Most Difficult New England Winter 4kers

[DayTrip]

I've been researching routes for the winter 4k's and have gotten some very good info here on VFTT as well as some other resources. I am curious to hear from those who have completed 4k's in winter what they consider to be the most difficult summits to get in winter and why, not so much from a distance perspective but more from the demanding/difficult angle. A few come to mind such as the Osceolas (which from what I have read is notoriously icy from Greeley Pond side and that major chimney in middle??) and I've read a lot of seemingly easy routes get major snow fields/drifts and are not as easy as they would seem (such as the Crawford Path going around Monroe which according to the 4000 Footer Guide is a treacherous drifting and angled snow field - I would have thought that was easy cruising like the summer).

Any rankings of your "Worst 5" or "Worst 10" and why would be helpful to me for planning purposes. Once again not concerned so much with long distances but with difficult or unusually dangerous areas, etc. and specifically what routes (and even where) these obstacles are. Appreciate the feedback as always.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Extended above treeline hikes are the toughest, so I'd rank Jefferson, Adams, Washington and then Lincoln/Lafayette as the first 5. The next would be the Bonds (distance and above treeline exposure) and then Owls Head (distance and navigation). Then I'd place the Tripyramids due to their steepness/roughness, followed by the Twins (distance & major river crossing). I'd then rank Isolation - distance & navigation. The rest of them fall out somewhere after that.

I don't really consider the Osceolas all that tough - yes, the Chimney requires care and can be a bit time-consuming, and yes the approach from the Kanc has some very steep sections, but never found it too daunting overall.

Much of this ranking is subjective, based upon our skills, strengths, respective ages, etc, so I expect there may be some lively discussion.

 

[DayTrip]

I'm 43 years old and definitely new to winter hiking so my perspective on steep icy ledges is probably different than yours. I'd consider my conditioning probably a 5 or 6 on a 1-10 scale compared to the people who post in this group. Distance very rarely is an issue for me endurance wise provided grades are not excessively steep. (I did Owl's Head and The Bonds/Bondcliff this summer without any fatigue issues). And I always hike alone so the routes I choose are always carefully selected and reviewed before I hit the trail.

So I'm more concerned with issues of knowledge, skills and equipment more than conditioning. For example, from what I've read Jefferson is one of the hardest peaks for winter. The 4000 Footer Guide references to very difficult snowfields when coming up from North through Edmands Col via trails like Lowes Path/Randolph Path/etc. So what is a "difficult snowfield"? Really deep, steep powder that saps all your energy? Bulletproof snow and ice that could lead to a nasty fall and slide? Or if I'm doing the chimney on Osceola do you normally have someone with you who helps with a rope or other means that I won't have at my disposal? And of course I can't car spot by myself so it is unlikely I'd be doing any traverses, thus distance is less of a concern for me. Those hikes would have to be broken up into several trips for me (such as the Bonds which I did in two hikes this past year). And what about terms like "fir wave" and "spruce trap" and others I've seen on VFTT. What are these types of hazards and where am I most likely to run into them?

The river crossings certainly sound like a major obstacle on several hikes. That would be the kind of info of interest to me.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Without seeming to be evasive - I'd say that many of your concerns can best be addressed by first reading an authoritative text, like "Freedom of the Hills", and then actually experiencing it, preferably with experienced partners. That you hike alone, and plan to continue to - that's your own decision, of course. But, it goes without saying that it's much easier to extract yourself from a spruce trap with the help of others.

To address Jefferson specifically - sounds like the 4000 Footer Guide "references to very difficult snowfields" is from the Edmands Col approach, or from the north. With the access to the Cog RR trailhead in winter, most now use the Jewell to Gulfside approach, which is from the south, and there's no such snowfield. Having said that - the first several times I did Jefferson was from the north, and since I was usually doing it with my Newfie, I needed to find a somewhat alternative route, so by staying to the far right on the snowfield it was a much more moderate approach. It bought you just west of the summit, and from there it was easy.

 

[DougPaul]

Don't forget that travel conditions in winter can be highly variable. What is hard one day can be easy the next and vice versa. The ability to adapt to a range of conditions as they occur and a willingness to turn back if the conditions are more than you are willing/able to handle are very important.

Doug

 

[dailey7779]

For the Chimney on Osceola you can bypass it if you don't want to head up the Chimney. However, the chimney can be a lot of fun when it's filled with snow!

As for the water crossings, I've gotten lucky, on almost all of my winter hikes they have been snow bridged or if they weren't they didn't cause any major obstacles.

I will not put any ranking on which ones are the most difficult because that depends on weather, snow conditions, breaking trail, etc. Of course you'll have less room for error above treeline in deteriorating conditions.

Enjoy hiking in the winter, it's awesome. Did most of my first round solo, I just used caution and had no issues at all.

-Chris

 

[TJsName]

Extended above treeline hikes are the toughest...

...Much of this ranking is subjective, based upon our skills, strengths, respective ages, etc, so I expect there may be some lively discussion.

It's also subjective based on the conditions for that day. A really deep snowpack can make it really tiring to go along a ridge crest because you have to duck under all the branches, so doing a section like that in mid-January would be much easier than doing it in mid-March. Being along an open ridge would likely be a relief after crouch-walking for an extended period of time. Of course, if there are gale force winds, you might rather be in the trees. It's possible that the Hancocks in March would be much tougher than Jefferson in January. But of course all things being equal, on any given day, Kevin's list is going to be accurate.

 

[marty]

I will not put any ranking on which ones are the most difficult because that depends on weather, snow conditions, breaking trail, etc. Of course you'll have less room for error above treeline in deteriorating conditions.-Chris

This sums it up nicely. Do not underestimate how difficult breaking trail is. Of all my winter hikes, the most difficult I did was Webster-Jackson in a high snow year. My friend and I decided to break out the Webster part of the loop in chest deep snow. In addition, the snow covered nearly all the trail blazes, so we had to guess where the real trail was (not always successfully). We were totally baked by the time we got to the Jackson summit, but thankfully had a packed trail from Jackson to Crawford Notch.

One tip: trails are often broken out better on Sundays, as there will normally be Saturday traffic on the 4ks.

Good luck. It will be an amazing adventure.

Marty

 

[Tom_Murphy]

I love hiking alone. My late summer and fall hikes are recon for my winter hikes. I have never hiked a new, unknown, trail in the winter. Most trails are broken out soon after a storm; so if you want "first tracks" you need to find less popular trails.

I rememeber reading speculation about about a hiker who died in the ADKs may have gotten caught in one. And here it is, http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?33994-Fatality-from-falling-in-spruce-traps

I share your concern about spruce traps. Also worry about breaking through the snow/ice bridge on a river crossing and injuring my head in a fall.
http://forum.hike-nh.com/viewtopic.php?p=33103&sid=61bd608727ad0b1347c72a5b6fc0d713

But being deep in the woods on a snowy winter night is just so much fun it out weighs those fears.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

To clarify on Osceola's chimney - I never do it. Why risk it when there's a perfectly good bypass? But even the bypass is tricky at times.

And it goes without saying that any mountain can stop you in the right conditions. I'm sure someone's got a story about how they almost died in a whiteout on Waumbek.

But, all things being equal - my ranking is how I view the Whites in general. No matter what - always make sure the weather and conditions are within limits for the Plan A hike, and always have a B, and sometimes a C.

 

[TJsName]

...always have a B, and sometimes a C.

Well that kind of limits you to the Wildcats then, eh?

 

[Raven]

To piggyback Kevin's comments on Jefferson, the snowfield approaching from the north out of Edmands Col can be dangerous in hard-pack or icy conditions. Be careful to not veer to far east (toward Great Gulf) as suggested and stay to the "right."

I agree that the most prudent approach is from the Jewell Trail.

Adams can also be in a separate category if conditions above King Ravine are icy. At least one winter hiker without crampons has slipped and fallen all the way down the headwall to the bottom of the ravine (and actually walked out).

Washington obviously falls into this category as well, although I have found that usually a little easier than Adams or Jeff due to it being a generally shorter day.

Enjoy it!

 

[peakbagger]

The hardest 4000 footer is sometimes the one that you shouldn't have climbed. I see by the OPs location and screen name that possibly he is contemplating day tripping winter 4Ks. Its entirely doable but the conditions in the whites are far less predictable in winter than summer and the forecasts at best are generally best guesses especially in early winter. I was lucky in doing my 4 K list as I live locally so I had the luxury of picking my days, unfortunately that directly conflicted with "list fever" in the early days of winter hiking and it was easy to rationalize just heading out. About 90% of the time the weather didn't get better and we ended up toughing it out in marginal conditions to the summit. Eventually we adopted the check the forecast the night before but be ready to bail approach and had a series of incredible trips when the weather did line up. I ended up redoing most if not all the marginal weather peaks the next year.

Unfortunately for those who live a distance away, its easy to check the forecast out the night before, drive 3 or 4 hours and find that the weather in the whites is not so good. The normal response is "lets go and if the weather doesn't get any better we will turn around" approach and that's where folks occasionally get in serious trouble as its easy to slowly increase your risk tolerance during the hike possibly fueled by list fever and a light touch of hypothermia. Your choices are do the prudent thing and have a backup hike (nothing wrong with an occasional trip up Mt Field to feed the birds) if the weather is sketchy or wait until later winter when the weather stabilizes. Typically the last 3 or 4 weekends of winter tend to be the time to do the big summits so work on the lesser summits in January and early February.

 

[mirabela]

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 winter hikes with experienced people before going out on your own, especially to the more remote peaks, or above treeline, or at 'off' times. There's a lot to learn, and the winter mountains can be pretty unforgiving of small oversights.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

There are also a good number of "safe" winter hikes for solo hikers. By that I mean trails that have such high usage, you aren't likely to be truly alone for very long over the course of a day. Crawford Path to Pierce is probably the most commonly recommended first winter hike. Ones with a ski area are lower risk too, like Tecumseh and Wildcat (especially if you go via the ski area.) Cannon, near the top, is relatively close to the ski area.

Despite the Lincoln/Lafayette loop appearing in the more difficult list (due to exposure), it is also one of, if not the, most popular winter hikes there is. Liberty and Flume fall someone behind, but on any given weekend, it is almost a certainty that there will be hikers on these four peaks.

Heck, I went to do Cabot on a rainy winter Tuesday and was not alone. In fact, that year I did the single-season winter 48 ('11-'12) and soloed about half the trips - and I think there was only one day where I didn't run into anyone. I did the Kinsmans on Friday and counted 25 people and 6 dogs, of which I knew 8 and 2 respectively

Tim

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

One tip: trails are often broken out better on Sundays, as there will normally be Saturday traffic on the 4ks.

Marty

Very true, but even better take Monday off and hit the trails. It's often the best time of the week.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Jackson is generally considered to be one of the easiest hikes in the summer. But the upper section can get tricky toward the end of February and in March if there has been a lot of snow.

 

[mirabela]

There are also a good number of "safe" winter hikes for solo hikers. By that I mean trails that have such high usage, you aren't likely to be truly alone for very long over the course of a day. Crawford Path to Pierce is probably the most commonly recommended first winter hike. Ones with a ski area are lower risk too, like Tecumseh and Wildcat (especially if you go via the ski area.) Cannon, near the top, is relatively close to the ski area.

Despite the Lincoln/Lafayette loop appearing in the more difficult list (due to exposure), it is also one of, if not the, most popular winter hikes there is. Liberty and Flume fall someone behind, but on any given weekend, it is almost a certainty that there will be hikers on these four peaks.

Heck, I went to do Cabot on a rainy winter Tuesday and was not alone. In fact, that year I did the single-season winter 48 ('11-'12) and soloed about half the trips - and I think there was only one day where I didn't run into anyone. I did the Kinsmans on Friday and counted 25 people and 6 dogs, of which I knew 8 and 2 respectively

Tim

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 of the deeper/harder routes.

I totally get the appeal of hiking alone -- I've done lots and lots of it, and if my kids didn't like hiking I'd probably still do it -- but there's not much to lose, and potentially a *ton* to learn by doing at least a few winter trips with others, all kinds of little tricks to staying comfortable and happy and safe. But, yeah, not to hijack the thread. I'll be quiet now, promise!

 

[bikehikeskifish]

No, don't be quiet! It's always a good thing to have many opinions. Your advice to go with others is valuable. If, however, you must go alone, I wanted to add some relatively safe ways to do it. Even at 250+ 4K peaks, half or more in winter, my wife still gets a little anxious if I am going alone. I have shared a few solo summits with my family via FaceTime. Yeah, geeky I know, BUT it lets them see what I see and know I am OK. I'm hoping it will get them more interested.

Let me offer the suggestion that Waumbek is perhaps the easiest of the 4Ks in winter. There is exactly one short steep pitch right before Starr King, but otherwise it is a ramp, has some really nice woods, and a very nice viewpoint at Starr King and again just past the summit.

Tim

 

[Mike P.]

Of course we have a whole new discussion on the ability to use Wildcat's ski trails in winter. I'd go with the Bonds and Jefferson but as long as the Cog lot is plowed, Jefferson is easier than it used to be. Adams and Washington but if you get very good weather, they aren't much harder. The Osceola Chimney and Bypass can be tough if icy.

Easy five: Pierce, Tom, Tecumseh, Waumbek, well that's four.