Heading to Lonesome Lake Tomorrow (Wednesday 12/28/2004)

[Brambor]

Hello, new user here. I've been fairly active on the very first version of the forum sometimes between 1994-1999 ...

Can anyone confirm my findings about the snow conditions on the trail to the Lonesome Lake? From the reports it appears that there is about 10 inches of snow on the ground with no foreseeable snowstorms in the next two days.

I'm thinking about keeping the snowshoes in the car.

Also, this is my first AMC hut trip in the winter. The website says we get to use the hut kitchen. I am asuming we won't be needing spoons, pots, or cups. Please correct me if I'm wrong.



tx

 

[BrentD22]

Welcome Back Brambor

As far as the snow conditions are you can call the AMC and they should have a good idea.

The huts do have kitchens with pots, pans, plates, utensils, ect. Just be sure not to use the caretakers stuff.

Enjoy the hike!

 

[Jim lombard]

Good site to check trail conditions out there is:
http://www.mountwashington.org/backcountry/index.php

Based on my hike up in the Whites a few days ago I'd bring crampons at least.

 

[hardyb]

Lonesome Lake Hut winter use

I have the same question. I was thinking of spending Sunday night at the hut and was also wondering what "Self service" really means. Do I understanding this correctly that you can use the huts cooking utencils, pots and pans etc. all you have to bring is your food? Also is the public area of the hut heated? On the AMC site it states that the bunk houses are unheated but that,s all it says. What about water, is it available?
Thanks

 

[Jim lombard]

I stayed at Carter notch hut run by the AMC in winter. Pots, pans, plates, forks etc are all available. You should not only bring food but a food-related gift to the caretaker Blankets sometimes are available but don't count on it, we brought sleeping bags and it was quite cold in the unheated bunkrooms that night. The public area is heated though it might not be toasty all the time. They have racks for hanging wet clothes also. Water was available at Carter but it came from the lake, the caretaker cut a hole in the ice and lugged it in. When we were there we helped with that and in bringing a couple of logs up from the trail.

 

[sli74]

I am headed up there for Saturday night . . . see some of you on the trail

sli74

 

[Brambor]

Cards

Well I'm just returning from the trip, posting from my phone.

It was a great trip. We left the snowshoes in the car. It was a decent choice. We did not need them but their crampons would have been helpful in traction. Real crampons are a good idea. We don't have them. The trail was broken well. We utilized our snowshoe poles for added traction and balance. My youngest boy used a sled on the way down and around the hut and had a blast with it.

Pots, pans, cups plates, utensils etc were all there. You needed to sign up for kitchen time
and cleanup time so that there wouldn't be any freaky competition time...

We had foam mats, and either a winter bag or double bags. No heat in the bunkhouse with temperatures below zero at night.

The public area was warmer but no Malibu party ensued. The woodstove was on after 4.30 pm and even then it wasn't going full blast to warm up the room. The room was warmer by people breathing, their body heat and their cooking.

It was a great trip. Loved every minute of it.