We stopped at one of the lean-tos at Flowed Lands for our snack break. We had only encountered 2 people so far - unusual, given how nice this day was!
We chose to follow the trail over to Herbert Brook. It would have been easier, in retrospect, to just don snowshoes and hike across flowed lands. In any case, at Herbert Brook, we encountered some tracks that followed the herd path up to Marshall. This was nice, since I didn't really feel like having to try and find the way up without any prior indications.
Not long after starting up on the Herbert Brook route, we were out on the open slabs of Herbert Brook. Although today they weren't rock slabs, but rather snow-covered rock slabs. At the lower reaches of the brook there were sections of open water, but as we ascended, it was completely snow-covered. A very beautiful way to ascend - out in the open, with great snow conditions.
courtesy RHanel
Andrew starting brook climb
It soon was time to put on the snowshoes. The snow was of a consistency that made it very easy to ascend steep slopes of snow, and making our way up the hilly and hummocky snow shapes in the bed of Herbert Brook was great fun.
courtesy RHanel
courtesy RHanel
courtesy RHanel
Blowdown was minimal, and the ascent was pretty easy. So far, this was the easiest trailless route I'd ever been up!!
Eventually the open-ness of Herbert Brook petered out, and we followed a single set of crampon tracks away from its bed and through some relatively open forest. Soon we were standing next to the small marshy area near the top of Marshall, with a very white and gleaming Iroquois peak poking its head up above the trees to the north. Lots and Lots of snow up here, including lots of fresh stuff on the trees. It must have snowed very recently up here. It may have been spring down below in the valleys, but up here it was still full-on winter.
