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The
trail began at a gentle incline, and was as firmly packed as the
caretaker had indicated. I checked the little thermometer that
hung from a zipper pull on my jacket. It read –10 degrees F. It
was cold, but I was quickly warming up from the exertion and the
sun was shining cheerily. At first, the desiccated air stung at
my throat and lungs, but I pulled my balaclava over my mouth for
a few minutes to breath warm moist air, and gradually got used
to the subzero air.
A
short distance from the trailhead, I passed a side path to the
Elephant Head overlook, but decided to continue on and save all
my energy for the summit. As I walked along, my boots crunched
and squealed on the cold dry surface of the snow.
In
not long over book time, I reached the junction where the Webster-Jackson
Trail split into two branches, one going south toward Mt Webster,
the other curving east toward Mt Jackson. Together with the Webster
Cliff Trail, it’s possible to make a loop over both summits. I
stopped for a short rest and snack. I was still feeling pretty
strong, and was seriously considering making the loop over Mt
Webster after reaching Mt Jackson, or heading north to
Mizpah Hut and returning via the Crawford Path.
After
the junction, the trail soon began to climb more steeply. Many
of the needles on the low-hanging branches were covered with tiny
feathers of rime ice. The woods sparkled in the clear morning
light.
I
was trying something new on this trip. I had brought a lightweight
black plastic sled which I had strapped to the rear of my pack.
I was planning on giving it a try coming back downhill, hoping
that it would speed my descent and end up being fun as well. But
for now, it protruded about a foot over the top of the pack, just
enough to get caught on low-hanging branches, and make ducking
under blowdowns a bit more difficult. |
Self-portrait
on the lower part of the Webster-Jackson Trail. At this time,
I still had plenty of energy left. |
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