Cris Thomas - Monadnock

Trail: Killington via Bucklin Trail

Date Hiked: 10MAR07

Conditions: Lower part of Bucklin was nicely packed from cross country skiers with a 12 to 18 inch base. Once the trail made the right turn to start going up the mountain it was pretty much virgin snow. Very surprised that it hadn't been packed out yet. I was sinking about six inches to a foot for every step in dry powder. A few hundred feet below the hut some other folks (whose name I never got!) had caught up from behind and helped break trail. Snow at the hut was several feet deep and came up to the bottom of the trail signs. Blazes where barely visible just above the snow line. Dropped the pack and pushed on to the summit. Very steep, very loose powder. Ice rocks and snow at the very top, slippery. Spitting freezing rain and a good stiff wind at the top but still decent views. Had to slide back down to the hut, too steep to walk.

Special Required Equipment: SNOWSHOES! Wind protection for the summit.

Comments: A local dog had joined the people I met on the trail way back at the trailhead and hiked all the way to the top and even broke trail for a while! Luckily the dog had a tag and was taken back home after hiking back down. Lots and lots of snowboaders at the hut all partaking of certain substances. If anyone was waiting for this trail to get packed out before hiking it, well, its nice and packed now.