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It varies depending on forecast, where I'm going, who's with me, etc., but the basics include a foam pad, a tarp, either a Blizzard emergency bag or a light 20F sleeping bag, extra layers, extra food, basic fire starter materials, and a big puffy jacket. I sometimes bring a stove and a pot, and...

^^ the one place where I've found a softshell really shines is when you're having to tunnel through a whole lot of snow-laden higher elevation evergreens. Think Santanonis, Sewards, etc. fully buried. A softshell hoodie is a nice thing to have in those situations for its abrasion resistance as...

Two things to add to this interesting discussion of winter layering strategies -- 1. Smartwool glove liners were mentioned a page back, as was their fragility and their price. I agree, they are great, and expensive, and fragile. You can get them at Sierra Trading Post, and if you wait for...

Yup. Puffy over everything the instant I stop; for longer stops, or when in camp, get rid of the shell, so it's base layer>mid insulation>puffy, and possible a shell over all that. That said, it can be tough to keep down from getting damp anyway. Even just throwing it on at breaks, etc., its...

There are a few kinds of outfits that will work with plastic mountaineering boots, like the one discussed in this thread here. The equipment discussed here is really primitive; some Silvretta AT bindings (the 404 and the 500, I think) will also work with plastic mountain boots, and they'll ski...

Neat. Note that deer season reopened again today (muzzleloaders) and continues through next Sunday.

Skis! More than just about any other hike in the Whites, that one cries out for ski approach & egress.

DayTrip - very true, although that changes a whole lot as soon as you head someplace that's not on "the list." My daughter and I hiked Webster on a sunny Saturday in February a few years ago; there must have been 100 people on Jackson, but we only saw one hiker on our peak. Anyway -- sounds...

All true - winter hiking is getting more and more popular in general, and there are sometimes amazing numbers of people in the winter woods, especially on the main approaches to peaks "on the list." The last weekends of calendar winter are especially good times for finding other people on some...

I agree, the underlying "all things being equal" objective rankings get totally trumped by conditions. The respondents have covered a lot of the important points. I realize this isn't what you posted about, and I don't like to tell anyone what to do, but you might want to consider doing some...

Mountain Hardware compressor dome hat <-- favorite hat ever No one hat is everything for every occasion, but I love love love this thing -- super warm for its weight, packs extremely small, very quick drying ... has a kind of a bulbhead dork look to it, but it sure does the job.

LOL Not much to add that hasn't been said, but -- Lightnings are *great* -- until they break. I've had the classic failure too. The trouble is, when they go, they go. Field fixes can be tough. My backup 'shoes are Atlas 30 inchers in tubular aluminum, circa 1990. They take a licking ...

Ah, yes. We filled out our official applications, and we received a congratulatory letter along with our patches. That letter explains that the scrolls are presented at the dinner, and mailed to those who cannot be there. Now I get it. Scrolls. Who knew?

I'm confused. Our patches came the other day. What's this about scrolls?

How awesome is that? What a marvelous big cat.

That's really great. What a nice hiking partner to have.

Burrows Trail from Huntington Center is the easiest (4.8 mile RT x ~2,300' climb). Next easiest is Monroe Trail from Duxbury (~ 6.5 mile RT x 2500' climb). That one is a closer and easier drive from Stowe, though. Also, a really nice loop is possible using the Alpine Trail on the way up...

Good job doing the sensible thing. Have you read Guy Waterman's classic article "Winter Above Treeline?" Anyway, making any of those peaks in winter is no shabby accomplishment. Congrats.

That's awesome. Sounds like a great time. Have fun! Be careful if you sled the road -- it's got a decent gradient for that, but the dropoff down to the Browns River off the side (downhill sledder's right) is severe, and there are places where there's not much margin at the edge of the road.

If you're intending to stay in the actual campground, you're supposed to check in with Parks & Recreation and let them know you'll be doing it, but it is open. Having said that, there is no particular advantage to being in the campground proper, as opposed to an LNT site in the surrounding...