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Noonmark - VFTT ''group'' hike.
Normally, one wouldn't write a TR for a mountain like NM however yesterday's hike was specialbecause ofthe company.
We got to the TH at 9:00 and there were lots of cars pulling in so I walked around asking people if they were from VFTT and got a few blank stares. Then I remembered: a grey Honda Odyssey van was what I was waiting for, and sure enough in pulls Crazymama. What a surprise when along with Crazymama, two Crazygrandmas piled out. My eye quickly scanned their flatland snowshoes and I thought to myself, ''This should be interesting'' And indeed it was, I was treated to a great day in inspiring company.
The lower reaches of NM are fairly flat and we cruised along chatting and getting acquainted enjoying the warm temps under sunny skies. Gradually the pitch steepened and those flatland shoes were a hindrance, especially with all the ice on the trail. No problem at first, we skirted the tough sections by going thru the bush. Finally it was too steep for the shoes and out came the crampons, 4 point insteppers which were far and away less effective than my wife's and my MSR's which stuck like glue to whatever the trail dished out. After a while it was obvious that those insteppers were nobody's friend so Sylvie and I insisted that Lyle and Nancy take our 10 pointers which weren’t doing anybody any good sitting in our packs.
We were fairly high on the mtn. when the gals made finally accepted and made the changeover to ''real '' crampons and the words tenacity and determination come readily to mind when I reflect on how they ascended some of those steep icy sections before making the switch.
With everyone wearing 10 pointers or MSR’s we made the summit upon which we lounged, ate, took pictures etc.
(Techie note: MSR snowshoes were far and away more effective than instep crampons yesterday. I’ve never used the insteps but they seemed rather useless in Saturday’s conditions which were ice, covered with an inch or two of semi-consolidated snow)
The descent was handled very well by the MSR’s although I did wind up on my butt once while trying to telemark ski with them. A little coaching and encouragement got the mid-sixties grandmother first-time crampon users (these women had guts!) down without mishap and we ended our day with dinner at the Ausable Inn.
Normally, one wouldn't write a TR for a mountain like NM however yesterday's hike was specialbecause ofthe company.
We got to the TH at 9:00 and there were lots of cars pulling in so I walked around asking people if they were from VFTT and got a few blank stares. Then I remembered: a grey Honda Odyssey van was what I was waiting for, and sure enough in pulls Crazymama. What a surprise when along with Crazymama, two Crazygrandmas piled out. My eye quickly scanned their flatland snowshoes and I thought to myself, ''This should be interesting'' And indeed it was, I was treated to a great day in inspiring company.
The lower reaches of NM are fairly flat and we cruised along chatting and getting acquainted enjoying the warm temps under sunny skies. Gradually the pitch steepened and those flatland shoes were a hindrance, especially with all the ice on the trail. No problem at first, we skirted the tough sections by going thru the bush. Finally it was too steep for the shoes and out came the crampons, 4 point insteppers which were far and away less effective than my wife's and my MSR's which stuck like glue to whatever the trail dished out. After a while it was obvious that those insteppers were nobody's friend so Sylvie and I insisted that Lyle and Nancy take our 10 pointers which weren’t doing anybody any good sitting in our packs.
We were fairly high on the mtn. when the gals made finally accepted and made the changeover to ''real '' crampons and the words tenacity and determination come readily to mind when I reflect on how they ascended some of those steep icy sections before making the switch.
With everyone wearing 10 pointers or MSR’s we made the summit upon which we lounged, ate, took pictures etc.
(Techie note: MSR snowshoes were far and away more effective than instep crampons yesterday. I’ve never used the insteps but they seemed rather useless in Saturday’s conditions which were ice, covered with an inch or two of semi-consolidated snow)
The descent was handled very well by the MSR’s although I did wind up on my butt once while trying to telemark ski with them. A little coaching and encouragement got the mid-sixties grandmother first-time crampon users (these women had guts!) down without mishap and we ended our day with dinner at the Ausable Inn.
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