Hiked by: Tim and Valerie on July 1, 2006 - Ravine Lodge, up Gorge Brook Trail, down Carriage Trail to Snapper Trail
Conditions: Started the hike at 8:30am. It was a cold and clear morning with bright blue skies. 53 degrees at the house. Within an hour of hitting the Gorge Brook trail, it was muggy/steamy and the trail was a bit muddy. We were wishing for just the tiniest breeze to blow the blackflies away. They weren't unmanageable, just annoying. After about three miles, we started to feel a breeze - ah, relief! But the sky had turned gray.
As we entered the open alpine space and headed to the summit, the young man walking towards us was wearing a winter coat, balaclava and gloves. About 4 steps out into the open and we turned around and headed back into the brush/cover to don our Gore-Tex for windbreak. By the time we reached the summit, our hands were numb from holding our hiking poles! Unbelievable - 40MPH winds and 50 degrees F. It was very chilly!!
We huddled behind a stone wall at the summit to eat lunch and the big gray cloud blew past. Sun came back out, but wind didn't let up. We headed down the Carriage Trail, which does not have as much character as the Gorge Brook trail, once you get down off the ridge. It was relatively easy walking. We cut back to the Ravine Lodge on the Snapper Trail - which also made for quick walking and was more scenic (woods, not long-distance views).
Overall: 5 hours including lunch on the summit. 7.5 miles.