Mount Eisenhower 1/28/06
Winter trip to Mount Eisenhower 4760’
8.2 Miles 3000’ Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
Our first four thousand footer of the season and of the new year. This would be our fourth trip to Mount Eisenhower and second time up the Edmands Path though the first time we hiked up Edmands we skirted Eisenhower to reach Mounts Franklin and Monroe. We had descended Edmands Path four times. We had looked across to Eisenhower from Mount Pierce when we were there in March of ‘03 but the wind that day felt as though someone was trying to push us to the ground so we declined the opportunity to cross the unprotected col between summits. It is ninety percent above treeline and the west facing Abenaki Ravine seems to form a giant catchers mitt for the wind. The Bernulli Principal is extremely apparent as the wind rushes up the ravine and over the ridge.
On this trip, due to our previous experience, we chose to ascend the Edmands Path which is ninety percent below treeline only rising above at the base of the bald summit cone. We bundled up tight before stepping out of the trees into the wind with the intention of moving until we had reached the summit and descended the south side to the protection of the few trees in the col below Mount Pierce. This proved to be a good approach although there were no summit photos. I doubt my ability to hold the camera steady in the wind and my fingers would have fallen off by the time I had taken a few shots.
Back down out of the wind I managed a few shots, but we kept moving, now on the Crawford Path, past the summit of Pierce back to the shelter of the woods. The wind here had turned an otherwise beautiful winter day into deadly cold. As beautiful as the scenery was above treeline I was glad to be back down in the relative warmth of the trees shielded from winters icy blasts. Despite the uncomfortable windchills it is a fantastic trip. We love the four thousand footers in winter though I seriously doubt we’ll ever reach them all. If we lived in the mountains and could choose whatever day we wished to climb we might make most of them, but it’s just a dream for now. For now I have to settle for our seventh successful winter climb. Anyway, let’s do some more!
Read More8.2 Miles 3000’ Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
Our first four thousand footer of the season and of the new year. This would be our fourth trip to Mount Eisenhower and second time up the Edmands Path though the first time we hiked up Edmands we skirted Eisenhower to reach Mounts Franklin and Monroe. We had descended Edmands Path four times. We had looked across to Eisenhower from Mount Pierce when we were there in March of ‘03 but the wind that day felt as though someone was trying to push us to the ground so we declined the opportunity to cross the unprotected col between summits. It is ninety percent above treeline and the west facing Abenaki Ravine seems to form a giant catchers mitt for the wind. The Bernulli Principal is extremely apparent as the wind rushes up the ravine and over the ridge.
On this trip, due to our previous experience, we chose to ascend the Edmands Path which is ninety percent below treeline only rising above at the base of the bald summit cone. We bundled up tight before stepping out of the trees into the wind with the intention of moving until we had reached the summit and descended the south side to the protection of the few trees in the col below Mount Pierce. This proved to be a good approach although there were no summit photos. I doubt my ability to hold the camera steady in the wind and my fingers would have fallen off by the time I had taken a few shots.
Back down out of the wind I managed a few shots, but we kept moving, now on the Crawford Path, past the summit of Pierce back to the shelter of the woods. The wind here had turned an otherwise beautiful winter day into deadly cold. As beautiful as the scenery was above treeline I was glad to be back down in the relative warmth of the trees shielded from winters icy blasts. Despite the uncomfortable windchills it is a fantastic trip. We love the four thousand footers in winter though I seriously doubt we’ll ever reach them all. If we lived in the mountains and could choose whatever day we wished to climb we might make most of them, but it’s just a dream for now. For now I have to settle for our seventh successful winter climb. Anyway, let’s do some more!
Emma leads the way on the Mount Clinton Road.
