Mount Washington snowfields

[riverc0il]

pending good weather, i am likely down for snowfields next weekend. probably not a good idea dropping into tux without being able to assess conditions on the way up. plus, as you mentioned, you run the risk of not being able to get back up.

 

[awf170]

pending good weather, i am likely down for snowfields next weekend. probably not a good idea dropping into tux without being able to assess conditions on the way up. plus, as you mentioned, you run the risk of not being able to get back up.

Nice. Yeah Tucks probably isn't too smart. Snowfields look like enough fun for a day anyway. My goal for the day: 10 runs, I think thats like 6,000 ft. of vertical.(I have a death wish and unlimited energy)

 

[redalienx11]

I'll be there pending weather as well... I'll rely on you guys to give me the most optimistic forecast because I really wanna go. Let me know whats goin down!

 

[riverc0il]

i always try to be pessimistic with my forecast for tux, better to be happily surprised than unhappily disappointed. also the safer bet.

 

[skibum1321]

Mt Washington is one of my least favorite mountains to hike primarily because of the cog and the auto road. It is overcrowded and it just doesn't feel like you just hiked a mountain. I just don't get satisfaction from being on an overcrowded, loud summit. So much for a wilderness experience - not on "Mall Washington" anyway.

 

[Vortex]

This looks like it was fun in here while I was gone. I enjoy reading on this from people who know more about it than me. Anyway looks like I'll be at BW next weekend.

 

[bvibert]

Mt Washington is one of my least favorite mountains to hike primarily because of the cog and the auto road. It is overcrowded and it just doesn't feel like you just hiked a mountain. I just don't get satisfaction from being on an overcrowded, loud summit. So much for a wilderness experience - not on "Mall Washington" anyway.

Look at it this way; At least there are no longer any Hotels at the summit, and they never completed the other train tracks that were to wind around the mountain so a conventional train could make it up.

 

[Angus]

an earlier post stated that the upper snowfields averaged 30 degrees - this seemed a bit steep to me. Of course, I've never been up there! Strangely, I have always hiked from the rt 302 side and therefore have no direct experience - actually not entirely true, I've run the roadrace where they advertise a 11-13% grade. Needless to say, I pulled out the maps and made some quick calculations which may or may not be correct, assuming the max vertical of the snowfields is 1300 feet (6288 minus 5000) this takes you to along the alpine garden trail or edge of tucks bowl. I utilized a ruler to measure approximately 3/4 mile direct line from near the summit to the above referenced boundaries and then used some trig to calculate the angle - I came up with approximately 20 degrees. Remember this is an average with greater and less incline along the way. I also visually compared the topo contours up in the upper snowfield regions (at least where I've seen people indicate the lines they've skiied) to the line spacing on wildcat (something I know from experience) and they looked to be similar.

any comments, gondi line is alot different than upper wildcat in IMO - one not suitable to children perhaps, the other that most kids can handle.

anyway, from those who have skiied up there - is it really 30 degree average pitch

 

[dmc]

upper snowfields from last year...
http://powderhound.org/cgi/imgtool....ields*&type=jpg&offset=1&bgcolor=white&title=

 

[awf170]

an earlier post stated that the upper snowfields averaged 30 degrees - this seemed a bit steep to me. Of course, I've never been up there! Strangely, I have always hiked from the rt 302 side and therefore have no direct experience - actually not entirely true, I've run the roadrace where they advertise a 11-13% grade. Needless to say, I pulled out the maps and made some quick calculations which may or may not be correct, assuming the max vertical of the snowfields is 1300 feet (6288 minus 5000) this takes you to along the alpine garden trail or edge of tucks bowl. I utilized a ruler to measure approximately 3/4 mile direct line from near the summit to the above referenced boundaries and then used some trig to calculate the angle - I came up with approximately 20 degrees. Remember this is an average with greater and less incline along the way. I also visually compared the topo contours up in the upper snowfield regions (at least where I've seen people indicate the lines they've skiied) to the line spacing on wildcat (something I know from experience) and they looked to be similar.

any comments, gondi line is alot different than upper wildcat in IMO - one not suitable to children perhaps, the other that most kids can handle.

anyway, from those who have skiied up there - is it really 30 degree average pitch

No its 30 degrees. The vertical is only 600-700 ft. not 1,200. If there is one thing I'm good at it is math. Look at the topo again the lines are a lot closer on the snowfields(maybe your looking in the wrong place?) Gondi line at Wildcat I bet reaches 35 degrees in a few spots but is not consitent at all, so it probably average 20 degrees. Where as the east snowfields are 600 vertical ft of 30 degree slope and I bet there is nothing inbounds in the east with that consisent steepness like that.

edit: the steepest 400 vertical ft of Gondi line is 22 degrees. 600 vertical ft of the upper snowfields is 30 degrees.

 

[riverc0il]

Mt Washington is one of my least favorite mountains to hike primarily because of the cog and the auto road. It is overcrowded and it just doesn't feel like you just hiked a mountain. I just don't get satisfaction from being on an overcrowded, loud summit. So much for a wilderness experience - not on "Mall Washington" anyway.

you don't have to reach the summit to "hike" a mountain. some of my favorite "peaks" in new england are those surrounding the summit of washington. boott spur, slide peak, etc. walking around on that plateau area is something else. you can ski hear the cog and sometimes see smoke, but i think washington is one of those mountains that the surrounding area is WAY more interesting than the actual summit.

 

[riverc0il]

i think a lot of people tend to over estimate how steep pitch is (not calling you out austin, your estimate sounds about right, just in general). also, most people don't ski true sustained steep pitch, especially steep pitch without bumps which feels A LOT steeper than a steep slope with bumps. the thing that really makes the terrain on washington interesting is the steepness is consistant, so it feels a lot steeper due to the consistant grade.

 

[salida]

i think a lot of people tend to over estimate how steep pitch is (not calling you out austin, your estimate sounds about right, just in general). also, most people don't ski true sustained steep pitch, especially steep pitch without bumps which feels A LOT steeper than a steep slope with bumps. the thing that really makes the terrain on washington interesting is the steepness is consistant, so it feels a lot steeper due to the consistant grade.

It's not steep unless you can touch your hand to the slope...

 

[skibum1321]

you don't have to reach the summit to "hike" a mountain. some of my favorite "peaks" in new england are those surrounding the summit of washington. boott spur, slide peak, etc. walking around on that plateau area is something else. you can ski hear the cog and sometimes see smoke, but i think washington is one of those mountains that the surrounding area is WAY more interesting than the actual summit.

I know you don't need to reach the summit to hike a mountain, but I think you're kidding yourself if you say that reaching the summit isn't one of the most satisfying parts. It's that whole feeling of accomplishment thing when you get to the peak - a feeling that the cog and auto road diminishes in my book.

 

[riverc0il]

I know you don't need to reach the summit to hike a mountain, but I think you're kidding yourself if you say that reaching the summit isn't one of the most satisfying parts.

who are you to judge how hiking is satisfying to me? kidding myself? you are kidding yourself if you think there is only one way to enjoy a mountain. one of my most satisfying hikes ever was up tuckerman ravine, down davis, and down glen boulder. never reached the summit of mount washington, yet it was one of the most satisfying hikes of my life. the summit is often the high point of a hike, figuratively and literally, but in many cases, it isn't the most satisfying parts of a hike. it depends on the trail. if i can be above tree line but not summit, that is still very satisfying. you are welcome to feel how you feel about the cog and auto road. i honestly don't care for the cog all that much but accept its place and ignore the summit hub bub when i am hiking and enjoy areas below the summit. but who are you to judge what someone else feels as satisfying?

 

[skibum1321]

I didn't mean to sound antagonistic there and I'm definitely not judging you or telling you what to think. You are misquoting me a bit, though. I never said that it was necessarily the most satisfying part of the hike - I said it was one of the most satisfying. Do you honestly get no satisfaction from reaching the summit? You even said that it is figuratively the high point of the hike, which means that you must get some satisfaction out of it. I most certainly do and IMO it just doesn't feel right having a restaurant, cog and auto road up there.

 

[loafer89]

There are other mountains to hike and ski in the northeast, Mount Marcy and Mount Katahdin are just a few of many that are skiable. The Auto Road has been in existence since 1861 and the Cog Railroad since 1869, long before people where skiing on the mountain. If you do not like the crowds or the road/railroad find another mountain to play on, nobody if forcing anyone to go there.

Mount Mansfield, Mount Equinox, Mount Washington, Greylock and Mount Ascutney all have auto roads to the top, some have been around as bridal paths/carriage roads for 150 years or more. These roads assist the local economy and provide older people or people no inclined to hike the opportunity to experience the high alpine experience that they might otherwise miss out on if the only way up was on foot.

 

[JimG.]

I agree with Salida's definition of steep: if you're frequently touching the snow with your hands while bootpacking or traversing, that's steep.

And while nobody disputes that most of the lines at Mt. Washington are steep, the steepness changes relative to the snowpack. Depends on how much snow there is and how it's being blown around.

 

[salida]

I agree with Salida's definition of steep: if you're frequently touching the snow with your hands while bootpacking or traversing, that's steep.

And while nobody disputes that most of the lines at Mt. Washington are steep, the steepness changes relative to the snowpack. Depends on how much snow there is and how it's being blown around.

Good Call Jim, the snow pack this year is dwindling, which while skiing the same line on the same day as last year at tucks in April. I noticed it was at least a couple of degrees steeper this year...

As for the summit issue... it is all very personal, some people do it for the experience others for the overall goal of getting to the top. Personally the summit of washington is not very dramtic, the mountain is a dome anyways. Domes are never as fun as peaks. Mansfield from the north is a great summit push. I've always liked Camels Hump as well. Katahdin from the knifes edge. If you're going for aesthetic summits, there are far better than washington.

One of my FAVORITE trails in new england is the Camel trail on washington, its far better than Washington's summit, and leads to monroe which id rather summit anyday.

-Porter

 

[skibum1321]

There are other mountains to hike and ski in the northeast, Mount Marcy and Mount Katahdin are just a few of many that are skiable. The Auto Road has been in existence since 1861 and the Cog Railroad since 1869, long before people where skiing on the mountain. If you do not like the crowds or the road/railroad find another mountain to play on, nobody if forcing anyone to go there.

Mount Mansfield, Mount Equinox, Mount Washington, Greylock and Mount Ascutney all have auto roads to the top, some have been around as bridal paths/carriage roads for 150 years or more. These roads assist the local economy and provide older people or people no inclined to hike the opportunity to experience the high alpine experience that they might otherwise miss out on if the only way up was on foot.

I'm not saying that I don't want to ski the mountain and I'm certainly not denying how awesome the lines are. I'm just saying there are other mountains that provide a better wilderness experience for hiking. And I prefer these other mountains for hiking.

Also, what you say about Mansfield is not totally true. While there is a toll road up Mansfield, it ends well before the summit. It still requires people to get off of their butts and hike a little bit to get to the true summit.