Early Winter’s grasp still remains strong within the Blue Line, especially at higher elevations. Blowing snow and nippy windchills were forecasted in the High Peaks, so for today I settled on a shorter objective I had orphaned on my last trip, a 3363’ peak to the E of Loch Bonnie & Moose Mountain. Intending to finish well before dark and with a refined approach in mind, I started off once again from Whiteface Inn Lane near Lake Placid and wasted no time retracing my tracks from 4 days prior, which was mostly already covered. My route using the Shore Owner's Assocation trails would be the same until after Loch Bonnie, which is no easy place to visit come this season. I wasn’t canoeing to the trail accessible from the Undercliff area of Placid today, so up the Two Brooks trail I went, bound for the inevitable push to LB that is a cutoff trail no more, but a trail cut off, that is, from existence. Blowdown and a tight thicket occupy this abandoned trail. One could go up and over Moose instead, but considering no views would be had today I would muster up the courage for a repeat of last time. I was hoping to somehow weave a more efficient needle through the haystack of blowdown, and minimize coniferous snowdump zones.
I ate up the first 3 miles, then came to the junction: bushwhack begin! I tried my best to shoot down to just past the lake and avoid it completely, connecting with the Undercliff trail. This reasoning was to orient me closer to high point of Loch Bonnie Peak, aka East Moose. Fortunately, today the spruces weren’t too heavily loaded up and I managed to carefully balance and hurdle over what fallen trees I encountered without too much issue. Compared to Wednesday, this seemed less troublesome as fluffier snow had accumulated in recent days which afforded some better floatation over obstacles. The worst of it is was over before the terrain downslopes to Minnow Brook, outflowing from Loch Bonnie. Soon enough I heard the rushing cascade of terribly cold brown frothy water. Finding a narrow safe crossing point wasn’t too difficult and upslope I went, bound to intersect with the Undercliff approach. I was glad that this part was behind me now, and the summit was just a stone’s throw away to the NE. Following the general direction just below the ridge, I stuck to mostly open woods as it seemed to be thicker on the ridge itself. The highest point was fairly easy to hunt down, wooded and nondescript. There were a number of “what-if” views to the E & W along the ascent but I was only met with the Winter Witch’s blowing canvas of grey and white.
After a quick snack I descended southwards, sliding briskly on the drifted snow, up to a couple feet in some spots. Returned to the trail, I ascended a short distance to Loch Bonnie, the small lake below the summit of Moose Mountain. Too early to be frozen enough to walk across, I was forced to hug the shore and go around on the trail, which is completely submerged in areas. Slush ice into foot deep water was a most unneeded predicament to deal with, especially after things sailing smooth thus far. I took care of these sketchy spots, worse near the inlet, and soon was headed back on the opposite end of the abandoned cutoff trail to Two Brooks. Loch Bonnie was in the rear-view, no kilts, Scotch, or denizens of the deep for me there. I faced one last bushwhack bout to get home-free. It was far better doing this section in the daylight, my last foray returning through there was by headlamp after climbing Northeast Moose Peak. I navigated quicker and with better precision and found an agreeable drainage to follow up. Only slowed at the last bit, I made it to the Two Brooks trail unscathed. The remaining 3 miles were fast and fiasco-free, and so another 3,000 footer is climbed. One more to go in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness! After a 6 hour outing I covered 8.5 total miles & climbed 2,200’. My "winter" whacking was much cleaner and I felt overall better prepared for what to expect. Just another day in paradise. Thank you for reading and enjoy your week folks, I’m hoping to get a couple more hikes in before dare I say it warms up too much… Until next time!