Tim Seaver
Well-known member
Preface
Finally, it looked like a go. After 2 years of waiting for everything to come together, the window appeared to be open.
Our goal - to finish the NH 48 in calendar winter in less than 10 days.
After many nights of head scratching, Cath Goodwin had come up with a great list of route combinations, which was the template our team would use to craft our daily goals. We agreed that the weather would be the ultimate deciding factor, and would use this philosophy to alter the peak combos and mileage for the day, the second modifying factor being fatigue.
As to conditions this year, the skimpy amount of winter snow was a sword that would cut both ways - although we didn't have many battles with deep snow, the prodigious amounts of exposed ice and rock made for clunky, rough, and treacherous footing for many sections of this adventure. We were hoping for a few late March dumps of the white stuff to smooth things out and provide some cushion, but even the last storm to hit the area before our adventure was a bit of a disappointment, as only a few areas that we would travel saw anything more than a few inches of new snow. Other than snowfall totals, the Whites did not disappoint us in the weather department, with everything from rainstorms and flood conditions in 50 degree temps, to blustery snow squalls and arctic cold, sometimes all in a single day.
Joining us on almost all of the hikes were Jeff Veino and/or Andy "Drewski" Hawley, who became a great source of spiritual support for Cath and I throughout the trip - I can't thank them enough for helping the miles slip by with their wonderful companionship and sense of humor. They were also instrumental in setting up many of the car spots and smoothie inventory control. Thanks, guys!
And of course, there is Cath, whose amazing knowledge of every rock, patch of ice, and twist of the trail in the White Mountains was a huge asset throughout this long journey, and whose ready laugh and humorous observations were a constant source of positive group energy. She kept a great handle on the daily logistics and car juggling scenarios to boot. What a machine!
On with the story....
March 06 - Day 1 - Franconia Ridge and the Hancocks
Finally, it looked like a go. After 2 years of waiting for everything to come together, the window appeared to be open.
Our goal - to finish the NH 48 in calendar winter in less than 10 days.
After many nights of head scratching, Cath Goodwin had come up with a great list of route combinations, which was the template our team would use to craft our daily goals. We agreed that the weather would be the ultimate deciding factor, and would use this philosophy to alter the peak combos and mileage for the day, the second modifying factor being fatigue.
As to conditions this year, the skimpy amount of winter snow was a sword that would cut both ways - although we didn't have many battles with deep snow, the prodigious amounts of exposed ice and rock made for clunky, rough, and treacherous footing for many sections of this adventure. We were hoping for a few late March dumps of the white stuff to smooth things out and provide some cushion, but even the last storm to hit the area before our adventure was a bit of a disappointment, as only a few areas that we would travel saw anything more than a few inches of new snow. Other than snowfall totals, the Whites did not disappoint us in the weather department, with everything from rainstorms and flood conditions in 50 degree temps, to blustery snow squalls and arctic cold, sometimes all in a single day.
Joining us on almost all of the hikes were Jeff Veino and/or Andy "Drewski" Hawley, who became a great source of spiritual support for Cath and I throughout the trip - I can't thank them enough for helping the miles slip by with their wonderful companionship and sense of humor. They were also instrumental in setting up many of the car spots and smoothie inventory control. Thanks, guys!
And of course, there is Cath, whose amazing knowledge of every rock, patch of ice, and twist of the trail in the White Mountains was a huge asset throughout this long journey, and whose ready laugh and humorous observations were a constant source of positive group energy. She kept a great handle on the daily logistics and car juggling scenarios to boot. What a machine!
On with the story....
March 06 - Day 1 - Franconia Ridge and the Hancocks
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