summer hiker planing nov mt washington trip, any tips?

Hey everybody, i'm planning a trip to mt washington around early to mid nov. I've never done a winter hike and am looking for any helpful infomation you guys have. Me and my friend have been hiking peaks for about 2 years now, alawys in the summer/fall time frame, so I don't consider us as rookies. Saying that, i'm been researhing mt washington, and it looks like a very challenging hike, to say the least. I was wondering if it would be possible to do it in a day, and if so what trail/trails so we use. thanks

i mean no offense by the following comments, please don't take my words as a put down or anything but just advice. but i would suggest starting to do winter hiking on a different mountain, preferably one below tree line. washington is no joke. above tree line (if not below with the weather we have been having lately) you'll need crampons and/or snow shoes. washington definitely receives the fiercest weather around, and i would not want to head up there in less than ideal conditions (which are few and far between). the biggest potential issue with washington would be finding yourselves stuck in white out conditions without knowing the lay of the land. that said, it would also be advisable to do some summer hiking on mount washington to get used to some of the trails and options in the event bad weather forces you to change plans. i found out pretty quickly on my first winter outting that it's quite a bit different than fair weather hiking. you learn a lot in just one hike, so that is why i recommend doing a not above tree line hike first.

Today's weather on the 6288' rockpile:
Outside Air Temperature: 22.°F
Wind Speed: 31 MPH (uncommonly mild)
15 Minute Gust: 35 MPH
Wind Direction : 57° (NE)
Snow depth: 18" (down from 43" this month, a record for any October)
Wind Chill: 5°F

In another month: Possible 60 to 100 MPH winds or much, much more.
3-4' of snow or more.
Wind chill -40° to Hell freezes over!

It's tough for those with many years experience. 'Nuff said?!

chilaxing said:

Hey everybody, i'm planning a trip to mt washington around early to mid nov. I've never done a winter hike and am looking for any helpful infomation you guys have. Me and my friend have been hiking peaks for about 2 years now, alawys in the summer/fall time frame, so I don't consider us as rookies. Saying that, i'm been researhing mt washington, and it looks like a very challenging hike, to say the least. I was wondering if it would be possible to do it in a day, and if so what trail/trails so we use. thanks

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First off, welcome to the boards! :beer:

That said, I concur with riverc0il. No offense, but MTW offers not just a 'challenging experience,' but one that can be deadly in winter.

Consider that they now have about 1-2 feet of snow up there now in October. Combine this with bad weather, high winds, and no trees, and you've got a recipe for possible trouble.

My suggestion is this: do another 4000 footer such as Moosilauke or even Tecumseh. Work your way up over a few more seasons...do Washington next summer. I learned about the challenges of winter/late fall hiking on Tecumseh, but I am able to write to you about it because it was something that I could control.

We have deterred folks with little experience from charging up MTW in the fall/winter. Another fellow recently wanted to check it out and had similar experience as you do. We urged him to work his way up to Washington, gaining insight and experience as well as gear (crampons are a must) before heading up there. I suggest the same.

MtnMagic said:

Snow depth: 18" (down from 24")

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How did the snow depth go down? they got 7 inches of snow last night and it hasnt got above freezing in a week. Blew away?

Temperature above 32 + wind. More than 25' of snow falls on the rockpile each year. The wind blows the snow into Tuckerman's & Huntington's Ravines.

Enter the skiers!

I'm a bit weather behind> Here's what's current:

"Now we are currently sitting at 43.1 inches, which surpasses the old record of 39.8 inches set back in October of 2000." --http://mountwashington.org/

MtnMagic said:

Temperature above 32 + wind. More than 25' of snow falls on the rockpile each year. The wind blows the snow into Tuckerman's & Huntington's Ravines.

Enter the skiers!

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ya i just thought it was wierd because when it snowed they had a 150 mph winds, so i would think if anything was going to blow away it would of blew away then. And Im pretty sure it hasnt gotten above freezing at the summit since the 34 inches of snow

I am amazed at how the landscape on the summit has changed overnight. Exploring the summit with Melanie, our volunteer, and Tim revealed snowdrifts 4 and 5 feet deep appearing in large stretches where they were non existent only yesterday. We continue to have rime ice build up on top of the ice that formed from the storm this past week, albeit growing in the opposite direction. One thing that remains the same however is the large masses of ice that hang off the tower and observations deck railing. If you find yourself hiking around the summit structures in the near future be aware of large falling objects, they could be very detrimental to your health.

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--Kyle Paddleford - Summit Intern

For the latest please check out: http://mountwashington.org/

It's winter up there now & for the foreseeable future unless the next storm comes as all rain & that is unlikely, it looks like they may get another foot or two of snow up high.

What peaks have you climbed & when. Have you been up Washington yet? If not, now is not the first time to go unless you are going with a guide like the EMS Climbing School.

I'm heading there in mid-November as a winter training trip, my gear will include:

Mountaineering boots, 4lb 13 oz leathers or Plastics
two pair of winter mountaineering mitts + liners & fleece gloves
Ice Axe
Crampons
I was hoping not to bring snowshoes but may have to
Neoprene face mask
balaclava
goggles
fullzip fleece pants
wind-bloc fleece vest & expedition fleece jacket
full shell
food that is edible around zero degrees (not Power Bars)
lights (it gets dark around 5:00 that time of year)
thermos with warm liquid, likely water

If your pack is not carrying most of these things, don't go.

November on Washington equals the coldest days on Greylock or Monadnock.

That said, I'm all for extending your season little by little until you hike all year. Trails up 4K peaks like Liberty, Osceola, Pierce, Garfield (if roads are open) are all easy to Moderate with open summits that provide you a taste of winter & if real bad, tree cover is not very far away.

Winter on the peaks of southern New England is good practice too. I started winter hiking on Bear in CT, Holyokes, Greylock then Monadnock with some other South Taconic & Catskill trips before doing Liberty as my first winter peak. Wachusetts would be a good peak to try in winter too.

The learning curve should be a gentle gurve in the beginning, not a ravine headwall.

Tonight & tomorrow's forecast for the higher summits:

Tonight: Summits in the clouds with steady snow developing
Lows: Low 20s °F
Wind: NE and increasing to 30 to 50 mph with higher gusts

Tomorrow: Heavy snow likely with gusty winds and blowing snow.
Highs: Upper 20s °F
Wind: NE at 60 to 80 mph, with higher gusts likely

Conditions Tuesday 10/25/2005 afternoon at the MWO:

Outside Air Temperature = 21.2F
Windspeed 87 MPH
15 Minute Gust 97 MPH
Wind Direction 70 degrees East
Wind Chill -1 F

I'd rather hike in the snow.
100 mph gusts. I've rope.
Let's go!!!