Rain All Weekend

[TEO]

Yes, the Imp Shelter is good.

What about staying at Crag Camp or Grey Knob? If you've got the right clothing and are well supplied, few things make you feel as alive as hiking above treeline in raw weather. Leave, a change of warm (fleece, wool, hat, etc.), dry clothes at camp. The library at Grey Knob is excellent.

Or, Camp Shehadi in the Sandwich Range.

 

[rainman19]

Yes, the Imp Shelter is good.

What about staying at Crag Camp or Grey Knob? If you've got the right clothing and are well supplied, few things make you feel as alive as hiking above treeline in raw weather. Leave, a change of warm (fleece, wool, hat, etc.), dry clothes at camp. The library at Grey Knob is excellent.

Or, Camp Shehadi in the Sandwich Range.

I thought Camp Shehadi was closed (taken down).

 

[TEO]

Yes, it was. Hence, the wink.

 

[chipc]

Or, Camp Shehadi in the Sandwich Range.

And maybe a second night here! (from Dave Metsky's site)

 

[TEO]

And maybe a second night here! (from Dave Metsky's site)

If Shehadi and Rich are both full, try Camp Heermance. If you're thinking about the Southern Presis, Dry River Shelters #1 & 2 would be comparable options.

 

[JohnL]

I was thinking about setting up base camp at Sawyer pond and day hiking the tripyramids one day and then doing hancocks the next. Need to work out distances. Any thoughts.

I second the idea of Pine Bend Brook Trail over Sabbaday for the Tripyramids. At least one of the five stream crossings going to the Hancocks could be troublesome as well. You could always go up Passaconaway via Oliverian Brook Trail and then go over to Whiteface as well. There's only one brook crossing to contend with on the Passaconaway Cutoff.

JohnL

 

[Bob Kittredge]

One of the nicest rainy day hikes I've ever done was Mahoosuc Notch. Course it helps to be with a good group of people.

Other than staying below treeline and avoiding traverses (with their problematic stream crossings), you might also plan a shorter-than-average hike.

But weather forecasts in the Whites are generally even less reliable than for the rest of the world. I'm trying to train myself to not even look at the forecast until Friday afternoon. And I generally wait til I'm at the trailhead to make the go/no-go decision.

 

[smitty77]

I'll second the Crag Camp/Grey Knob suggestion. I've stayed in both, and they are quite nice. You could bag a few peaks as long as the wind isn't a factor. If you're dead set on a shelter option, the Perch isn't too far from the higher camps, and will allow you to bag Adams and Jefferson.

East Osceola is another good rainy-day peak. At least it was when I did it, poured all day long on that one.

 

[--M.]

Is the IMP Shelter any good?

"Is the Imp Shelter any good?"! It's AWESOME!

I stayed there on a trip up from Moriah Brook that continued to North Carter and beyond. Tremendous trip, but would lose some of its value if viewless (as the views are also WICKED PISSA!!!).

I met a guy there who said he had waited out a hurricane in its two-storied glory and loved every minute.

It would work fine for your needs, but you may not want to miss those particular views.

I also hiked Whiteface, Passaconaway and a little of Kate Sleeper's trail in the rain: beautiful! Sorry, TOTALLY RADICAL! Met a Ms. Moose there, and we both startled each other so much we laughed. She looked funny laughing.

A buddy and I tented (slept under the stars, actually) at the Perch, but the lean-to looks very tucked-in and snug. I have also spent several snug evenings at Hermit Lake in all kinds of blowing weather; very good choice!

Please do provide a trip report, after all this conjecture!

 

[David Metsky]

If Shehadi and Rich are both full, try Camp Heermance. If you're thinking about the Southern Presis, Dry River Shelters #1 & 2 would be comparable options.

I prefer either the Edmands Col or Moosilauke emergency shelters.

 

[rainman19]

I'll second the Crag Camp/Grey Knob suggestion. I've stayed in both, and they are quite nice. You could bag a few peaks as long as the wind isn't a factor. If you're dead set on a shelter option, the Perch isn't too far from the higher camps, and will allow you to bag Adams and Jefferson.

East Osceola is another good rainy-day peak. At least it was when I did it, poured all day long on that one.

Stayed there last fall and bagged Adams and Jefferson. Stayed at the perch one night as well. Major lightning storm that day...

 

[miehoff]

Perfect Weekend!

It will be a great weekend to prep for my trip to Baxter.

 

[cushetunk]

Dude, you are overthinking this. And you absolutely cannot overthink having fun in the rain, you've just got to go do it.

Don't get me wrong, I love hiking in the rain, but I also happily admit when I don't want to hike in the rain. Overthinking is usually a symptom of a dangerous "moral-obligation-to-hike" syndrome. Don't be fooled; beat this malaise now and you'll go on to a happy life of hiking, and also you will know the joy of sleeping in, cooking a good brunch, and reading something lazily on a weekend morning.

Such is my personal philosophy, in any case.

(For another shelter option off the beaten NH4000 track, how about Speck Pond and Old Speck? Are you doing the NE 4000?)

 

[billski]

One of the nicest rainy day hikes I've ever done was Mahoosuc Notch. Course it helps to be with a good group of people.

Other than staying below treeline and avoiding traverses (with their problematic stream crossings), you might also plan a shorter-than-average hike.

But weather forecasts in the Whites are generally even less reliable than for the rest of the world. I'm trying to train myself to not even look at the forecast until Friday afternoon. And I generally wait til I'm at the trailhead to make the go/no-go decision.

Bob, I'm interested in you Mahoosuc comment, since I'll be passing through there in July. It's always been my experience that rocky scrambles in the rain should be avoided due to the slippery nature of things. Last summer in the western whites I had to abandon a steep granite incline, even with rope assist due to the slippery nature. Perhaps the lack of hiker traffic accumulated more moss and detritus.

Having said that, I did Knife Edge in the clouds and pouring rain and survived. I thought that Mahoosuc was such a jumble of rocks that you went up,down, over and under. Perhaps as people characterize it as "difficult", you they are only referring to those with full packs?

What I like about rainy day hiking is that there are fewer people out and about. Probably because of that I have more wildlife counters of the larger kind on those days, while the little guys hunker down.

With regard to go/nogo, if I'm at a trailhead, I'm already outside and want to go play. My go/nogos usually have more to do with things like really bad storms or lightning than whether it's raining. Interestingly, on those rainy hike days I'm going solo since nobody else is interested!

There are certain things that will get in the way of going out, like Father's Day.

 

[Nutsosa]

If you are going in for two nights with a high chance of steady rain all weekend, no views, slipper rocks, where do you go?

You go clear drainage on your trail

(I'll be on Garfield Ridge on Sunday if anyone wants to get muddy )

 

[Stan]

A dinner interuption at Lakes of the Clouds

Last weekend wasn't much better than this one promises to be.

On Sunday, we went up King Ravine. Little rain until evening but wet rocks from previous day's rain.

On Monday, we went from Madison hut to Lakes of the Clouds hut. Cooler and not much rain until mid afternoon on ... especially the exposed Westside and Crawford Trails.

On Tuesday, stop the presses, the sun came out ... as we hiked out.

Plan on taking longer to hike, plan on having the right clothing and spare for adverse weather. Elementary? During dinner at the Lakes, a hiker arrived ... hypothermic. The croo stripped his wet clothes, wrapped him in blankets and fed him some warm fluids. At first I thought the commotion was all part of the dinner time skit ... but it proved real.

Wearing a soft shell I believe. Not adequate for the conditions.

Then on Tuesday the air search began for the missing hiker.

Both served as reminders of how tenuous our safety is in the mountains and how much it depends on both our preparation and on things we don't control.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Bob, I'm interested in you Mahoosuc comment, since I'll be passing through there in July. It's always been my experience that rocky scrambles in the rain should be avoided due to the slippery nature of things. Last summer in the western whites I had to abandon a steep granite incline, even with rope assist due to the slippery nature. Perhaps the lack of hiker traffic accumulated more moss and detritus.

Billski, it was a light to moderate rain in the Notch that day, and we just took our time. The Notch is more or less level, so if you do slip, you're not going to fall very far. Actually the climb up Mahoosuc Arm was a little more exciting, since it does feature some smooth, semi-steep ledges. But still, no big deal.

 

[Tom Rankin]

A lot of rain this weekend in the Cats, but we dodged most of it. The BLM cabin kept us warm and dry.

 

[rocket21]

Well, the weather up in the Whites wasn't quite as bad as forecasted this past weekend, however it looks like we have wet weather for at least another week. Seems like a repeat of last year :/

 

[dentonfabrics]

Well, the weather up in the Whites wasn't quite as bad as forecasted this past weekend, however it looks like we have wet weather for at least another week. Seems like a repeat of last year :/

Nah, it wont be that bad this week. A shower or two, not much sun. The weather guy says that summer (85F+) starts Friday.

Meanwhile, today is perfect pond fishin' weather. Temps support hatches, trout should be taking dries all day. A little wind impedes their vision. I'll be in Pittsburg by noon.


bob