Not any special route or effort, just a great day in nature. We hit the trail at 9am this past Thursday, December 26, going up Ammo to Lakes of the Clouds Hut and Mount Madison, then over to Mount Washington, and down along the path beside the Cog. Made it back to their parking lot at 5:30pm, just beating the fading sunlight and not needing our headlamps. Saw temps down to –2ºF around Twin Mountain on the way in; about 5 in the parking lot at start; mid-20s at the summit of Washington, and mid teens at the end. This hike was my 4th summit for both peaks.
The conditions were spectacular: besides the unseasonably warm temps, there was little to no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. My hiking friend Maddie had invited me along on her quest for the four seasons 48, which I am now tracking in my spreadsheet as well. I already had Washington in Winter - having gone up and down the Cog path in January 2021 with my hiking mentor B the Hiker - but still needed Monroe for the list. Besides, just a few weeks ago I had a hankering to climb the rock pile again, not having been up there in over three years. I had to abandon an attempt via Tuckerman last October, in cold rain with no visibility, and an inexperienced partner - turning around was a great decision that day. Now, that was my first winter conditions hike since March, I felt a little trepidation about the cold, wearing snowshoes, and the vert for the day (about 4000' up), especially after all the day's before Christmas Day food, drink, and sitting around still hanging with me. The plan turned into a day trip from central Connecticut, not my favorite way to do it, but it saves at least $100 to get back to one's own bed and food afterwards.
Snowshoes went on around Gem Pool, and came off as we hit the pavement at the end. We encountered some notable hikers, including: Gandalph (Mark St. John), who's done a Grid Over Age 60; Bob, a writer and photographer; a pair of women gridders closing in on it; and right at the summit, Ryan Mitchell, who'd summited Everest earlier this year, impressively so at just age 19 - look for his YouTube channel about it. He'd come up Tuckerman Ravine with someone, both in ice climbing gear including helmets. So, it is still true that one can use Washington as training ground for the big peaks. We shared the stoke, and he kindly offered to take a snap of me at the sign. No line today! We lunched on the observation deck, trying to determine if we could see the ocean (decided no). I could have taken a nap on my z-fold foam pad. An MWObs meteorologist came out for a measurement, remarking, this is a top ten day today up here. Indeed!
Here are a few photos, which I hope convey some of the awesome beauty of the place.
The conditions were spectacular: besides the unseasonably warm temps, there was little to no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. My hiking friend Maddie had invited me along on her quest for the four seasons 48, which I am now tracking in my spreadsheet as well. I already had Washington in Winter - having gone up and down the Cog path in January 2021 with my hiking mentor B the Hiker - but still needed Monroe for the list. Besides, just a few weeks ago I had a hankering to climb the rock pile again, not having been up there in over three years. I had to abandon an attempt via Tuckerman last October, in cold rain with no visibility, and an inexperienced partner - turning around was a great decision that day. Now, that was my first winter conditions hike since March, I felt a little trepidation about the cold, wearing snowshoes, and the vert for the day (about 4000' up), especially after all the day's before Christmas Day food, drink, and sitting around still hanging with me. The plan turned into a day trip from central Connecticut, not my favorite way to do it, but it saves at least $100 to get back to one's own bed and food afterwards.
Snowshoes went on around Gem Pool, and came off as we hit the pavement at the end. We encountered some notable hikers, including: Gandalph (Mark St. John), who's done a Grid Over Age 60; Bob, a writer and photographer; a pair of women gridders closing in on it; and right at the summit, Ryan Mitchell, who'd summited Everest earlier this year, impressively so at just age 19 - look for his YouTube channel about it. He'd come up Tuckerman Ravine with someone, both in ice climbing gear including helmets. So, it is still true that one can use Washington as training ground for the big peaks. We shared the stoke, and he kindly offered to take a snap of me at the sign. No line today! We lunched on the observation deck, trying to determine if we could see the ocean (decided no). I could have taken a nap on my z-fold foam pad. An MWObs meteorologist came out for a measurement, remarking, this is a top ten day today up here. Indeed!
Here are a few photos, which I hope convey some of the awesome beauty of the place.
Attachments
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Peek at the peak - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Lakes of the Clouds Hut - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Monroe icy slopes - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Maddie and Vinnie pose for Bob - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Crawford Path sign - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Final push to the summit - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Joseph at Washington summit by Ryan - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Skis at summit - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Maddie and Vinnie descending 2 - dec 26 2024.jpg -
Sunset along the Cog - dec 26 2024.jpg
