Date of Hike: 4/5/16
Sandwich Mountain Trail: 2.8 miles / Drakes Brook Trail: 3.3 miles
Total Miles: 6.1 (1,920 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- On Tuesday the plan was to hike Sandwich Dome via Sandwich Mountain and Drakes Brook trails. The sun was out and a fresh couple of fluffy inches had fallen making the trail and surrounding mountain ranges look beautiful. However, this is where the beauty ended as the fluffy snow was hiding a significant amount of ice above 2,500 feet. As we approached the junction of the upper end of the Drakes Brook Trail below Jennings Peak we made the decision to head down the Drakes Brook Trail instead of continuing on. The conditions made for slow going and constant slipping even in our traction, and even though it was a great weather day we both were not able to enjoy the bluebird skies because of the hidden ice flow. We carefully made our way down Drakes Brook Trail by hugging tress and going off trail when needed, in spots it was a relentless battle to stay upright but we made it out with no injuries. Needless to say all our years of hiking in every kind of icy condition came in handy today!
- Interestingly enough, after our hike we learned that just the night before there was a rescue on the Smarts Brook Trail, which is another trail up to the summit of Sandwich Dome. An adult lead a group of four teenagers up the trail, in what I can only describe as a breathtakingly dangerous decision, they started hiking as it was getting dark while it was snowing. The group needed SAR to come get them off the mountain when they got lost. Click here to read article
- Thank goodness for search and rescue, they are volunteers who go out in the middle of the night and save every kind of hiker, from unprepared and inexperienced to those who have logged thousands of miles.
Sandwich Mountain Trail: 2.8 miles / Drakes Brook Trail: 3.3 miles
Total Miles: 6.1 (1,920 feet elevation gained)
Trip Report:
- On Tuesday the plan was to hike Sandwich Dome via Sandwich Mountain and Drakes Brook trails. The sun was out and a fresh couple of fluffy inches had fallen making the trail and surrounding mountain ranges look beautiful. However, this is where the beauty ended as the fluffy snow was hiding a significant amount of ice above 2,500 feet. As we approached the junction of the upper end of the Drakes Brook Trail below Jennings Peak we made the decision to head down the Drakes Brook Trail instead of continuing on. The conditions made for slow going and constant slipping even in our traction, and even though it was a great weather day we both were not able to enjoy the bluebird skies because of the hidden ice flow. We carefully made our way down Drakes Brook Trail by hugging tress and going off trail when needed, in spots it was a relentless battle to stay upright but we made it out with no injuries. Needless to say all our years of hiking in every kind of icy condition came in handy today!
- Interestingly enough, after our hike we learned that just the night before there was a rescue on the Smarts Brook Trail, which is another trail up to the summit of Sandwich Dome. An adult lead a group of four teenagers up the trail, in what I can only describe as a breathtakingly dangerous decision, they started hiking as it was getting dark while it was snowing. The group needed SAR to come get them off the mountain when they got lost. Click here to read article
- Thank goodness for search and rescue, they are volunteers who go out in the middle of the night and save every kind of hiker, from unprepared and inexperienced to those who have logged thousands of miles.
Obviously, I didn't take too many pictures today!
Looking up to Sandwich Dome (top), and Jennings Peak (bottom)
Osceola's and Mad River Notch from an outlook just below Noon Peak
Tripyramids
The lower end of the Drakes Brook Trail
Wow, I can't believe an adult would take teens on a hike with so little preparation. Glad SAR got there in time!
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