North Tripyramid and Middle Tripyramid

Total trip duration: 6:26:01

Distance: 11 miles
Hikers: Vance and Quinn
4000 footer completion count: North Tripyramid  #19 (4,180 feet), Middle Tripyramid #20 (4140 feet)

It was a chilly morning as we exited the car at the Sabbaday Falls parking lot.  We bundled up and headed west down the road.  We wanted to end up back at the car without having to retrace our steps so we needed to walk down the Kancamagus Highway for a mile or so before we could get into the woods.  This was definitely the coldest part of the trip.  Our route today was 112 > Pine Bend Brook trail [North Tripyramid] >  Pinebend Brook trail [Middle Tripyramid] >  Pine Bend Brook trail > Sabbaday Brook trail.

All bundled up and ready to head up the Pine Bend Brook trail!

 Once we hit the trail the wind and the cold lifted and we got some great blue skies.

On the way up North Tripyramid there were a bunch of small water crossings but they were easy to cross and we managed to stay dry.  

The sun came up over over the mountains as we walked along.  Ah, life is good!

After walking for a while on gentle terrain, the trail began to get steep and rocky.

We had the Pine Bend Brook trail to ourselves and didn't run into anybody until we met some hikers who had come up via the Scaur Ridge trail on the Waterville side.

Quinn was really clipping along and I worked up a good sweat just trying to keep up with him.

 A little way before the summit, it was getting a bit slippery.  Quinn put on some spikes for better grip and made for the top.

Not much for views from the summit but the company was good.  We chatted with some fellow hikers and met "Friday" the hiking dog.  Quinn got a real big kick out of him and has been talking about him ever since.  We enjoyed a nice lunch and some hot tea.  Good times!

Middle Tripyramid wasn't too far away.  There were some good views along the way and the terrain made for great hiking.

Fortunately, the Middle peak had some openings in the trees.  Quinn had some more tea and we marveled at the views of Chocorua and Passaconaway.

Great views of Waterville Valley too.  It seems like ages ago when we were over there hiking Tecumseh!

The Sabbaday Brook trail was steep and icy at the top and I threw on spikes too in order to stay on my feet.  There were some snow covered slabs of rock that we got to slide down along the way.  These snow slides are Quinn's favorite part of hiking in the snow!

While there were a number of water crossings on Pine Bend Brook, it was nothing like all the water crossings on the way down.  Quinn lost track of all the places we crossed running water somewhere around the thirty mark.  The further down we got the wider and deeper the crossings were.  Many of the rocks were covered in ice and eventually we both slipped in and ended up with some pretty cold feet.  Brrr!!!

We finally arrived at Sabbaday Falls after the never ending water crossings.  The Falls are absolutely gorgeous.  What an amazingly peaceful place!

The Falls lead down into a tranquil pool where we stopped to take in the surroundings.  What a treat!

 

Wow, I can't believe we hit number twenty!  Despite a cold start and some dicey water crossings, we had a terrific day.  The snow has added a really fun new dimension to our 4000 footer hiking and we can't wait for more snowy adventures!!!

Quinn's Take

This weekend I hiked the Tripyramids with my dad.  The hike started on a road.  We walked about a mile on the highway before we got to the trail head.  For a little while, the trail was flat and we crossed about ten streams.  We crossed them by jumping over them or by hopping from rock to rock.  There was about 2-3 inches of snow on the trail.  When we got to the Scaur Ridge trail we only had .7 miles to the first summit.  It got so steep and I put on some spikes because there was so much ice.

At the top, we met a dog named Friday.  I thought Friday was interesting because he was sniffing around and was pretty happy to make it to the top! 
 

It was a short and easy hike to the next peak.  We had some tea here and started to make our way down.  I was feeling good and warm at this point.

My dad and I came to a very steep part of the trail that we had to slide down.  It was scary and I lost my stomach!  We crossed about 42 streams before we got back to the car.  We had to step in the frozen water and I was the coldest that I have been on all of these trips.  There was a huge waterfall that I couldn't stay to enjoy because I really wanted to get back to the car to warm up.

Another fun adventure with my dad!