NH Springtime Conditions

[Tuco]

I'll finally be getting my family and myself permanently in NH mid April, and I was curious when "Spring Season" normally hits for hiking in NH (Whites, Monadnock) . By that I mean bare bootin' with no crapons or snowshoes.

Looking forward to getting out and taking the family along. I realize conditions in different years vary, but trying to get a handle on some early season plans.

Appreciate any thoughts.

 

[sapblatt]

Spring conditions

I do not have much experience in the spring conditions area but from what I hear and read it varies tremendously not only from year to year but from location to location. I recently told some people of a plan of mine for late May along the Twinway and I was told I very well may need snowshoes. There are some deep valleys and saddles that retain their snow cover for sometime into June. From what I understand this year, although the snow came late, is considered to be a pretty heavy year for snow. I also hear that the open ridges, although colder tend to have more snow blown off of them and they get more open sunlight, of course this does not help too much if you have to plod through a cold, snow covered valley to get there.

Hope this is some help, and I am sure you will get more good advice and information here. Good luck.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Well, I heard an old timer in Maine once say "9 months of winter and 3 months of damn poor sleddin'". Not too far off the mark. In many spots in the Whites, the only spring season that you get is mud season, then black fly season... Kevin has it covered.

sapblatt: late May you shouldbe fine - you'll hit some slow spots, but they shouldn't be too bad. Early May, the area around the Twins will still have a fair amount of soft snow.

 

[funkyfreddy]

Reminds me off an old joke - "What do you do when summer comes in Maine? Well, if it comes on a Sunday we'll go for a picnic......."

Of course NH and Maine don't seem as cold as they used to when I was a kid but spring has always been a crap shoot weather wise.

 

[forestgnome]

If you're looking for the trails that will sport spring conditions first, look to the trails that are on the southern slopes of a given mountain. And there is a difference between southern and northern mountains in the region. Spring comes sooner to the trails out of Ferncroft than it does to trails out of Appalacia, for example.
As already stated, open ledges and ridges melt sooner than the sheltered trails below.
Beware of one of nature's little tricks: Sometimes if you hit a trail early on a spring morning, you'll find it rock solid. Bring the snowshoes because you might find yourself postholing by mid-day after the sun softens the snow a bit.

Welcome, neighbor, to the best state in the best country!

 

[Sherpa John]

Spring this year?...Aint Happenin' up north thats for dang sure

 

[Tuco]

Thanks for the info- looks like I'll need to buy showshoes and crampons sooner rather than later if I want to get out.

 

[bill bowden]

Spring arrives fairly quickly in southern NH but stays late in the Mountains and ravines. some rough dates to help:
late April -trees sprout in southern NH, first wildflowers at Mount Cardigan (central), lots of ice and snow in the whites
May -spring well underway in the south, trees sprout in central NH and bareboot hiking on S. facing slopes
June- bareboot on all but the most ice prone trails
July -ice only in Ice Gulch, Mahoosuc Notch and King Ravine

 

[SherpaKroto]

bill: you forgot: August: occasional snow squalls at higher elevations.

I'll try to be patient until then!

BTW,
The Welch Dickey loop 5/1/04 - no snow at all.
Kearsarge South and Monadnock were mostly snowfree by 4/11/04,
The cols between Middle Moriah and Moriah had lots of snow left (thigh deep)on 5/8/04. So much so that we continued down Stony Brook to avoid it.
Winter conditions on Old Speck (Maine) on 4/24/04 from about 2500 feet up and again on 4/25/04 on Baldpate (Maine).

 

[cushetunk]

Beware of one of nature's little tricks: Sometimes if you hit a trail early on a spring morning, you'll find it rock solid. Bring the snowshoes because you might find yourself postholing by mid-day after the sun softens the snow a bit.

Mud-season mountain hiking (or skiing!) can be a blast. But I've also noticed this: About the time this slushy muddy mess is happening in the mountains, it is the perfect time for canoe poling and whitewater runs in the lowlands... And the mountains get good again just about when the warbler migration has ended. I find the timing quite convenient.