A pictorial trip report.
The morning weather was supposed to be better than later in the day, according to Mountain Forecast, it was wrong… again.
We started with a low cloud ceiling and climbed into it. The day started to brighten just as our hike was ending. I still enjoyed the day and company.
Couple Canadians set up camp in the parking lot. It’s not legal, nor appropriate given the popularity of this trail headOn an overcast day, we start just after 7amAbout a week after peak autumn colors, plenty of beautiful color on the groundThe Monroe Trail is a mild grade, we branch off to the Dean Trail to make a loop over the summitA solid bridge 26 years laterA small steady stream belowThe best looking trail sign I’ve ever witnessedThe low cloud ceiling obvious at this spring drainage marshPlenty of birch colors along these trailsJunction signage and bear warnings. We didn’t see any but I’m sure they’re out thereJunction with the Long Trail. We’ll follow it up to the Camels Hump summitHeading north on the Long Trail toward the summitOnce on the Long Trail, the terrain changes as we are no longer skirting the baseKevin climbing the increasingly more rugged trailWe reach the first of the views, sort ofKevin looking down at the trees below, veiled in cloud mistThe faint trees below the ledge, I’m certain look more impressive on a clear dayRegardless of the weather, Kevin still having a good timeThe sap crystallizes to gives the appearance of ice. As it’s in the low 50’s, definitely not iceFollowing white blazes on white birch trees, they lead through some gnarly crevicesKevin passes by a potential animal denA small amount of scrambling to navigate over and around the bouldersAnother eerie chasmThe sharp boulders give way to ice carved ledgeThis looked steeper than it felt. There were plenty of places to step confidentlyKevin and I enjoying the hike so far. In the clouds still, nearing the final push to the Camels Hump summitApproaching seemingly impassable walls, Kevin navigates on the carefully routed Long TrailThe lush moss contrasted against the gray ledgeThe trail switches often between level sections and steep stair pitchesA weathered Long Trail signOptions for when the weather worsens, lightning or snow/iceContinuing on, Kevin climbs further into the clouds, the summit cone vanishesDeeper into the cloud mist, we continue around the summit conePassing the 4000′ mark, flora is fragile and requires careStill smiling, Kevin poses for a quick shotKevin making his way over a precarious spotOne of the few cairns on a ledgey crownSomeone decorated this cairn with fir clippings and mountain ash berriesFollowing the Long Trail blazes, we crest the summit. Visibility was reduced in the cloud mist, thankfully not heavy enough to get us too wetKevin in the process of recording his accomplishment at the summit markerI snap a shot of the Camels Hump marker as wellThe winds and clouds chased us off the summit before too long. We descend back down the way we came up.Back to the junction with the Alpine Trail. We cut across this to check out the airplane debrisWe found one of the wings. Not hard to do as the herd path is quite obviousOne of the large wings of the U. S. Army B-24J Liberator. The crash occurred October 16, 1944 while on a training missionThe enormous wheel hub tucked inside the wingThe well worn path around as many stop to check out the piecesThe second wing tucked into the treesThe many rivets along the surface.The large landing gear tucked into the wingContinuing on our descent, the trail is a little wet and muddy in spotsJunction of the Monroe Trail and the Alpine TrailThe section of the Monroe Trail up to the summit, we’ll be heading the other way2.5 miles of easy cruising back to the lotMore lush greens and streams found along the wayLarge ledge with run off seeping over itJust off trail, the sounds of the trickle find youVery large fungus growth on this dead fallThe sun keeps trying to burn through the clouds, each time lighting up the fall colorsStrong birches in this areaNot quite prime time Ansel Adams, but impressive nonethelessDeep greens and bright yellows make this trail popThe shines on a giant iced coffee cup wedged in some trees 🙁At the junction where we split off to the Dean TrailThe warm sun starting to get ahead of the clouds lighting up the color in the lower elevationNewly fallen foliage blankets forest floorBright leaves brighten every moodAn outhouse just up from the trail head, which I failed to notice on the way upBack to the lot, it is jam packed. The lower lot is also packed, and cars line the narrow dirt road
