-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
/
Copy pathmt_washington_winter.html
345 lines (278 loc) · 15.1 KB
/
mt_washington_winter.html
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
<html lang="en">
<head>
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="main.css" type="text/css">
<link rel="StyleSheet" href="nn4_layout.css" type="text/css">
<STYLE TYPE="text/css">
@import url(real_layout.css);
</STYLE>
<title>Southern Presidential Traverse, Winter 2000</title>
<meta http-equiv="pics-label" content='(pics-1.1
"http://www.icra.org/ratingsv02.html" comment "ICRAonline EN v2.0" l
gen true for "http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/" r (nz 1 vz 1 lz 1 oz
1 cz 1) "http://www.rsac.org/ratingsv01.html" l gen true for
"http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/" r (n 0 s 0 v 0 l 0))'>
<meta name="keywords" content="Mount Washington, Presidential Traverse, Mount Eisenhower, Mount Monroe, winter hiking camping">
<meta name="description" content="Two Day Backpack of the Southern Presidentials, Winter 2000">
</head>
<body>
<div id="header">
<h1>Mount Washington Backpack, Winter of 2000</h1>
</div> <!-- header div -->
<div id="main">
<!-- table of contents start -->
<H2><A NAME="toc"></A>Table of Contents</H2>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#tocref1">Introduction</A>
<LI><A HREF="#tocref2">Getting Started</A>
<LI><A HREF="#tocref3">First Day: Mount Washington</A>
<LI><A HREF="#tocref4">Second Day: Mounts Monroe, Eisenhower and Pierce</A>
</UL>
<!-- table of contents end -->
<H2><A NAME="tocref1"></A>Introduction</H2>
When I started hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with the
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) in 1995 I often said "I will
<I>never</I> do winter hiking" and, more emphatically, "I will
<B>NEVER!!!</B> do winter backpacking". There is magic in having
younger friends who push you to extend yourself, and by January 1998 I
did my first winter 4000 footer (Mt. Liberty), and in April 1999 did
my first winter overnight.
<P>I had planned a backpack to the Bonds, the most remote peaks in the
White Mountains, for the last weekend of calendar winter 2000. It
would be an adventure, and one of my friends, Gary, "needed" Bond and
West Bond. (For those of you who are not peakbaggers, the phrase "I
need Mt XXX" means that Mt XXX is on a list of peaks that I am trying
to complete, and I have not yet done it.) As usually happens with
informal group trips the group size shrank as the date approached, and
Gary dropped out. I informed my remaining two companions that we no
longer had to do the Bonds, and said that I was open to suggestions.
It is probably time to introduce the group.
<P>Larry is a real mountaineer, who spends most of his summer
vacations outside the Lower 48, either attempting Denali (twice,
unsuccessfully) or in South America. In spite of his great skill he
is always happy to teach and inspire those who want to learn, and he
is completely responsible for my dreams of climbing Mt. Rainier one
day. We took the AMC Leadership Training together in the fall of
1996.
<P>Jeanne was at that time new to our group. She had done a lot of
hiking, and that winter had started ice climbing. Like Larry she was
both very fit and very comfortable on rock, snow and ice.
<P>Mohamed (your humble scribe). I was in my early sixties, working
half time as a prelude to retirement (I retired almost exactly a year
later). While I had always been moderately active, walking a few
miles every day, I had never done any strenuous exercise until 1994,
when I started hiking in the Boston area. I liked it, started hiking
regularly, and soon found my fitness increasing. By 1995 I was going
on an occasional trip in the White Mountains, while by 1997 I was
there every weekend. As I write this (September 2002) I am back from
climbing <A HREF="elbert.html">Mount Elbert, Colorado</A> (elevation
14,433 feet) and<A HREF="mount_whitney_2002.html"> Mount Whitney,
California</A> (elevation 14,494 feet).
<P>So when Larry suggested doing a "southern Presidential half
traverse" Jeanne and I were ecstatic. A full Winter Presidential
Traverse is a three day trip over the entire Presidential Range. It
is probably the most difficult mountaineering trip in New England, as
the weather on these small mountains normally varies from bad to
atrocious. A half traverse is a much easier undertaking, especially
the southern half, where you go up Mt Washington, down to the area of
Lakes of the Clouds or a bit further, and set up camp. Next day you
hike out over Mounts Monroe, Eisenhower and Pierce. Tough, but
doable, especially with an experienced mountaineer in the group.
<H2><A NAME="tocref2"></A>Getting Started</H2>
<P>We met at my NH home on Friday evening (March 17<SUP>th</SUP>).
The weather forecast was very good (warm temperatures and almost no
wind), but one has to be skeptical. We split the gear amongst us,
including Larry's three person mountaineering tent. Next morning we
woke up early, as we had a long car spot to do before hiking. While
having breakfast I noted a tickling sensation in the back of my
throat, as often as not a precursor to a flu. I mentioned it to my
companions, uttered a short curse, and continued with the
preparations.
<P>Here is a <A TARGET = "_BLANK"
HREF="http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=19&n=4902668&e=314590&size=m">Topozone
map</A> for those not familiar with the area. The Lion's Head trail
is marked but not labelled, it is the trail just south of the text
"STATE PARK".
<H2><A NAME="tocref3"></A>First Day: Mount Washington</H2>
<P>We drove to Crawford Notch, where the trip would end, and left one
car there. We then all went together to Pinkham Notch where we
started the trip. The first 1.7 miles are up the Tuckerman's Ravine
Trail, a major hiking highway up Mount Washington all year round. The
trail is wide, but it rises at what the <I>White Mountain Guide</I>
describes as "... its moderate but relentless climb ...", rising 1,400
feet in those 1.7 miles. We then went along the fire road for a short
distance, and reached the start of the winter route of the Lion's Head
Trail. We stopped, had a drink and a bite, and put on our crampons.
<P>Both Jeanne and I had been up this trail with Larry the previous
month as part of a course on Above Treeline Travel in Winter, so we
knew the trail. The lower part is steep, actually very steep, but in
the trees, so there is no danger. The snow was well packed, so our
crampons bit well into it. There are a couple of "difficult" spots,
which require some thought, but really are not even minimally
dangerous. The questions is "What do I do to get over this?" rather
than "Good Lord, how can I possibly get over this?", a big difference!
<P>Once we got out of the trees the trail became a bit less steep, but
remained steep. Half a mile after getting out of the trees we reached
Lion's Head, a collection of rocks overlooking Tuckerman's Ravine. We
stopped there for a brief drink plus snack. The weather was indeed
just what the forecast had promised, reasonable temperatures and
almost no wind at all. The good forecast, plus the fact that this was
the last weekend of winter, brought out large numbers of hikers,
including a half dozen groups of guided hikers, led by staff of the
North Conway guide services.
<P>Beyond the Lion's Head there is a level section with great views
into the ravine. Then the final 1,000 foot climb up Mount
Washington's summit cone begins.
<P>That climb is not really steep, but midway up it I once again felt
the tickling in the back of my throat. It got worse and, far more
seriously, I felt my strength fading fast. There was no doubt about
it, I was coming down with a flu. The last 500 vertical feet were
painful, one step at a time, but I made it to the summit. The warmth
and lack of wind on the summit were remarkable, which encouraged us to
have a long lunch stop. That allowed me to recover a bit, in any case
it would be all downhill for the rest of that day.
<P>We were not alone having lunch on the summit, in fact it was rather
crowded. After lunch we descended by the Crawford Path, and suddenly
found ourselves alone. The only two people we met on that segment of
the trip were two members of the Observatory staff, who had decided to
go down to Lakes to enjoy the exceptionally good winter weather.
Though I was tired, and the load on my back seemed to increase with
time, we were going down, and I managed to get to Lakes of the Clouds
with little difficulty. But I definitely did not feel fit to try to
go over Mount Monroe that day, so we set up camp to the east of that
peak.
<P>We had little difficulty in finding an area with deep snow (much
more than the legally required two feet) and set up our tent. The
weather was so good that we hung around outside the tent (after
putting on lots of layers!). We watched the sun set to the west while
the moon was rising to the east. (Full moon occurred the next night,
I checked that with the <A HREF="http://aa.usno.navy.mil/">USNO
Astronomical Applications Department</A> calculator). Then we started
the traditional winter campers' ritual of melting snow, first for warm
drinks, then for cooking dinner, then to fill our water bottles for
next day. By the time we were through the moon was high in the sky,
with its light reflected on the snow and ice that surrounded us.
There can be few things as wonderful as a cloudless night with a full
moon above treeline in winter!
<H2><A NAME="tocref4"></A>Second Day: Mounts Monroe, Eisenhower and Pierce</H2>
<P>We slept well, and woke next morning to another beautiful day. In
spite of that we stayed in our sleeping bags and melted snow for
breakfast in the large vestibule of our tent. Then we got out, packed
the tent, and were ready to start. I was not feeling well, and wanted
to bypass Mount Monroe. We soon discovered that the east slope of
that mountain, where the Crawford Path goes, becomes a steep snow
slope in winter, and is essentially uncrossable. On returning to
Boston I looked in an old (1969) AMC <I>White Mountain Guide</I> and
found, in a discussion of the Crawford Path in winter:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Do not attempt to pass Mt. Monroe to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut.The
Crawford Path slabs the SE side of Monroe; in winter this face is
generally a sheer slope of hard snow, reaching far down into Oakes
Gulf, and it is difficult and dangerous to cross.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>Rather than go back down on the Crawford Path to the start of the
Mount Monroe Loop we decided to try to head straight up to the summit.
Jeanne had no problem, she went straight up the steep slope and had a
great time. I struggled up with Larry's help, but soon decided I
could not do it, so Larry and I returned to the start of the loop and
went up the usual way. The climb is short (about 350 feet of
elevation gain) and I had little difficulty with it. We found Jeanne
waiting for us on the summit.
<P>After that we started the long and gentle descent to Mount
Eisenhower. The wind had picked up slightly, but still was
exceptionally calm for a winter day above treeline. The climb up
Mount Eisenhower was again an easy 300 feet, and I had little
difficulty. We spent some time on the summit enjoying the views, and
then continued our descent.
<P>The final climb up the Crawford Path to its junction with the
Webster Cliff Trail was pretty hard for me, as I was by then
<I>very</I> sick and weak. Once we reached the junction I took my
pack off and sat down, while Larry and Jeanne went to the summit of
Mount Pierce. Both the distance and the elevation gain are minimal
(about 150 yards and 60 feet), but I did not want to do <I>any</I>
avoidable effort. Once they returned we went downhill at an easy
grade to Crawford Notch and our car.
<P>We drove a short distance to Fabian's for lunch, then a much longer
distance to Pinkham where the other car was. From there Larry and
Jeanne went straight back to Boston on Rt 16, while I returned to
Thornton, a very long 1:15 drive.
<P>It was an exhausting trip for me. The climb up to the summit of
Mount Washington was around 4,250 feet with several steep sections.
Doing it with a full winter backpack is always a challenge, add the
beginning of a flu and it becomes that more tiring. But spending two
winter days above treeline with minimal wind is something that happens
very rarely, and the full moon over the Presidentials was a sight I
will never forget. I guess that it is time to start planning a repeat
trip!
<BR><BR>
<HR>
<!-- BEGIN ADDFREESTATS EASY CODE V2 (Normal Page) -->
<!-- CODE FOR YOUR PAGE: Mount Washington in Winter -->
<!-- URL : http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/mt_washington_winter.html -->
<!-- PAGE NUMBER :60 -->
<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www1.addfreestats.com/cgi-bin/easycode.cgi?usr=00100552P060">
</script>
<!-- END ADDFREESTATS EASY CODE V2 -->
</div> <!-- main div -->
<!-- navbar for index.html -->
<div id="navbar">
Main Sections:<br><br>
<P CLASS=navbar>
<a href="index.html">Home</a><br>
<a href="bagging.html">Peak Bagging</a><br>
<a href="lists.html">Lists</a><br>
<a href="nhnotes.html">Routes to Peaks</a><br>
<a href="general.html">Guide to Resources</a><br>
<a href="FAQ.html">FAQ</a><br>
<a href="articles.html">Articles</a><br>
<a href="adventures.html">Adventures</a><br>
<A HREF="highpointing.html">Highpointing</A><br><br>
</P>
Navigation tools:<br><br>
<P CLASS=navbar>
Use <a href="sitemap.html">Site map</a> or<br>
<a href="http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=6372974">Search
this site</a><br><br>
</P>
Adventures:<br><br>
<P CLASS=navbar>
<A HREF="adventures.html">Main Adventures Page</A><br>
<A HREF="mytraverse.html">Presi Traverse 2001</A><br>
<A HREF="great-gulf.html">Mount Washington by Great Gulf</A><br>
<A HREF="mt_washington_ammonoosuc.html">Mount Washington by Ammonoosuc
& Jewell</A><br>
<A HREF="mt_washington_winter.html">Mount Washington in Winter</A><br>
<A HREF="baxter2002.html">Baxter in Winter: North Brother and Coe</A><br>
<A HREF="baxter97.html">Baxter in Winter: Katahdin</A><br>
<A HREF="Bonds.html">Bonds Epic</A><br>
<A HREF="nubble.html">Peak Above the Nubble</A><br>
<A HREF="mendon.html">Mendon Peak</A><br>
<A HREF="farmaine.html">Whitecap (Maine) etc</A><br>
<A HREF="elbert.html">Mt. Elbert</A><br>
<A HREF="mount_whitney_2002.html">Mt. Whitney</A>
</P>
Routes to Peaks:<br><br>
<P CLASS=navbar>
<A HREF="washington.html">Mt. Washington</A> <br>
<a href="spresi.html">Southern Presis</a><br>
<a href="npresi.html">Mt. Adams & Mt. Jefferson</a><br>
<a href="madison.html">Mt. Madison</a><br>
<a href="franconia.html">Mt. Lafayette & Mt. Lincoln</a><br>
<a href="liberty.html">Mt. Liberty & Mt. Flume</a><br>
<a href="garfield.html">Garfield Ridge & Twins</a><br>
<a href="bondrts.html">Bonds & Zealand</a><br>
<a href="otherpemi.html">Other Pemi Peaks</a><br>
<a href="kinsman.html">Kinsman Ridge</a><br>
<a href="mt_moosilauke.html">Mt. Moosilauke</a><br>
<a href="waterville.html">Mt. Tecumseh & Mt. Osceola</a><br>
<a href="sandwich.html">Sandwich Range</a><br>
<a href="carters.html">Wildcat-Carter-Moriah Range</a><br>
<a href="northern.html">Mt. Cabot & Mt. Waumbek</a><br>
<A HREF="mt_mansfield.html">Mt. Mansfield</A><br>
<A HREF="camels_hump.html">Camels Hump</A><br>
<A HREF="vt_4000_footer.html">Other Vermont 4000 Footers</A>
</P>
</div> <!-- navbar div -->
</body>
</html>