We had a group reach out to us requesting a Goldilocks hike. They wanted some elevation gain, but a moderate amount as the team was quite varied in fitness, in experience, and in their desire. To lead this half-day snowshoe outing we had Redline Guides Tim Jones and Mary Fields. The objective was to hike up Hurricane Mountain Road, then take Black Cap Trail to the summit of that mountain. As it turned out, this was perfect. What follows are some photos supplied by everyone!
A group of 8 men, college and work buddies, claiming ‘mixed experience and abilities’ approached us looking for a half-day winter adventure. They were honest about their goals: Some worked out regularly, others were just starting to get back into shape after succumbing to the familiar pressures of building career and family. Most were not experienced winter hikers: only two had ever trekked on snowshoes. Everyone wanted to feel like they were being challenged, but they all wanted to stand on a summit. Finding something they could all enjoy and succeed at was a challenge.
Redline Guide Mary Fields and I stepped up. After discussing many possible options, the choice came down to one clear choice: Black Cap (peak elevation 2,369 ft) via the gated Hurricane Mountain Road. The road would provide a smooth warmup and a chance to get used to walking on snowshoes while the summit would provide the desired views. The round trip would be almost exactly 6 miles: challenging but doable. I pre-hiked the planned route two days before to make sure trail conditions were optimal for success. They were. Snowmobiles are allowed on the entire route, and they had done a wonderful job of creating a uniform platform for snowshoes.
After meeting at Redline Basecamp to make sure that everyone had the clothing, food, water and gear they needed for safety, we headed for Hurricane Mountain Road. The weather was gloomier than we had hoped.
Putting on snowshoes for the first time isn’t much of a challenge if you your guides do all the work, but these guys got right down and did their own. Soon enough we were heading upward (almost every step Hurricane Mountain road is uphill and a lot of it is steep). Some of the guys experimented with heel lifts on the steep grades, some tried walking off the tracked surface (but not for long…) If you are going to try out snowshoeing, you might as well learn as much as you can.
1.7 miles later we turned off the road and onto the trail. Fewer snowmobiles had traversed this section for the footing was more uneven, but by now the guys were all experts at hiking with really big feet. As we headed up the Black Cap Trail the sky began to slowly clear and the wind picked up.
Here’s where having two guides along really paid off. Some of the group was feeling stronger and they sped ahead with Mary, while I stayed at the back for those who wanted a slower pace. The faster group made the summit about 20 minutes ahead of the slowest. When the last of the group made the final step to the summit, you could probably hear the cheer down in North Conway.
A few more minutes at the summit admiring the views, rehydrating and re-fueling, and we were off down the trail. Everyone discovered that dowhill is definitely easier than up on snowshoes.
A half mile before the gate, everyone took off their snowshoes and hiked in bare boots, just to test the theory that snowshoes are a better choice than sinking into soft snow with each step. Everyone agreed that bare boots were doable, but snowshoes were better. Everyone also agreed that the hike had been perfect to meet their goals.
Mission accomplished. —Tim Jones
