3/1/23
Day 107

March has come in like a lion. We got over 6” of fresh snow yesterday which means I got to spend the whole day in snowshoes. This is my new normal and I’m used to it with one exception - the massive blisters I have on the back of both my heels which feel fantastic when you’re wearing snowshoes (insert sarcasm). My goal for the day was three hikes. I got two done. Ascending Dickey Mountain, the trail was in rough shape. Two bare booters ahead of me (who were struggling significantly in the foot + of fresh snow) had churned up the trail pretty bad. After reaching the summit, my goal was a 2/10 of a mile unmarked view spur. This 2/10 of a mile was all I would be gaining in terms of new mileage even though I hiked almost 5 miles for the day. Snowshoes strapped onto my feet, and after spending several minutes scouting the open summit trying to find some semblance of a good path to reach the open ledge in the distance, and reaching out to my good friend Danielle for some intel from online, I decided to break my own route to the ledge from where it appeared to start based on Danielle’s intel. Somehow, I managed to blaze a route that very closely resembles the one another hiker took in summer. I was darn proud of myself. Drifts ranging from calf to hip deep and not knowing what I was walking on is something I never do because I’m pretty cautious as a solo hiker in winter. I felt confident. I felt safe. I felt proud. Then, I went over to Old Waterville Road Trail and had a heck of a time hiking this 2.49 miles because my heels were killing me. One more hike wasn’t happening as I got a late start and didn’t want to tear up my heels too much more so I have one more trail to complete still, Fletcher Cascade. 

Daily Miles: 10 

Daily Vert: 2,257’

Overall Miles: 1,109.62

Overall Vert: 323,086’

Trace: 47.8% -> 48% 

Trails:

Dickey View Spur

Old Waterville Road Trail