Hiking Mt. Willey, oh and look there is Mt. Field, well i might as well do Mt. Tom while I am here...

My work schedule allows for alternating Fridays off. I have been feeling un-accomplished and un-driven for a little bit and we keep hearing that work is going to get crazy. So I figured I would take this opportunity to go for another good hike. The weather was looking iffy and Friday to Saturday night was looking like rain and crap so doing a long overnight is a no go or at least less fun that I want. I look around on Everytrail.com to find a decent 1/2 day hike so I don't push myself too hard right out of the gate. and find Mt. Willey is a 4ish mile hike that gets me one of the 4000 ft peaks. So I plan on that.

Last summer and this spring I have noticed that most of what slowed me down is my wind. Muscles mostly do fine but I run out of wind. I never made it to being able to run all of back bay because I ran out of wind. on Thursday I went to the Dr to get checked out.. they did a chest xray and all that, found nothing but referred me back to an allergist. Prolly just that.

Friday morning I drag my ass out of bed, eat some oatmeal,  and gather up my pack all about the regular time I would go to work and head out. I hop on my motorcycle Raksi and start the ride up.. it is kinda gray and bla out. I am really not feeling like doing this. But, I am stubborn and I do my best to do what I say I am going to do even if I don't want to or maybe should not so onward I ride.

I have packed an advanced day pack a little more than a standard hike but not as much as a full overnight, I will do a post on gear here sometime soon.. (there now that I said it I will do it)

I do not have Corvina, the bike that is better suited for carrying gear so I am wearing my pack. By time I get to the trail head my back and shoulders are really sore.. I need to come up with a good way to strap the pack to the bike. This is not the way to start the hike.

I park at the trail head and run my cable lock through my jacket and helmet and drape the jacket over the helmet, if it rains that should keep the helmet from filling with water. and I set off

The trail starts off as part of the AT. up a slight incline and across the railroad tracks. There is a small bridge over a run off stream it is starting to feel good to be out here.

I cross the tracks and charge up the trail, there is a steady climb to to it and it does not take long for me to be wheezing. I push on focusing on my breathing and trying to walk in as rhythmic a stride as I can on the uneven ground,  I keep having to pause to catch my breath and I do catch it and can carry on.






There are lots of areas along the trail where it is rocky and small streams flow down it or across it there is still a lot of water coming of the mountains. It is very peaceful

I spot a small patch of snow on the trail and off to the side. looks like there is a little winter hanging on up here.

ok maybe more than a little winter, I wonder if i should have brought more snow gear?

The patches of snow get bigger and more frequent, I can see tracks of where others have recently been on the trail ahead of me more streams cross the trail and up up up it goes.

I am really liking these streams, burbling along down the mountain.

 It really did not take long for views to start to appear, the more I pushed on the better my breathing got. it was almost like I had to stretch out my lungs to get them going it still took a bit and I was getting winded more than I had hoped/expected I would.

 I came to a more managed section of the trail where logs had been put into the trail so there would be steps. Water was pouring over the logs in little waterfalls. The scramble around ice and snow was more regular now, I wish i had brought my microspikes and mountaineering axe.

 And then I get to the Stairs... all i can think is Ghostbusters: "Where do these stair go?".. "They go up"

So up I go. It is hard to get a good perspective on how steep they are. it took a bit of a scramble to get past the ice and onto them but once on it was an easy climb they are solid and stable as well as clear of ice and snow which is great. I tried to take a panorama from the top of the stairs but it appears it did not save. Oh well.,
Upon reaching the top of the stairs I came across pair of hikers heading down the way I have come up. They are geared up for camping and trucking right along, I as how the trail is ahead and they tell me "I hope you are ready for adventure" oh boy. there has already been adventure.
The views are peaking out.

But the weather is starting to turn and the rain begins. i have to pause to switch back to my Softshell to stay dry, it sheds water well.

The rain and wet makes it hard to get photos. The trail is all snow now and you have to stay on the "monorail" that is packed in by snowshoes  or sink up to mid thigh in the wet snow. I am starting to feel damp. 

I come across a group of hikers all done up with big packs with rain covers and full plastic rain jackets and pants. It looks like a collage group with a couple of guides. I chat briefly with one of the guides about the trail conditions and such and then move on wishing them a good hike. After I get a little ways from the group I pause to look at my GPS and realize that they were on the summit and I had just walked right past it.. it was not that interesting and covered in trees. My original plan was to just do Mt. Willey and head back but I was doing ok and I did not feel like going back that same way downhill. I thought about talking with my Union Brother, Doug and how he said it was easy to grab a ride in this area to get back to your car so I thought I would test that. Mt. field was not far and then I could head down on the next cut off of if I was feeling good I might as well head on to Mt Tom. 

I come to one area which looks like a big windstorm hit in a very concentrated area:

and then a few spots with a good view

but it has gotten windy, maybe it will blow away the rain and clouds.









It does not take long for me to sumet Mt. field and well it is as exciting as the Mt Willey one












with plenty to see.

I hike on. I still have plenty of day left so I decide to carry on to Mt. Tom so long as the weather does not get worse. 

trail signs. 

There are hits of sun when I get to the Mt. Tom spur so I am hopeful I will get a view out of it. The hike up the spur is easy and much more gradual than the other uphills. and when i get to the top...

no view.. so I take a few photos and head down. 

The Snow takes a bit to thin out I keep hoping it will as it is slippery, I fall twice and my feet are soaked. I should have worn my Gaiters to keep the snow from getting in the tops of my boots which has made my feet soaked. I had grabbed a spare pair of socks but they never made it into the bag. My knees are just starting to hurt by nothing horrible like last fall, I guess the workouts are working I should keep it up. as i was getting closer to the bottom I was really feeling the lack of energy. I had only eaten 1 cliff bar the entire trip. I have oatmeal and my stove in my pack but i don't wanna stop to cook it. I also have hot coco but again I would need to stop to make it. I figure I am a mile out or less so I just eat a coco packet and finish off my water, a burst of sugar and a little protein from the dried milk will give me the push to get down more comfortably. Did it help, meh maybe it did not hurt as far as I can tell.

As I picked my way down the trail I kept hoping that the snow would go away my feet were wet and I was tired. As the snow finally on one incline to a steam I had a good slip and fell on my pack and slid down the hill I dug in my elbow and heel and  was able to stop before hitting a tree or rock or drop off. If I had had my microspikes or mountaineering ax it would not have been an issue. mental note, in the spring... all spring... bring them..

At the bottom of the slide there was a small stream crossing. Nothing big but there was no good way to get across without getting my boots wet I was able to keep it from going much past the start of the laces. so i don't think any got in. The second stream crossing was a bit bigger

To the left you see a couple of birch trees laying on a big rock. The best way I could come up with to get over was to throw my trecking poles over the rock then jump to the tree and pull myself up it to crawl across. now i had to jump because the broken end of the tree was over the water.. Yay adventure.

And across not the worse for wear.

I continued along the trail plodding along i noticed a couple of side trails and thought, some other day 

And then very suddenly I came out of the trail

Looking across the field I see the lodge and head there to see about a ride. It is a pleasant surprise to walk into a very nice facility, the AMC folks at the desk are friendly and I tell them where I just came from and they ask how the trail was and the stream crossings. wondering if someone "less fit" than me would have trouble, I said possibly but nothing terrible. i was also ticked to find a small store and dry sock.. I purchased some new smart-wool socks, a pin, a cliff bar and then joined the AMC, I am hiking their trails I should contribute. 

I ask about rides and they tell me that the shuttle is not running yet but there is a taxi service, or they would put their thumb out. if i wanted to wait till 8 one of them would be happy to give me a ride. I thank them and head out to try this hitchhiking. 

I get to the road and don't get more than 100 feet and a nice young man in a tochoma with a mess of climbing gear in the bed picks me up and drives me to my bike. I introduce myself he does the same I promptly forget his name (DOH) but i do remember he is from VT and is in the area to climb with friends. 

Back at the mike then a relatively normal ride home. there is rain and fog and crap but home come soon and a warm shower and bed.