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The
trail began at a gentle enough incline, but soon began to
alternate with steeper and rougher sections. It
was cold, but I was quickly warming up from the exertion and the
sun was shining cheerily somewhere above the canopy of trees. By
the time we reached the spur trail to Bugle Cliff, I was ready for
a short rest.
Muffin,
the abominable snowdog, was quickly growing more
abominable as time went on. Sticking one's face into the snow at
regular intervals is a good way to build up a frosty beard.
Bugle
Cliff is only about a tenth of a mile and maybe 30 or 40 feet of
elevation gain above the Webster-Jackson Trail, and well worth the
visit. This huge overhanging cliff commands wide views of the the
north end of Crawford Notch. On the ledges, I had to be careful as
the snow made them particularly slippery and dangerous. We stayed
well away from the edge.
Looking
north, there were nice views of the Highland Center and the old
train depot (now the AMC Macomber Family Information Center). Far
down below to the south, the Conway Scenic Railroad tracks crossed
a stone trestle, and then disappeared amid the shadows of the
cliffs and trees. Directly across the notch, Mt Field loomed
majestically above us. It was hard to believe that by the time we
got to the summit of Mt Jackson, we'd be just about even with the
top of Mt Field.
Beyond
Bugle Cliff, the snow started to get a little deeper and the rocks
were sometimes a bit slick. The trees were also snow-covered and
glistened white and powdery against the deep blue sky. There was
another set of tracks on the trail in front of us, and since it
had snowed last night, I figured that person had probably started
out earlier in the morning. |
