Do things suck up north?

[iagreewithjamie]

Hi all,
Sorry for the long silence, but with two new babies I don't have a whole lot of time to hike, much less gab about hiking.
I have a free day Feb 3, and was thinking about heading north... but it looks like things really suck up there.
Minimal trail reports, and the ones I find speak of boilerplate ice, not much snow, monorail... more like spring.

So tell me, do things suck up there?
I was thinking of doing Greenleaf Trail up Lafayette.

Thanks much.

 

[Chip]

There may be more gravity, but things never suck up north
I'll report what I've seen on Sunday, closer to your date.
Though things will have changed again by the 3rd.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Last weekend was definitely spring-like... icy in spots, bare in spots, even a little monorail - on Dicey's Mill.

Tim

 

[skiguy]

Depends on your definition of suck. If you like shredding deep pow in the trees then I would say it sucks. If you ski groomers then it’s pretty good. If your an area Nordic skier terrain is limited but what’s open is not bad. If you are a snowshoer only stay home because that sucks. If you like crunching around with spikes on your feet it is way in. If the forecast over the weekend is right more spiking will be in order.

 

[peakbagger]

If i didnt have the plague (flu), the conditions are great for roaming through the woods off trail. There is enough snow/ice that the undergrowth is locked in. No need for the big snowshoes.

 

[yogi]

I climbed Madison yesterday (Valley Way), and IMO conditions are perfect. Spikes the entire way, hard packed, grippy and fast. Summit cone mostly bare rock with some ice here and there. Only two small patches of boilerplate-ish ice, both easily avoidable.

 

[DayTrip]

I climbed Madison yesterday (Valley Way), and IMO conditions are perfect. Spikes the entire way, hard packed, grippy and fast. Summit cone mostly bare rock with some ice here and there. Only two small patches of boilerplate-ish ice, both easily avoidable.

I've noticed Jefferson and Adams have been conspicuously absent on NETC and other sites for awhile now. Is the ice that bad or is it possible people are simply not documenting the trips? I know we've had some nasty weather of late too but there have been doable days recently but I have seen very little. I think the last trail report for Adams on NETC was back on 12/10 (at least as of yesterday morning - haven't checked since).

 

[DayTrip]

Depends on your definition of suck. If you like shredding deep pow in the trees then I would say it sucks. If you ski groomers then it’s pretty good. If your an area Nordic skier terrain is limited but what’s open is not bad. If you are a snowshoer only stay home because that sucks. If you like crunching around with spikes on your feet it is way in. If the forecast over the weekend is right more spiking will be in order.

I was reading some trip reports for Monadnock yesterday and it sounds like it is a giant block of ice right now. All recommended crampons and ice axe.

 

[yogi]

Personally, I have not been documenting conditions much as I usually end up hiking just before a major weather event. I met one other on my way down yesterday heading for Adams. I don't think the ice is that bad from what I saw.

 

[CaptCaper]

I was reading some trip reports for Monadnock yesterday and it sounds like it is a giant block of ice right now. All recommended crampons and ice axe.

Giant mistake taking the White Cross as they did... most times during the winter... there are many other routes to take that are't like the cross.. I always take the cliff walk via Parker farm way.. more scenic and easier ..

 

[jniehof]

I've noticed Jefferson and Adams have been conspicuously absent on NETC and other sites for awhile now. Is the ice that bad or is it possible people are simply not documenting the trips?

I did Madison on 1/14; it was almost completely dry and I bumped into somebody on the way up and down who'd done Adams as well, said it was much the same. Eisenhower on 1/15 was a river of ice.

 

[Mike P.]

I prefer the white arrow and half way house for Monadnock in winter. I'm guessing people are getting turned back on mircos because the ice is pretty thick. I Prefer full crampons anyway. (Just don't get the front points caught on the way down.....)

 

[Chip]

Depends on your definition of suck. If you like shredding deep pow in the trees then I would say it sucks. If you ski groomers then it’s pretty good. If your an area Nordic skier terrain is limited but what’s open is not bad. If you are a snowshoer only stay home because that sucks. If you like crunching around with spikes on your feet it is way in. If the forecast over the weekend is right more spiking will be in order.

All this is correct, from what we saw. Microspikes from the parking lot, especially after the recent rain/thaw/freeze. Nothing in the forecast to change that anytime this week.

 

[DayTrip]

Giant mistake taking the White Cross as they did... most times during the winter... there are many other routes to take that are't like the cross.. I always take the cliff walk via Parker farm way.. more scenic and easier ..

I almost tried the Cliff Walk a few weekends ago but wondered if it saw any travel in Winter. I think next time I head up there I'll try it. I have never done any of the approaches from the South.

 

[DayTrip]

I did Madison on 1/14; it was almost completely dry and I bumped into somebody on the way up and down who'd done Adams as well, said it was much the same. Eisenhower on 1/15 was a river of ice.

Have there been any updates on Air Line trail since all the damage from the Fall? I haven't read much on that either since the earlier reports of heavy blowdown damage and the trail being near impassable. I am really hoping to finish my W48 on Adams via Airline. Was thinking I might go up Valley Way and cut over to the fun part of Airline via Upper Bruin. No idea if Upper Bruin sees any Winter use.

 

[DayTrip]

I did Zealand Mt yesterday as an out and back from the snowmobile lot on Rte 302 and conditions were near perfect. Road had some short sections of gray ice but was generally packed (although somewhat soft). The trails all had a nice, smooth track with virtually no open spots or post holes. The ridge still has plenty of snow. No ice on the entire route other than river crossings (which had some really cool ice and hollowed out ice formations on them). I wore microspikes from the car to Zealand summit and snowshoes from the summit back to the car. So I suspect a lot of similar trails are enjoying some pretty nice conditions right now. Other than about a dozen people leaving the hut AM I only saw one guy on the trail late in the afternoon. Was like my own personal hiking park yesterday. Conditions were great. If you have Zealand on your "list" it is a great time to get it.

 

[jniehof]

Have there been any updates on Air Line trail since all the damage from the Fall? I haven't read much on that either since the earlier reports of heavy blowdown damage and the trail being near impassable. I am really hoping to finish my W48 on Adams via Airline. Was thinking I might go up Valley Way and cut over to the fun part of Airline via Upper Bruin. No idea if Upper Bruin sees any Winter use.

Can't help you much; the guy I talked with both directions was Valley Way up and down. Somebody else started from the parking lot at the same time as me and was going to go up Airline to Adams, but I didn't see 'em after.

Pretty much nothing forking off Airline (EDIT: Valley Way. Not Airline. I didn't touch Airline) was broken out.

 

[datbrew]

I may have been one of those guys going up Airline. We started up around 8:30 after spending a good 30 min getting ready in the lot. 1/14 was cold!

We didn't have any issues other than just below treeline. There is still a handful of sections with blowdowns that require detours off trail. If it weren't 0 degrees we might not have been able to continue, but even the crust off-trail was frozen solid. That allowed us to climb over the top of most of them.

I'm sure it has changed since we were up there but we found snowshoes were best until you start to gain the ridge, then micros/crampons from that point on all the way to the summit. We came down Valley way. I would recommend sticking to that unless you want the unnecessary challenge!

 

[peakbagger]

Welcome datBrew to the site ! ( I see its your first post)

 

[DayTrip]

I may have been one of those guys going up Airline. We started up around 8:30 after spending a good 30 min getting ready in the lot. 1/14 was cold!

We didn't have any issues other than just below treeline. There is still a handful of sections with blowdowns that require detours off trail. If it weren't 0 degrees we might not have been able to continue, but even the crust off-trail was frozen solid. That allowed us to climb over the top of most of them.

I'm sure it has changed since we were up there but we found snowshoes were best until you start to gain the ridge, then micros/crampons from that point on all the way to the summit. We came down Valley way. I would recommend sticking to that unless you want the unnecessary challenge!

Thanks for the update and welcome to the forum.