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Sunday, February 20, 2005
Winter warriors
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Also on this page: GETTING THERE | |||||
A giant step over a parking lot snowbank put us on the well-tramped Old Speck Trail, and we were off to the summit of Maine's third-highest mountain. Old Speck, a great dominating presence on the western side of Grafton Notch, is a fine scenic mountain for hikes any time of year. But on the clear and windless day we chose to hike Old Speck recently, our winter trek up the 4,180-foot peak seemed extra special. Along the Old Speck Trail - which is also the Appalachian Trail in this part of Maine - we crossed two hard-frozen brooks. We saw 25-foot-high waterfalls transformed by winter to silent bulges of blue-green ice. A Canada jay at the summit accepted treats from our outstretched hands. As a winter hike selection, Old Speck offers advantages. The climb from Grafton Notch is generally sheltered from westerly winds. Retreat is easy, in event of bad weather or other problems. And the 360-degree view from an abandoned fire tower on Old Speck's summit is one of Maine's best. On a clear day that panorama includes a sweep from Lake Umbagog to the White Mountains, plus views of the nearby Mahoosucs and Evans Notch. Other advantages include a well-maintained parking area at the base of the mountain, and relative isolation. During our seven-mile round-trip trek, we encountered only three other hikers outside our party. FULL WINTER REGALIA For hikers attempting this or similar mountains in winter, it's important to realize that full winter gear - and prior training in winter mountaineering - are prerequisites. Winter hiking boots, crampons, an ice axe (or ski poles, in the case of Old Speck) are necessities. A face mask, sunglasses or goggles for glare protection, and layered non-cotton clothing number among other must-have items. Another safety consideration sometimes overlooked is physical conditioning. While climbing a Maine 4,000-footer is not in the same league as a summit attempt on Mount Rainier or Denali, winter treks on Maine mountains are strenuous. Some steep stretches of icy trail require bursts of energy. A series of obstacles may present repeat physical challenges, usually negotiated at temperatures near zero. At one point, as the five of us amiably gabbed our way up the Old Speck Trail, our conversation turned to physical fitness for climbing. And it struck me as interesting that - in this group of men ranging from age 53 to 63 - nobody asked the do-you-exercise question. The repeat question was, "What's your routine?" It fascinated me because I realized that, if someone over 40 wants to winter hike safely, an important factor is banking lots of hours at a gym. Walking and running on trails and roads is another way to prepare. FITNESS IS REQUIRED For the record, the most avid physical fitness devotee among we five Old Speck climbers was Chris Stewart. He's 54, and an editor in the advertising department of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Stewart's six-day-per-week workout at the Portland YMCA includes three days of weight training, aerobics, yoga, treadmill, calisthenics and elliptical training. For three other days he runs, swims, stretches and performs isometric exercises. Chuck Cook, 53, a restaurateur from North Conway, N.H., is a close second. He spins (high-speed group cycling on stationary bicycles) during the week. "And," he says, "I do cross-country and downhill skiing as often as possible." Bill Ridlon, a database administrator for Blethen Maine Newspapers and one of the Old Speck five, linked exercise to winter trekking in this way. "Twenty-year-olds," he says, "can be weekend warriors. But when you get into your thirties and beyond, it becomes painful to do that. In your fifties it's pretty much required to keep active during the week if you want to stay active on the weekend." Doug Dodd, 55, is owner of a home construction company in Dover, N.H. He walks for physical fitness and practices yoga. He plans to hike the Canadian Rockies next summer. Talking continuously, we five active warriors soon reached a jog in the trail with nice views to the southeast. My sometimes accurate backpack thermometer read 12 degrees at that point; 10 degrees lower than at the base of the mountain. Our water bottles contained a slurry of ice. Stewart suggested carrying the bottles upside down in our packs, since water freezes first at the top surface. That way, he pointed out, a bottle's screw top is less likely to freeze tight. We were impressed with his logic. Also impressive were the thermos bottles he carried in his pack. One held hot chocolate, the other steaming soup. He shared them both. OLD SPECK'S REWARD The trail we hiked was glazed with ice and tramped by past hikers. There was no need for snowshoes. But crampons were a must, and we wore them from parking lot to summit. We reached the summit in under three hours, or slightly under the estimated guidebook time for climbing the 3.8-mile trail in summer. Within a minute of our arrival, a Canada jay flew out of the spruce to greet us. Then it perched on our hands, readily accepting tidbits from our lunches. A handsome gray and white bird nearly a foot long, the Canada jay (or Gray jay, as it is also called) lives in the forests of northern New England. For whatever reason, it has no fear of humans. Several of us climbed the approximately 30-foot-high fire tower on the summit before starting down. We reached the parking lot in midafternoon, unanimous in our assessment of the day. It was the best. Lloyd Ferriss is a free-lance writer and photographer who lives in Richmond.
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