Question about Newbie Winter Hiking

[dundare]

Hi,

My schedule and circle of friends generally leaves me hiking solo during the three seasons I have always hiked. Often, if I want to hit the trail more than once a month during the year I end up going myself. Obviously, there is a lot more risk in the winter. It is hard not to be aware of it if you are a hiker.

I generally consider myself a pretty level headed guy and someone who errs on the side of caution when hiking. Over the past couple years I have accumulated winter gear and tried it out locally (Blue Hills mostly). I am now hoping to take it to the next level and hit some of the areas I have hiked in NH and do at least some of them solo. Right now, it is 100% hypothetical, but I am interested in your thoughts about whether:

1) Whether trying to get into winter hiking largely by soloing is even somewhat feasible.

2) Whether starting hikes should include places hike Greeley Ponds, snowshoe through the Pemi, Ethan Pond, Arethusa Falls, Lonesome Lake and then assuming all systems are a go places like Starr King and Waumbek, Tecumseh, and Carter Notch.

All this assumes that I am a pretty cautious guy, set turn around times, pick my days based on the weather and turn around at the first sign of a problem.I realize that anytime you do things alone in the backcountry your level of risk goes up and that this is even more true in winter. I guess my biggest question is by how much and would I be taking foolish risks to try out easier trails and such on my lonesome.

 

[TMax]

I do most of my hiking solo. While you obviously need to be all the more cautious, it's do-able. Just start out small and slow, working on your skills and self-assurance. As you get more confident, try "bigger" things. One of the most important things to remember (at least for me) is never go up what you can't get down! You never know when you need to make a quick retreat, even if you're planning a loop trip. So always make sure you can get back. I tend to carry a very full pack, especially when winter soloing. I am generally prepared to be out in harsh conditions (even if they are not predicted) so I have gear to make it through "worse-case scenarios"...but I'm always ready to turn around if things aren't going well. And I also agree with KR, stick to trails that are well travelled, just in case.

 

[dundare]

Oops somehow I posted this in the wrong forum - sorry bout that.

 

[DougPaul]

There is a big difference between winter soloing as a beginner and soloing after one has accumulated a lot of experience. Small mistakes can have serious consequences in winter.

It might be worthwhile to do some winter hiking with organizations such as the AMC or the ADK to get some experience under knowledgable leadership. (The AMC, and I believe the ADK as well, teach a winter school which might be helpful.) You can also get instruction and some trips from commercial guide services. (Expensive, but should be high quality.)

Not trying to scare you off--the winter woods can be very enjoyable. Just trying to help you get a safer start. I have been winter hiking, skiing, and climbing for 30 years (started with my college winter school) and as I read these trip reports, I see many rookie mistakes.

Doug

 

[sleeping bear]

I'm new to mountains, but not to solo winter excursions.

I follow all of the above advice and definitley carry a larger pack. I look at what I've got and ask myself "what if I have to spend the night, or longer?" Can I do it? If I fall and break my leg, can I wait out help without suffering huge consiquesnces?

I am also a Wilderness First Responder and carry a larger first aid kit.

I may have missed it, but I haven't read perhaps the most important thing you can do-

TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU'RE GOING

Leave detailed plans, and give a time at which you expect to be back, and a time at which those who are waiting for you should begin to worry if you don't return.

Then, follow that plan. My husband was once minutes away from calling the police (a little prematurely perhaps) when I missed a return time because I spent too long enjoying the beautiful day, and evening. He was worried sick, for no reason.

 

[DougPaul]

My husband was once minutes away from calling the police (a little prematurely perhaps) when I missed a return time because I spent too long enjoying the beautiful day, and evening. He was worried sick, for no reason.

It may be worth leaving not only an expected-return time, but also a later call-the-authorities time. There are many non-threatening reasons for returning later than expected.

Travel speeds are also hard to predict in winter.

In many situations, if someone is reported missing, the searchers will not start until some delay has passed, perhaps until the next day. The SAR folks have been out on too many false alarms where someone is just a little delayed...

Doug

 

[David Metsky]

<mod hat>
Moved to appropriate forum.

-dave-
</mod hat>

 

[kmac]

Appalachia

I just received my winter/spring edition of Appalachia and the featured article is about Timothy Muskat who hiked all 48 in one winter season back in 2003.. The magazine is put out by AMC, and I'm pretty sure EMS carries it.
Good reading : )

 

[Oldsmores]

... Right now, it is 100% hypothetical, but I am interested in your thoughts about whether:

1) Whether trying to get into winter hiking largely by soloing is even somewhat feasible....
All this assumes that I am a pretty cautious guy, set turn around times, pick my days based on the weather and turn around at the first sign of a problem.I realize that anytime you do things alone in the backcountry your level of risk goes up and that this is even more true in winter. I guess my biggest question is by how much and would I be taking foolish risks to try out easier trails and such on my lonesome.

As Kevin pointed out, you'll get plenty of advice on this one. I think that the level of risk you're willing to live with is a highly personal decision, keeping in mind that people close to you will also suffer if things go bad. Winter ups the risk of solo hiking considerably, sometimes in ways that you don't think about:
Equipment failures: Stoves, packs, snowshoes, flashlights, and all manner of equipment are all more prone to fail in cold weather, with sometimes dire consequences.
Trail finding: The trail that looks like a highway in summer can get pretty obscure with 6 feet of snow on the ground.
Stream crossings: An annoying wet foot in summer can mean lost toes (or worse) in winter.
Injury: If you fall (not unusual in winter) and hit your head in the summer, you might wake up in a couple hours with a million mosquito bites. In winter, you might wake up dead.
None of which means you shouldn't solo in the winter (I have), but it sure would be nice if you got some trips in with a group first!

 

[bridgeman]

"If you fall (not unusual in winter) and hit your head in the summer, you might wake up in a couple hours with a million mosquito bites. In winter, you might wake up dead."

I hate waking up dead.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I frequently solo hike in the summer, but in three years of winter hiking I still feel most comfortable going with a group. However, if I decided I really wanted to "solo", I'd make sure I did it on trails that were likely to broken out and on days that other people would likely be on the same trail. Avoid loop hikes, major stream crossings and extended treks above treeline. The trails can be prettiest just after a snowstorm, but they're also harder to follow and to break out. Good choices: Monadnock, Welch/Dickey, Field/Tom, Jackson, Pierce, Cardigan, Liberty, Imp, Tecumseh and Madison via Valley Way.

That said, I'd still recommend going with AMC groups until you feel like you've learned more.

Happy Trails

 

[jfb]

All this assumes that I am a pretty cautious guy, set turn around times, pick my days based on the weather and turn around at the first sign of a problem.I realize that anytime you do things alone in the backcountry your level of risk goes up and that this is even more true in winter. I guess my biggest question is by how much and would I be taking foolish risks to try out easier trails and such on my lonesome.

It sounds to me like you have the proper attitude and judgement to start soloing. One thing I'll add (but I think you're already planning to do) is to plan hikes that go up and down by the same route so it's easy to find your way back to the start.

 

[Whiteman]

Go for It!

I have only been doing winter hiking for a couple of years, and immediately started doing solo trips, some even a bit over my level of training/fitness (probably not the best idea). Being prepared for the worst, and being able to stay put for the night is the first consideration in my book.

Knowing when to bail is really important. Stick with your turn-around times.

I opted for good external communication equipment too. The cell phone is extremely unreliable, and the little radios you can buy everywhere don't have much range (and no frequency plan either), but a little ham radio can really get your word out. It's nice when you're late, and could come in handy if you come across another person who needs help (hasn't happened yet, fortunately).

But my Key Piece of Advice is check the trail conditions right here at VFFT, and follow trails that sound good.

Cheers!

 

[spaddock]

My schedule and circle of friends generally leaves me hiking solo during the three seasons I have always hiked.

It sounds like you're going to go on solo trips because you have to. Try posting in the "Trips & Events" section. There's a good chance you'll be able to put a good hiking group together. People on this board have all sorts of schedules. Last year I always found a hiking partner in Winter because of that section.


-Shayne

 

[Peakbagr]

Lots of good advice here. Maybe most importantly, let someone know where/when you are, don't deviate from it, and carry enough(bivy sack, extra clothes, headlamp, foam pad, etc) so that if something happens, you can spend a night out. Maybe not comfortably, but warm enough to survive and get yourself out at first light.

 

[cushetunk]

Soloing! Yes, but a few thoughts...

I opted for good external communication equipment too.

I can't dispute that when you need outside help, nothing beats having that communication link, or having other people on the trail.

But I think that it is dangerous to learn to solo with the belief that "I'm not all alone out here." Beyond a few basic outdoor skills, winter soloing is a mental game. It all depends on your ability to think clearly and rationally about the consequences of your decisions.

One of the biggest dangers of winter solos, in my opinion, is a fall that leaves you immobile and unconscious. On a cold day, your survival time is really limited. Radios or cell phones are worthless. Unless the trail is busy enough that someone passes by you fairly soon, you are in deep trouble. In more general terms, you probably can't afford any mistake that allows you to slip 15-25 minutes into hypothermia. Either way, you probably can't get outside help until much too late.

If you truly are convinced you are alone, you might be less likely to climb that ledge, or cross that stream on those icy rocks, or keep ascending even though you are cold and tired. When you are completely alone, with miles of snow and forest and hillside around you, it is both sublime and disconcerting. I know it keeps me on my toes.

Yes, sometimes you can do "solo" trips where you are never really alone. Tucks, or maybe Lafayette. But those don't compare to, or really give you the skills to prepare you for all those other trips that offer genuine solitude. The best way to learn that may be to take short trips, safe from most objective hazards, where you really are alone. Then go from there...

Oops. That was more than a few thoughts. But, it's how I view solo trips, for what its worth. Anybody want to go soloing with me?

 

[DougPaul]

I can't dispute that when you need outside help, nothing beats having that communication link, or having other people on the trail.

But I think that it is dangerous to learn to solo with the belief that "I'm not all alone out here." Beyond a few basic outdoor skills, winter soloing is a mental game. It all depends on your ability to think clearly and rationally about the consequences of your decisions.

And even if there are others around, you can't count on them being any help.

An Example:
I was leading a winter school intro XC ski trip in the Whites when a student crashed and twisted a knee 3 or 4 miles from the road. My biggest problem at the accident scene was crowd control... I had an offer of help from a leader of some other trip--I glanced at his people and saw that some of them didn't even have packs. We would have added hypothermia victims to the list of casualties had they stayed. I asked for and got a few small bits of help from a few others--but the vast majority of the people who passed by were just in the way. (We did get very good help from one soloist skier--not everyone you see will be useless.)

When solo, I act like I am alone and don't view others as help. But I would't turn down competent help if it happened by. Or if I was able to get a cell phone/radio connection, I would use it. But I don't count on any external help. (And so far, I've never had a problem solo that I couldn't handle myself.)

Doug

 

[MikePS]

All kinds of great advice above- I would suggest Steven Smith's book, Snowshoeing in the White Mountains. It is a great resource, very good advice regarding level of difficulty,trail finding, etc. Good Luck and Have Fun

 

[dave.m]

I think you are on the right track. I'll only add a few comments.

First, I think the safety issues with winter travel (including skiing) is that you need to a broader margin of safety in the winter. This theme pervades all my thinking in the winter. For example, (ignoring impact issues), I would have almot no safety concerns about a solo bushwack entirely off trail in the Blue Hills in the summer time. I know enough about that terrain and am confident in my skills and fitness enough that I think I could manage that risk fairly easily at this point. Doing the same in the winter on skis would be another matter. This is just an example. Route selection, destinations, amount of time, tying shoes... all this stuff needs to be drawn way, way in to protect that margin of safety. This is more an approach than it is a specific technique.

Second, don't let internet discussion about winter hiking falsely inflate your expectations which create a frustrating disconnect with your real life. I admit to surfing eBay a lot in desperate search of a 25.5" Trek sport touring frame from the late 70s. I would kill to score one made with Columbus SP tubing but would be thrilled to get one made with Ishiwata 022. Interestingly, a 531 frame has less interest to me. Oh, I really want to find one that does NOT have brack cable braze ons. Something about those old chrome cable guides that I really like. Now, why do I want this stuff? Well, I have to admit that purusing sites like the vintage Trek site have shaped my desire. And I really don't have the extra cash or need for such a bike.

If your family and friends don't hike and life realities prevent you from hiking more often, then I think this is something to pay attention to. I'm a big fan of the mantra, "Be here now" and for you, it may be that here means not winter hiking as much as some other do (and post about). Now may reflect the realities of your current life. You may in the future make new relationships with people you want to hike with in the winter or rearrange your work to allow for more time to hike and specifically to hone your developing winter skills. I guess my point is to be at and to stay at peace with the amount of winter hiking that you do. It's just too easy for these forums to create an unsettling unreality that cause frustration.

Hope this is helpful,

Dave

 

[Davehiker]

Check out this thread. I asked the same question last year. I started with a few trips around Central Mass, and wound up doing Mt. Pemmigiwasset, near the Flume, and later Pierce. I turned around near the summit of Pierce, when I realized that the weather was bad enough that I might have a problem route-finding on the short stretch above treeline.

I agree with the advice to avoid loop hikes, (which I usually prefer,) as a change in trail conditions may prove a BIG problem. I also have really enjoyed Steve Smith's snowshoeing book. It's packed with useful, practical information.

Have fun, and have good weather!