Yet Another Mt. Ascutney Hike

My buddy Dimitri and I went on another awesome hike up Mt. Ascutney on Thursday. As usual, I volunteered to be the 'pack mule'; we rested and ate at the platform where they launch hang-gliders from, baked in the sun for a while and we both got a bit sunburned (fortunately mine has faded to a tan already). It was a crazy-beautiful six hour jaunt with perfect weather. Here are some pics.

'Cascade Falls' - roughly a 70-80 foot sheer drop

Dimitri and I at 'Gus's Lookout', looking sufficiently worn out

The view from Gus's Lookout

The Wild Columbines are in bloom again!

Mt. Ascutney Hike

I had my friend W down for the weekend and we both decided to take a hike up the Weathersfield Trail on Mt. Ascutney on Saturday. The hike was beautiful (if not a bit hazardous due to ice & bad traction in many places). Want a bit of an adventure??? Try hiking in 6-12 inches of fresh snow on a trail where some genius decided that the blazes should be WHITE!!! (I thought that blue was one of the most universal trail blaze colors???) We ended up having to pause every 50-100 feet in order to spot the next blaze... doing this against a backdrop of freshly fallen snow and searching for white blazes on trees which in some cases already had numerous whitish natural coloration from lichens & whatnot. It was a refreshing but slightly taxing hike... we never made it to the summit due to our slow rate of progress, it would likely have been nightfall by the time we made it back down. I don't mind getting lost in the woods in warmer weather (with camping gear in tow), but getting lost in the woods in sub-zero temperatures and with no appropriate overnight equipment is entirely a different matter.

A sampling of the terrain

White Blazes + White Trails = ???

A lovely natural ice sculpture in the 'Little' Cascade Falls Ravine

A perspective on the size of the ravine

W and I

My ever-so-delicious homemade soup, You are now pwned!!! I am teh soupmaster!!!

Harassing 'Spud', my roommate's cat (who is obviously so pleased to be lavished with such attention, hehee). Doesn't he look adorable in that silly sweater that she made him wear!!!?