I went to see an old friend today, in the town where my maternal grandparents lived. You could see Monadnock across the Lake Contoocook from their house, and I’ve been climbing it since I was a wee boy.

I saw Monadnock at a distance during my last hike, out on the Wapack. He was looking good, and it had been too long since I last visited.
I had climbed Monadnock in the winter but once before, long ago on a warm, snowless New Year’s Day. I remembered that even then, there was snow near the top, and rivers of ice.
I hiked in snowshoes, mostly, and packed my Stablicers (slip-on grips, if that’s not too oxymoronic). I’d opted for Gore-Tex sneakers and gaiters rather than boots, and though I hiked in shirtsleeves, I’d packed a fleece, shell, hat and extra gloves. It’s always chilly up top. I had plenty of water, and a few energy bars. I even packed my head lamp, space blanket and a cell phone, just in case. The one really important thing I forgot was a map. I realized it on the drive out, but dismissed the thought. I’ve hiked Monadnock a few dozen times of the years. I don’t need no stinking map, I figured.
A very short way up the Old Cart Path Trail, it occured to me that I wasn’t seeing any blazes whatever. The tracks were clear enough, but how was I to know they were going the right way?
Monadnock’s trails are unmistakable when there’s no snow, but the going isn’t so obvious in winter. It looked right, though, and enough of the trail was familiar that I wasn’t worried. I wondered, though, what it would be like if I had to break trail.
I had meant to take one of my old favorite routes, up Mossy Brook Trail, but without the map in hand I forgot all about the Cart Path, and instead came to the old half-way house clearing. From there, I chose a less-trampled route and headed up Point Surprise Trail to the Cliff Walk Trail, another old favorite. The Cliff Walk gives good views, early and often, starting with Point Surprise. (If you don’t know the trails, you can check out maps here).
The views were spectacular as usual, despite the gray sky. Soon after Point Surprise, I got the chance to find out what it would be like breaking trail. It wasn’t as tricky as I’d feared, but I wouldn’t want to try it in rain, snow, fog or dark… especially along the Cliff Walk. At times, I followed animal tracks. They weren’t fresh, but I got a good look at a few clear impressions, and I’m pretty sure it was a bobcat (four toes and one pad, about three centimeters long, with no claw marks).
My snowshoes laid the first tracks on the Amphitheater Trail, where I felt all but clueless (I haven’t often gone that way) but managed to find a painted blaze every so often. Had I been able to consult a map, I would have enjoyed carrying on to the Smith Summit Trail. The White Arrow was so well-trod, though, that I couldn’t see any other route.

I switched from snowshoes to spikes for the last scramble to the top, and was very glad I’d brought them. It was icy up top, and while the steeps aren’t so bad going up, a few stretches called for caution on the way down. I saw several people hiking in full crampons and up there, they didn’t seem out of place at all.
I tramped around and ate a bar up top. It was cold, of course, but I’ve been colder up there on warm-weather hikes, when I didn’t bother packing a jacket.

I thought about heading down the Marlboro Trail, but feared I’d wind up in Dublin in I missed my turn, and went back the way I’d come instead. I tried breaking trail down Do Drop, but soon came to a point where I couldn’t tell which way to go. I saw two plausible options, but both were extremely steep, so I trotted back up to Cliff Walk. This time, I continued down Cliff Walk from Point Surprise, breaking trail again until I reached Hello Rock Trail. In retrospect, the Cliff Walk was perhaps not a great choice for my descent; parts of that trail were steep and narrow, tricky on snowshoes. I took the ladder especially slow.
It was fun, though, and along one section I saw several snowballs that had formed, apparently when some snow fell from a tree onto a steep slope. They’d made little rolls, one about the size of a volleyball. It amused me to give it a nudge, and watch it grow bigger still before splitting apart.
I saw a one couple going up, another at the top and two more going down… far fewer than you might meet in summer, but it is still a pretty popular destination, even this time of year. One woman remarked that it was good to get away from the Presidential Primary frenzy, but even there on the mountain, I saw a candidate’s name (Kucinich) etched in a trailside snow drift.
I was hiking alone, myself. I get lonesome sometimes, but never while I’m out in the woods, especially in the company of an old, stalwart friend.