Sunny 46

We got started around 6:20am. The temperatures were in the mid to low 40s the entire drive and the trailhead was a relatively mild 38 degrees Farenheit. I started the hike with my windbreaker, hat, and gloves on, but removed all three after about a mile in.

The forecast had called for nothing but clouds until 11:00am, so it was nice to see the sun peek out for a little while as it crested the horizon. It was short-lived but we enjoyed it while it lasted.  Both the Blueberry Trail and Ward Brook Truck Trail were smooth sailing today. There was some frosty, chunky mud on Blueberry, but not really any standing water. My feet stayed dry the entire hike.

I finally got to visit the Ward Brook Lean-to. I can see why this is a popular destination for groups. It's a really great shelter with a generous fire pit and a picnic table. I didn't take the time to hike down the trail to check out the pair of "Number Four" lean-tos.

I was quite proud of the pace we were keeping on the flats today. We made it to the Seymour junction by 8:30am; hiking 6 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes. I don't think I've ever kept a 3mph pace on the trail before. 

Sunny was still in a good mood. I thought this trench was neat because it looked like this boulder got thrown by a Hill Giant and left a furrow in the ground.

As we climbed, we saw more ice on the rocks. The trail is on the North side of the mountain, so that's to be expected. It still wasn't slowing us on the trail, though. 

Although the real elevation gain starts around 2500', the fun begins around 2700' or so. I was sweating buckets, which could have been a concern because I knew we'd have colder temps up top. However, I did have my puffy and a base layer change in my pack. I did severely overpack for this trip, but I wanted to be prepared. I was not going to mess around with a late-shoulder-season High Peak without other Human companions.

The trail attempts to keep you out of the water along the base of the Western spur for a little bit longer as you climb to 3000'. Here, the puddles were completely iced over and bearing my weight without breaking.

The big ascent between 3200' and 3600' took us 45 minutes to complete. I pushed us very slowly and methodically. There were two or three spots I had to pull Sunny up with his long leash and, I'm not ashamed to admit, we used the adjacecnt herd paths on more than one occasion.

This section would, however, be perfectly fine in Summer, I'm sure.

Seymour was kind enough to shield us from the wind for almost the entire ascent, so that was nice.

There's still a lot of elevation gain once you hit the top of the steepest section at around 3650' or so, but it's much smoother sailing for the remaining climb to Seymour's 4055' summit. As you can see from the map rendering above, the trail climbs past a little col between two humps to the summit ridge. There's another little hump that's really too pitiful to call a false summit, then a final push up to the true summit.

It was 11am when we saw the sign for Seymour summit. This meant we'd made it from the Seymour junction to the summit in about 2 and a half hours. I was very pleased with this timeframe. My phone drained from 44% to 7% as it tried to find service in this remote place. I did manage to get some messages out and then plug it into the power brick.

There were lots of spots to sit and eat near the summit. Sunny and I shared a Stewart's breakfast wrap and some crackers; I ate half a giant cookie.

There are a couple of lookouts on the North side, but we were totally socked in. I think I would hike this mountain again. It presents a fun challenge in a remote area. I'm sure, from the pictures I've seen online, the overlooks are a lovely place to sit and enjoy the expansive Northern view of Ampersand and Whiteface. There are also some pics online of a tree-framed Southern view, but since I was socked in, I didn't bother to hunt it down. 

I knew we had a chance at some views if we waited around a bit, but I was eager to get back on the road before I fatigued too badly. My biggest fear on day hikes like this is not meeting a bear or a moose or even falling. My bigget fear is falling asleep at the wheel on my way home. We made our way down after about 30 minutes' rest.

We made it back to Ward Brook Lean-to in about 2 hours. I pulled us over there for a rest and a few more calories. Although my feet weren't wet, they'd gotten a bit sweaty and the sock change felt glorious. My feet were roasty toasty all the way back to the car.

Although we made decent time back to the car (2.5 hours), it was still a mental slog. I listened to music for the last 1.5 miles. We literally saw nobody all day, though I did see slim footprints that looked weirdly like flat slip-on shoes. Perhaps they were just a weird kind of trail runner. I'm not sure, but the logbook back at the trailhead said the person was doing the entire range. Good luck to them; I hope they made it back okay.

It wasn't an easy day, but while we were hiking, a lovely dog in our family passed away. I felt very lucky to have my buddy with me.

At the start of the season, I was feeling unfit of mind and body. I would have balked at the thought of pushing 15 or 16 miles in a single hike. I'm still feeling quite mealy around the middle, but I've also proven that I'm still capable and competent at this. 

Sunny and I have finished 15 additional High Peaks this year, not to mention hiking Algonquin again with Erica, a couple of fire towers, Ampersand, Crane, and three Winter 12sters. 

I still want to try and get Lower Tongue Range sooner rather than later, but I am starting to second guess doing it in actual winter weather. 14 miles in the snow might just be too much for Sunny. I'll make a decision on this soon.

33/46 down. Several of these mountains I'd be happy to revisit; others not so much. At the end of the day, it's all about the challenge and the healing nature of these places. When the challenge is complete, I'll still be coming here and doing new things and familiar things.