April 15 2011 - Team NORSA member Steven S, along with Cody L and Marvin W set out to conquer the challenging Ramsey's Draft wilderness trails.
Ramsey's Draft is quite an adventure, with 20+ stream crossings, remnants of virgin hemlock forest, and spectacular ridge climbs. If that wasn't enough, this expedition took place on a weekend with 100% chance of rain including thunderstorms and flash flooding.
The three hikers left after work on Friday with a 3+ hour drive to the forest. In what has become a NORSA tradition, the initial hike was mostly in the dark. The downpour started that night and continued through the morning. But, with a hot breakfast prepared under the tarp, they were ready for the day's challenges. These included: heavy thunderstorms that tested their rain gear, stream crossings that were knee deep, and bushwacking for hours to find a safe place to cross the rushing stream. In all the excitement, Steven S lost his water shoes.
Despite these difficulties, they made good progress by the time the rain let up to allow a lunch break. That is when the first hailstorm hit. Steven learned never to say things like "at least we know it can't come down any harder..." This kind of talk only tempted the skies to prove him wrong. After finishing the 20th crossing, the trail climbed to the headwaters of Ramsey's Draft. The trail literally became a running river itself, with many branching streams and waterfalls forming along the way. It was an impressive sight, and would have made for good camping in normal conditions.
A suitable campsite was waiting on top of the ridge. Everyone enjoyed a hot meal and looked forward to drying their gear overnight. Surprise! It got below freezing. Steven S was using his 40F rated bag and it was damn cold. Same thing in the morning as the wind cut through wet clothing. But eventually it turned out to be a beautiful spring day. The second half of the hike follows Bald Ridge with a lot of climbing early, and then has a steady downhill finish back to Ramsey's Draft. The ridge features many window views, white pines, and beautiful camp sites. At last the descent brought them back to the draft, and in a fitting conclusion, required one more bushwack and stream crossing to make it to the trailhead.
Despite the tough stuff on this trip, everyone had a good time and took it all in stride. Ramsey's Draft East gets a NORSA seal of approval. For a less intense version of this hike, try it during a drier time of year or just rearrange your plans if the weather forecast looks terrible.
2 comments:
Steven S: Backpacking where no NORSAlite has backpacked before. Well done.
I was there in 2004.
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