight from Friday to Saturday but when the weather report said 6 degrees during the overnight i decided not to since I have not done much camping other than SCA camping which is not really camping.. After the hike I kinda wish I had camped. I do have all the gear I need so next time i will.
Ok now the hike, I dragged my ass that morning and did not get up and going out the door till almost 8:30 or 9:00 I will be happier when I do not have to race against the sun going down. I stopped briefly in Fryeburg to use a restroom and do a quick post so people know where I am and where I am going since I am hiking alone. I continue up rt 113, as I drove by the Baldface trail trail head I saw a group of hikers heading across the road to head up the loop trail. I had thought about doing the loop and am now glad I had chosen something different.Mt. Meader trail: fist there in not a good parking spot for this trail I was looking for it and still almost missed it, so I turn around and pull off the side of the road.
I gather up my pack and put on all the layers, lock up the car and head in. The trail is covered in snow and it crunches nicely under my boots as I head in. The air is crisp and cold. The beginning of the trail is wide and more of a double track road. There is one other set of footprints in the snow, I notice as I am walking in, other than that I am the only person who has been on the trail since the last snow two nights earlier. The trail follows a stream at the beginning. There is a wonderful sound of the water burbling along I have to stop a few times to look at the water pouring over the rocks and ice.

The hike has just begun so I move on. At this point i am getting warm and i pull off my outer gloves so i am just wearing the glove liners. The trail narrows for a bit and the other prints have gone away. Then the area around opens up around me and as I look around what pops to mind is that it looks like I am walking through Skyrim. That thought comes back to me repeatedly during this hike, too bad I don't have a sword or axe, glad it is not Skyrim.
The hike has just begun so I move on. At this point i am getting warm and i pull off my outer gloves so i am just wearing the glove liners. The trail narrows for a bit and the other prints have gone away. Then the area around opens up around me and as I look around what pops to mind is that it looks like I am walking through Skyrim. That thought comes back to me repeatedly during this hike, too bad I don't have a sword or axe, glad it is not Skyrim.


I am not real at judging distance but do think I am getting better at it, I think it was about 1.5 miles of a nice easy hike. Then it begins to get quite steep. I use hiking poles to spread the workout to a full body and there are points when it does get to steep that i can't use the poles this hike did not get that way till much later. The was a wonderful spot where the trail cuts left over the stream i had to pause and rearrange my gear pull off my down jacket and my shell I put them on the top of my pack keeping the bright orange open on the outside.

As I chug up the hill spot a little red squirrel peeping at me a full body squeak. It is very cute and I crept close as I could so I could get a photo. 

The trail switches back and forth up the hill. I start to see the valley through the trees as the trees start to really get that stunted look I take a pause to get out some trail mix and have a little rest. It was nice and quiet and a kinda sheltered grove I put a small amount of trail mix into a zip lock bag in my pocket and continue on. The trail opens up onto an area that looks like the summit there is the sign pointing out the various trails and the view is wonderful.

I decide to go to the summit before doing the loop that will lead me back to the car. there is quite a bit of ice up here and I am debating if I want to put on my Microspikes but I keep telling myself I would have less traction on the rock, bla bla bla. I slip and whack my elbow... ouch.. I feel dumb. I pull out the Microcrospikes and put them on. They make the ice no problem and on the rock not really that much worse than if I did not have them on. boy am i feeling kinda stupid. i come down a small gully and find an area where where the ice has completely covered the slope and a trees root ball, it is as good a time as any to try the Microspikes for climbing I toss my hiking pols up and scramble up. the Microspikes are not crampons but they are enough for that little climb.  I pick up my poles and walk on. I think I see where the summit is and so i check the GPS it says I am at the summit, it is really not that interesting so I turn around and head back to the signpost.

I brought my camp stove and stuff for hot chocolate or tea. I debate the time and how far I have to go i wish i had more daylight so I decide to move on and have my lunch break at the rim junction where there are 5 trails coming together. I also will have a better feel for how much daylight I have left.

I leave the crossroads near the summit of mount Meader and work my way down and across the Basin Rim trail it occurs to me that I am going down the north side of the mountain and there is a lot more ice, in fact there are many areas the entire trail was an ice flow I am so glad to have my Microspikes they made it easy.

 Well, they made the traction easy, but I am starting to feel the tired knees that I know will turn to knee pain but I solder on. Many areas reminded me of hiking in the woods near my old family camp in Linconville, the way the trees are close and full. The trail is a lot steeper than the one near the camp but the same type of woods. In an area of soft snow I see some tracks, at first I thought they a person cutting cross the trail which would have been nuts, since the trail is cutting horizontally across the hillside. As I looked closer I see it must be moose way to big for just a dear.

 I can feel it getting later and later. I can still see the sun hitting the top of the hills around me so I know I am not in real danger, Still I have to keep moving. it is getting colder since the sun is not on me and I am glad I pput the layers back on. so i am not cold. 

 I noticed some more tracks in the ice.
I suspect about a day old. these were much more interesting they had toes and claws and were as big as my feet, a bear. Well, now i know for certain i am in bear country thankfully black bears are not real interested in humans.

I was thinking I would take a break at the Rim junction and I pull out the GPS to see how close I am and was surprised to see I am way off where the map said the trail was.. I look back, there were not any forks in the trail or areas that looked like side trails. I push on seeing on my map that I will either return to the trail or hit the Black Angel trail and will turn right and still just hit the Rim Junction. and the trail that will bring me back to 113 and home, just might be a bit further than I intended. As I hike on I pay more attention to the the GPS and the path I am on just loops around and dropps me right at the junction. Five trails come together here and it totally looks like something out of a D&D game or in the game Fable. I really wanted to set up my stove and make a hot drink and sit for a bit but the sun was almost off the mountains around me, at this point I really wish I had brought stuff to camp.

If I had brought the tent, seeping pad and sleeping bag I would stop make some hot coco at the crossroads and then head a mile west and camp at the Blue Brook Shelter but alas all I have is an emergency bivy sack so I would survive but it would suck a little. So, down the basin trail toward the Coldriver campground, rt113, the car and home. There is an overlook just before heading down that trail that is fantastic. I just stand there looking at the lake for a min. Considering the coco break again but seeing where the sun is I move on.

As I head down my knees really started screaming, so I know I will have to take a bunch of breaks I did not wear knee braces and that was a mistake I need to do more stabilizing exercises and wear the braces when I hike till they get stronger. But, that is the future and right now I just need to get down. On the way down the trail is harder to see and the blazes are much more space apart than I would prefer. I have my bearing as far as where I need to go so I keep with that when I loose the trail. Often I pause to find a blaze and and when I look back up the hill I see the blaze on the tree I am standing next to. I am fairly certain no one else has been on this trail in a while.
  After about 2 or 3 miles of the down hill it flattens out in the basin and the knees settle down halfway down I sit down and had a snack, I do some stretches to loosen up my knees but i know they really just need rest right now. I cross the flattish area that follows the stream to the basin lake it burbles along. The stream widens and winds through the valley the trail is mostly straight and I am following the blazes and then I come to a tree with a clear blaze on it right next to the stream that is at last 20 ft across and a goo 3ft deep... I check my map and GPS I am in the right place and then I see it. Across the stream in a straight line from the tree I am standing at another blue blaze... the trail crosses the stream I work my way back and forth up and down the bank trying to see a way across the stream. It  has been quite wide for a wile now I do not want to backtrack that far. I spot a downed tree it crosses the stream and looks solid. I decide to use that as my bridge.

So, I get out the go pro and film it, you know in case it gets funny and I fall in maybe I can send it to funny videos and win $$ for my pain. The Video is on FB I will find a way to attach it  here.  I climb up and cross the log with no issue despite the knee pain. I had taken my Microspikes off at this point and my Asolo boots gave me great traction I am quite fond of them. I have to bushwack a bit to get back to the trail and then I see the beaver dam... so that is why I had to climb over the log.. damn river rats. Darkness is coming fast so I choose to take an abandoned road instead of the trail because it is more direct to 113. The road get more and more overgrown and harder and harder to push through and I end up cutting off it to find the trail again. I come to the campground first and so I can just follow the camp road out it is mush easier to walk on this. Even though I am tired and my knees are still sore at least they are not screaming. As I near the gate to 113 I see a truck pulling away The road is closed just around the corner for the winter so I suspect it was a ranger, If I had been a bit sooner maybe I could have hitched a ride to the car.. crap 2 mile walk ahead of me.. and it is full dark. So I pull out my headlamp turn it on to red and put it on facing backwards. I pull out my maglight and carry it, if i see headlights heading toward me i turn it on. I finish my walk back to the car with no event a few cars do go by, no one stops but that is ok. I get back to the car and head home..

All in all a good hike though I do wish I had camped.