giggy
New member
I did franconia ridge on 10/2 in about 70 degree weather and then I left for Ireland (which I heard on the BBC that the northeast had 10 days of rain and massive flooding) I came back on the 10/17 to sunny skies and the fact that MT Washington got 3 feet of snow and ice! cool. Missed all the rain and came back to snow. can't beat that.
I had a few things somewhat planned that I wanted to do - but when I heard the 3 feet of snow - I knew where i was heading - with or without company!
Kmac and Little Sister wanted to come for sure and we had a few maybe's. Kmac and I wanted to camp out at hermit while Little Sister didn't not. So the plan was to all meet at hermit lake at 8:00am.
Kmac and I met at pinkham about 7:30pm or so - here we met Kevin Rooney who was working there that night and we chatted with him for a good while about mountains and VFTT, etc....
So Kevin - nice to meet you - no Brutus though.
So we finally got going around 9:15 or so. We headed up via headlamp and got to know each other a bit as we have never met before.
We got to hermit lake about 10:30 or so and hit the shelter and set up a quick camp - I cooked some soup to get some warm fluids in me and had a quick beer (thanks Kmac for the long trail!!) and then crashed out.
Kmac volenteers for the AMC so she knows everyone up there which was good becuase some good beta on the routes and found out the tucks ravine trail was a in decent shape - this was good becuase it would be more fun and more visual than boot spur - there was a small risk of falling ice - but not too bad they said.
Had the 3am "gotta pee while shivering my arse off" and then fell back to sleep - 3 people in shelter and zero snoring - how great is that!!
It was quite cold that night - I had my 20 bag and was chilly!!
Got up about 6:30am and had some food and coffee (thanks kmac for the coffee) pumped water for the day, got the gear ready - I wasn't quite sure what to expect as far as ice - so I brough my ice axe as well as crampons.
Becuase Little Sister is a nice quick hiker - she got in early about 7:45am and becuase we also had a few maybe's we hung out until 8:30am and then the 3 of us headed up the headwall.
There is a little bit of snow at hermit lake, but not much yet - it soon gets more and more as you make your way the little headwall and then it gets quite snowy and icy. I suggested we put on crapmons or stablizers at the base of the headwall. It is probably do-able in boots - but better safe than sorry. The trip up the headwall was fun as the views were great seening the gullies in early snow. The waterfalls coming down the ravine were really nice as well. - I hadn't done tucks trail (headwall part) in a few years so it was nice to get on it again - I know it can be a highway, but it is a nice scenic trail - esp in these fall snow condtions.
About halfway up the headwall you can see the obvious ice fall areas from the debris in the trail. I kind of moved us though them quick and then not 10 feet after we were by one of the areas - some ice came down from above due to the sun and warming temps. Not that big of deal though - small ice - not huge bloack by any means.
The ravine was looking mighty nice with all the waterfalls from the snowmelt and stuff.
Weather was nice, it was sunny with only some high clouds and no wind at all!! It was also wamring up quite a bit.
We topped out on the top of the ravine and there is a lot of snow up there for this time of year. There is basically a "ramp" (for lack of better word) from the top of tucks ravine to the summit - where you can crampon up without touching a single rock. Really nice conditions I thought. From here we stopped for while and chatted and ate food/drank fluids and just soaked up the sun for a bit!!
We switchbacked up the cone in the snow - and summited about 10:30am - and could see the line of climbers below us coming up. Loads of people out on summit taking down the place - chipping ice off things - getting ready to close up for the season. The auto raod was shuttling people up so we chatted with them for a while as well as others coming up varoius routes, (caps ridge, jewell, etc...)
Met BLueZ on the summit for a bit as a well as a guy training for Cho Oyo asnd wished him him good luck.
It was no secret that a potentially big storm was moving in in the afternoon so we had planned on getting down early. This was Little Sisters and Kmac's first time up there in snow like this and didn't hink they needed the encore of bad weather!!
We had some time though as the dark clouds were still way off. The plan was to head down Nelson Crag to Alpine Garden and then down Lions Head.
Going down the Nelson Crag to Alpine Garden was fun as the snowfeilds formed are already big and quite steep so we traversed them a bit to climbers left and then made our way back to the big carin on top of hunts ravine.
FYI - the cairns (on nelson crag) for a good 1/4 mile or so seemed to be burried so navigation down to alpine garden might be tricky in whiteout.
We chilled out on top on hunt ravine fore bit and ate and chatted - and then left foe the top of lions head. The red fox was wandering around the garden a bit.
We headed down kindly telling the hoards of people (many poorly dressed and equipped) that there was ice on summit cone and a storm was moving in - but most blew us off - oh well. I kind of commented to myself that there might be some rescuse's tonight.
Had a good trip down lions head and packed up our stuff and headed down to pinkham about 4pm or so. stopped for some pizza and then headed home.
I was going to swing by handcock for some drinks with the bushwhackers but it started to rain so said screw that. I am wimp when it comes to cold rain - I admit it.
We all got on great and it was a really fun day. Kmac might have some pics to post - Both little sister and I didn't have cameras.
lets do it again soon!!! I had a great time up there!
I had a few things somewhat planned that I wanted to do - but when I heard the 3 feet of snow - I knew where i was heading - with or without company!
Kmac and Little Sister wanted to come for sure and we had a few maybe's. Kmac and I wanted to camp out at hermit while Little Sister didn't not. So the plan was to all meet at hermit lake at 8:00am.
Kmac and I met at pinkham about 7:30pm or so - here we met Kevin Rooney who was working there that night and we chatted with him for a good while about mountains and VFTT, etc....
So Kevin - nice to meet you - no Brutus though.
So we finally got going around 9:15 or so. We headed up via headlamp and got to know each other a bit as we have never met before.
We got to hermit lake about 10:30 or so and hit the shelter and set up a quick camp - I cooked some soup to get some warm fluids in me and had a quick beer (thanks Kmac for the long trail!!) and then crashed out.
Kmac volenteers for the AMC so she knows everyone up there which was good becuase some good beta on the routes and found out the tucks ravine trail was a in decent shape - this was good becuase it would be more fun and more visual than boot spur - there was a small risk of falling ice - but not too bad they said.
Had the 3am "gotta pee while shivering my arse off" and then fell back to sleep - 3 people in shelter and zero snoring - how great is that!!
It was quite cold that night - I had my 20 bag and was chilly!!
Got up about 6:30am and had some food and coffee (thanks kmac for the coffee) pumped water for the day, got the gear ready - I wasn't quite sure what to expect as far as ice - so I brough my ice axe as well as crampons.
Becuase Little Sister is a nice quick hiker - she got in early about 7:45am and becuase we also had a few maybe's we hung out until 8:30am and then the 3 of us headed up the headwall.
There is a little bit of snow at hermit lake, but not much yet - it soon gets more and more as you make your way the little headwall and then it gets quite snowy and icy. I suggested we put on crapmons or stablizers at the base of the headwall. It is probably do-able in boots - but better safe than sorry. The trip up the headwall was fun as the views were great seening the gullies in early snow. The waterfalls coming down the ravine were really nice as well. - I hadn't done tucks trail (headwall part) in a few years so it was nice to get on it again - I know it can be a highway, but it is a nice scenic trail - esp in these fall snow condtions.
About halfway up the headwall you can see the obvious ice fall areas from the debris in the trail. I kind of moved us though them quick and then not 10 feet after we were by one of the areas - some ice came down from above due to the sun and warming temps. Not that big of deal though - small ice - not huge bloack by any means.
The ravine was looking mighty nice with all the waterfalls from the snowmelt and stuff.
Weather was nice, it was sunny with only some high clouds and no wind at all!! It was also wamring up quite a bit.
We topped out on the top of the ravine and there is a lot of snow up there for this time of year. There is basically a "ramp" (for lack of better word) from the top of tucks ravine to the summit - where you can crampon up without touching a single rock. Really nice conditions I thought. From here we stopped for while and chatted and ate food/drank fluids and just soaked up the sun for a bit!!
We switchbacked up the cone in the snow - and summited about 10:30am - and could see the line of climbers below us coming up. Loads of people out on summit taking down the place - chipping ice off things - getting ready to close up for the season. The auto raod was shuttling people up so we chatted with them for a while as well as others coming up varoius routes, (caps ridge, jewell, etc...)
Met BLueZ on the summit for a bit as a well as a guy training for Cho Oyo asnd wished him him good luck.
It was no secret that a potentially big storm was moving in in the afternoon so we had planned on getting down early. This was Little Sisters and Kmac's first time up there in snow like this and didn't hink they needed the encore of bad weather!!
We had some time though as the dark clouds were still way off. The plan was to head down Nelson Crag to Alpine Garden and then down Lions Head.
Going down the Nelson Crag to Alpine Garden was fun as the snowfeilds formed are already big and quite steep so we traversed them a bit to climbers left and then made our way back to the big carin on top of hunts ravine.
FYI - the cairns (on nelson crag) for a good 1/4 mile or so seemed to be burried so navigation down to alpine garden might be tricky in whiteout.
We chilled out on top on hunt ravine fore bit and ate and chatted - and then left foe the top of lions head. The red fox was wandering around the garden a bit.
We headed down kindly telling the hoards of people (many poorly dressed and equipped) that there was ice on summit cone and a storm was moving in - but most blew us off - oh well. I kind of commented to myself that there might be some rescuse's tonight.
Had a good trip down lions head and packed up our stuff and headed down to pinkham about 4pm or so. stopped for some pizza and then headed home.
I was going to swing by handcock for some drinks with the bushwhackers but it started to rain so said screw that. I am wimp when it comes to cold rain - I admit it.
We all got on great and it was a really fun day. Kmac might have some pics to post - Both little sister and I didn't have cameras.
lets do it again soon!!! I had a great time up there!
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