To: mitoc@MIT.EDU
Subject: mt. cardigan trip report (longish)
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 14:39:23 EST
From: Elliza Mcgrand <mcgrand@MIT.EDU>

Properly speaking, there ought to be two reports.  Due to the
confluences of a mountaintop game of telephone, strong and cold winds,
blowing snow, and both the perceived and an actual spirit of intrepid
adventuring, two hikes were had for the price of one.

The hike began at approximately 10:30, since the hike participants
drove up from Boston that morning to Mt. Cardigan (just outside
Bristol and Alexandria, in New Hampshire -- right near Newfound lake),
a 2 1/2 hour drive, and none had quite enough intrepid adventuring
spirit to meet earlier than 7am.  In fact one member of the hike, who
will be left nameless but whom many acquaintances can no doubt
identify easily, was some 20 minutes late, clear proof (if any were
required) that civilized beings do NOT rise earlier than 6 am unless
there is a fire.

The start was further delayed by the inexplicable disappearance of the
gas cap from one of the cars.  Those with information to offer may
contact Ms. Susanne Yellin, who is rather tired of hanging on the side
of the car and holding her thumb and several fingers over the gas
port.

The trip up was, on the other hand, facilitated by a foresighted
driver who stopped at the New Hampshire tourist office to procure maps
and ask directions.  Good, even detailed directions are extremely
important for anyone proposing to visit Mt. Cardigan, or the AMC lodge
there, as it is rather hard to find.

DIRECTIONS to Mt. Cardigan State Park/AMC lodge

Take 93 North up to exit 23, for route 104.  Take 104 West into
Bristol, and change to 3A North.  Follow 3A North up just to the
bottom tip of Newfound lake, where you will see a large church and a
fairly largish road, West Shore Road, branching off to the left.  Take
West Shore Road.  As you drive along West Shore Road, you will see the
lake on your right and numberous small tourist cabins and condos.
After about a fifth of a mile, the road will branch off into
Alexandria Road.  You will also see a small sign for the AMC.

At this point, you are entering a small country road which will become
smaller and smaller.  At a number of points, the road will suddenly
branch off.  At each fork, there is a small AMC sign pointing out
which direction you should take.  At each fork, stop the car if
necessary, but find and decode the AMC signpost before proceeding.  At
one such branching, Fowler River Road branches off of Alexandria to
the left.  Take Fowler River Road, but make sure, via AMC sign as
well, that you have taken the correct direction.  In addition to the
continued forks in the road, with AMC signage, you should see a
clearing with several HUGE powerlines passing through, a cemetary, and
a series of small bridges over a lovely stream.  Eventurally the road
becomes unpaved and there are a number of unexpected turns and large
bumps.  Eventually, the road leads to the AMC Mt. Cardigan Lodge,
where it is possible to park for one of the trailheads.  See later
note about second trailhead.

ASCENT AND DESCENT (and ascent and decent) of Mt. Cardigan

At the AMC lodge trailhead, the two Boston cars met a third, and
discovered that Stephen Linder, initiator of the trip, was absent due
to intestinal distress.  Of the three remaining from that group, Cathy
and Rick decided to accompany the group for a short while, but were
also not able to continue.  Stephanie, however, was as always tough
and able.  The Boston contingent, Susanne, Mischa, Constantine (in one
car), and Elliza, Andy, and John in the other, desired a solid hike.
We chose to take the Alexandria Ski trail up to the summit.

The summit was visible, along with the summit of Mt. Gilmore.  Both
were covered in snow and did not appear particularly imposing.  Rick,
however, warned that Cardigan is often underestimated, and was not
only steep, and cold, but boasted very strong winds at the summit.  He
proved right.

The trail, initially, was a bit dull.  It was a dark day, and the
muddy trail led through ravaged woods.  The trees along one section
had been bent by last years ice storm into hoops over the trail, and
throughout the woods, had been bent, snapped, and pruned of most
of their tops by an unknown force -- possibly the ice storm, possibly
another severe storm.  While branches were down everywhere, the trail was
cleared.

About 1/3 a mile out, there was a wooden bridge over a lovely stream,
with several clear pools of golden rock beneath.  Steepening
considerably, the trail followed to the left of the stream for some
way beside water slides, pools, small falls, and flat areas of rock
covered with water sheets.

Soon the trail became quite steep, so steep that the group as a whole
continually speculated about how anyone could possibly ski up it.
Andy, a member of M.I.T.'s cross country team, opined a number of
theorems, few convincing, most ultimately resting on the notion that
things would be easier when there was more snow.

As if in answer to his protestations, soon snow began appearing, first
in tiny drifts and pockets in the leaves, but soon, in a covering
first 1, then 2, then up to 5 inches deep.  The "more snow" theorem
proved unconvincing to more than one member of company.

As the more juvenile members ascertained immediately, the snow was in
good condition for packing.  The rest attempted to preserve some
modicum of dignity but were prevented by intermittant drifts of
snowballs which continued throughout the hike.  I am sorry to say here
that by the end of the trip, no one was innocent of behavior entirely
unbecoming to the dignity of a college outing and one member needed to
be ganged up on.

Where the snow had collected in earnest, the trail was magical --
gleaming white snow softened the edges of everything.  There were pine
trees, their sharp clean scent heightened by the cold, rowan trees
with bunches of orange-red berries hanging like christmas balls,
branches covered in thin sheets of ice and glittering, lacy pawprints
from rabbits and some small predator. 

A little over halfway up the summit, the trail suddenly opened out
into the first vista, an expansive one.  Purple gray treeline covered
the mountains and valleys, with small patches and dots of bleached
yellow-green and the occasional dark evergreen.  Two shiny gray-blue
lakes were visible.  The clouds hung in a flat line just at
mountaintop level and above, and mist and cloud swept across the sky.
Around us was a small, shimmering white meadow of snow.  The vista
would be a wonderful place to starwatch at night.

Just before the summit, about 100 yards down, were two cabins.  The
summit was treeless, covered with blowing and drifting snow, and
slammed by very strong winds.  There is a firetower on top of
Cardigan, and the snow and ice and wind were so strong that the
guyropes of the tower had strings of icicles and frozen snow hanging
off in a line about 4 inches long, like upside down frozen starlings
standing toe-to-toe.

A WORD ABOUT GEAR (ESPECIALLY FOOTGEAR)

One doesn't wish to subscribe to gearhead mania, but in this case, a
couple of words of warning: the hike up was steep, much of it crossed
by streams that had not frozen, had partially frozen, and had
completely frozen.  One trip member, expecting a more woodsy hike,
wore tennis-shoes.  This proved very problematic.  The tennis-shoe
wearer, influenced by the M.I.T. spirit of innovation, discovered and
perfected a new style of ascent/descent (reminiscent of Dr. Schlitz at
his most drunken) which involved controlled butt-slides, but overall,
and especially at the summit, this proved difficult, even dangerous.
Wear boots or shoes with soles that grip well.  Also, the summit is
VERY VERY COLD and WINDY.  While the rest of the trip was temperate,
even comfortable, full winter gear is needed if any time on the summit
is anticipated, particularly windproof gear.  Do NOT try this hike
without a hat and good gloves, even in fall.

The First Descent

At the summit, a confluence of things caused an interesting occurence.
1) members were passing "messages" and decisions on in an extended
Telephone bout; 2) no one had a map; 3) the blowing/drifting snow
covered up tracks almost immediately; 4) due to the mist, it was
difficult to keep sight of trails.  In short, we went astray.  

The first descent was lovely -- through snow the whole way.  After
about 1.5 miles, a sign was spotted that directed hikers to a parking
lot.  The trail did, in fact, lead to a parking lot, just not the one
where our car was!  After the bitter facts were faced, the group
girded itself and reascended the mountain.  Fortunately, it was not
necessary to go all the way back to the summit.

The second ascent was gorgeous, top to bottom, side to side, all
around.  We passed by rocks covered with blankets of icicles,
partially frozen streams where water slipped underneath a thin white
sheet of ice, shaping moving paranthesis and tadpoles.  At several
points, the water freed itself into resonant, harmonic streams, that
distinctive rush of singing water.  It was snowy, but extremely
comfortable and warm, the entire way.  This leads to a second note,
about an alternative trailhead.

SECOND TRAILHEAD

It is entirely possible that a better approach to this mountain would
be to leave from the second parking lot, which is higher up.  The
trail is less muddy, and far more scenic.

Insofar as I've been able to decipher from maps, this second trailhead
would be reached by taking 104 around and below Cardigan, where it
turns into 4, then around to the other side of the park to an
unnumbered (on my map) road leading to the town of Orange.  One might
also be able to catch this approach by taking 89 off of 93 to just
before Lebanon, where one turns off into Route 4, but this seems to go
awfully far west of one's destination.  I could determine no direct
routes from one trailhead to the other.  On my detailed map, this
second trailhead is marked as branching off a road leading to Orange
Basin and Canaan.  Given the immediate loveliness of the trail,
however, it might well be worth taking the extra road-time.

SECOND DESCENT

Once the dispiritness and exhaustion of having to turn around and
rehike the mountain passed, the group became energetic and cheery, and
the second ascent and descent were quite pleasant.  The second ascent
lead to the cabins mentioned earlier.  It was a gorgeous trail, and
from the cabins to snowline, continued to be a lovely trail.  The
group, since we'd already set a tone of adventure, decided to take a
different trail back, the hiking trail rather than the skiing trail.

The hiking trail was about equally drab below snowline, and was much
more muddy, showing the effects of the slow, but steady trickle of
hikers already spotted.  The hiking (Clark) and skiing (Alexandria)
trails met up just before the waterfalls.

Overall, the group hiked something between 6-9 miles, about 1/3 of it
pretty steep.  There were no very out of shape people or beginners.  A
better approach for beginners might be the second trailhead, as it is
considerably higher up and cuts off about 1/4 to 1/3 the ascent.
