Sunday, March 17, 2019
Start/End: Pine Bend Brook trailhead
Mileage: 12.8
Elevation gain/loss: 3088′
GaiaGPS track
I was up around 6am but took my time getting out of the hostel and on my way. I also stopped on the way for coffee and a snack, and arrived at the trailhead around 7:45am. The trailhead has no parking area, so I carefully parked on the side of the highway, tucking in my sideview mirror because it was that cozy. I started off hiking just before 8am. It was a beautiful day and not too cold (20s), though a bit windy. 
I did run into some trouble staying on the trail as I gained elevation and the wind had blown snow over everyone’s tracks, so I had to rely on my GPS in a few spots to keep me on packed snow. Because of the blown snow and the depth of the existing snow, I needed to wear my snowshoes for the whole trip. And perhaps I was tired, but the gain seemed to be unusually relentless, with a few steep sections requiring sidehilling. Near to the summit, I was able to look out through a gap in the trees and see for miles and miles, with Mt Washington in the center. It made the climbing more worth it, lol.
I summited both Tripyramids, and then decided that I’d rather descend by Sabbaday Brook, since I didn’t want to climb an iota more. The trip down had a few troublesome spots, though I managed; I found a few spruce traps and had to dig my way out of rib-deep snow. As I lost elevation, the trail smoothed out and the temperature became more mild. I was able to make good time as the trail flattened out; thankfully, the snow bridges were still all in place and in good shape. I exited the trail at Sabbaday Falls parking area, seeing more than a dozen people trekking up to see the falls. I then road walked for a mile to get back to my car. All said and done, it was a nice close to my winter hiking season!
