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Winter at Gray Knob, 2005-2006 Last summer, when I was offered the position of winter caretaker, I took the job with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. How would I fare in the cold? Who would come visit me? What would I do for fun? How can I not accept the chance to live in such a beautiful place? Most people I know thought I was a little crazy to want to pass the winter in a cabin with no running water, no electricity, and very little heat. I told myself I wanted to be there for the skiing and to be able to say I had done the coldest job in the Northeast. Many guests this winter were curious to know what life was like at Gray Knob. The most common queries included, "How can you possibly stay warm?" and "Don't you get lonely?" First of all, it wasn't really cold this winter. Winter didn't really arrive until President's Day. All through November, December, and January we had cold weather and snow followed by warm weather and rain. Not great for the snow pack and maddening for your ski-obsessed caretaker. Surviving the cold is all about the difference between 32 degrees and 0 degrees. With the right winter clothing, staying comfortable when the inside temperature of the cabin was 32 or above was easy. The colder it got inside, the harder it was to stay warm. I rarely let the temp drop below 25 degrees inside. As soon as my water pots started to freeze solid, it was time to light the fire. Your body adapts to the cold remarkably well given a little time. There were many Saturday nights where I was totally comfortable inside at 35 degrees with no hat and no gloves on and all my guests were bundled right up. Although I usually had a fire on Saturday nights when people were there, when by myself I would go without. I thought we fared pretty well this winter with the wood supply. There will be enough wood this year for the spring caretaker to light a few fires on those cold spring nights. To fuel the fire inside, one has to eat a lot of calories, and sometimes that can get kind of old. I tried to keep things interesting. Some of my caloric highlights of the winter were; Derrick "Storm" Schott's Thanksgiving leftovers, hand delivered to Gray Knob by former RMC Trail Crew members Laura Conchelos and Matt Cittadini; Kim chi, Spicy Anchovy Paste, and Pickled Garlic compliments of the Irish restaurant-owning Koreans from Fort Lee, NJ; Cheese, Steak, and Chocolate Fondue from countless Canadians; Red Curry and Baked Goods, from Big Sky Bakery in Portland, ME, thanks to Trail Crew member Aaron Parcak; and Moose Shepherd's Pie, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Moose Chili compliments of myself.
To ward off the loneliness, I did as much hiking or skiing as my schedule and the weather allowed. I found a good hike or a nice quiet ski through the winter woods reminded me what a special opportunity it is to live at Gray Knob. I often thought about how few people get to experience winter as intensely as I did this year. My time at Gray Knob was quite short, even though it didn't feel that way on some January weekdays that seemed to drag on and on. Often when I came up on Mondays for my weekly stint, I would be mentally prepared not to see another person until Friday afternoon. That way, if I had any midweek guests, their arrival would be a pleasant surprise. Although we had a less than desirable winter, I still managed to get my fair share of powder turns around the 'Knob. I was doing the camp rounds on skis as soon as the rocks disappeared from the trails. I also was able to get some great days on the Jefferson, Spur, and Gulfside snowfields. Although Spur Brook didn't freeze over until the beginning of March, I got a few good descents down the Hincks Trail and down into Spur Brook to the Randolph Path. This line is a special treat for the backcountry skier and this mild winter was no exception. I count those descents of the brook as some of the best powder runs this season. Other notable first descents this winter included Randolph Path from treeline to Lowe's Path and Israel Ridge Path from treeline to Emerald Bluff. Just about the only thing I didn't get to ski during the winter was the "7,” but a trip to Great Gully was accomplished later in the spring. I will close with a sentiment that I heard time and time again at Gray Knob. Many guests this winter made a point to me that the RMC does a phenomenal job with its camps and trails. I was told time and time again, "We've been coming here for X number of years because your trails are always in great shape and Gray Knob and Crag Camp are just the best places to stay in the Whites." I don't think people make those kinds of statements because they're trying to butter up the caretaker to start a fire. They make them sincerely. To hear these types of statements weekend after weekend was a powerful acknowledgment of the excellent work RMC does in these mountains. As the caretaker, I believe ultimate credit is due to the support of the membership, the vision of the officers, and the dedication of the employees. I have been honored this winter to be the public face of such an organization. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. Chris Fithian was
RMC's winter caretaker, working week-on, week-off, opposite Ryan
Harvey and Matthew "Milo" Moore. This summer, he serves
as RMC's Field Supervisor in charge of both caretakers and trail
crews.
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Not
only do you have to eat to stay warm, you have to eat a lot when
you are required to hike a minimum 3-4 miles a day. I went
over to the Perch often this winter, mostly as a reason
to go for a walk to get warm. I found that not many people
choose to stay at the Perch in the winter. The logbook
has exactly 2 whole pages of entries since the beginning of November.
I would go over there to just sit, listen, and watch the winter
stillness. One of my favorite spots in RMC country
is the intersection of Perch Path and Gray Knob Trail.
This was a favorite spot last spring for me and continued to
be one I stopped at often this winter. At this junction
there is a nice flat rock for sitting that pivots just slightly
back and forth. One has a wonderful view of the Castellated
Ridge, Cascade Ravine, the Dartmouth Range, Bretton Woods, the
Franconia Range, and on good days one can see the whole northern
spine of the Green Mts. of Vermont. I watched many a sunset
this winter from that rock with the trees around me afire with
the alpenglow.