giggy
New member
Started out about 7:30 from pinkham on what was a amazing weather day. Becuase the weather was so damn good, my buddy and I decided not to go up the cone the normal way and try something a bit different.
The goal was to go up lions head, take alpine garden to huntington and then nelson crag to summit. If you have the time and weather is good, I highly recommend this route. Less people (we didn't see anyone else from lion head until the summit) and I think the route is just more interesting with climbing multiple snow fields (not really that steep) up the cone. Personally, I think it blows away the regular tucks trip up. (which is also good - don't get me wrong)
anyway.... I'll get to the report. Tucks all the way to fire road was nice, packed, and fast going - as it usally is this time of year. We made really good time and I actually like to crowds on this lower portion - nice to chat with people, etc... Lions Head was in decent shape, the first couple of "pitches" were the "crux" of the route today - this can be pain with loads of people (which it was was today) with a lot of waiting on the steep ice sections, but thats OK - thankfully it wasn't too cold (by white mountain - january standards) - probably around 10 degrees or so). No wind at all up until this point. Folks were cool and eveyone was moving at a decent pace so waiting was minimal . We got over the steeper ice/snow sections and then it was a easy nice snow climb to treeline.
Right around treeline the winds started cranking to 40mph or so, so we put on out layers, gore-tex, face masks etc, had some water, food, and set out. We started doubting the alpine garden trek due to the winds.
We decided to get to the intersection to the alpine garden cairn and make a call there. The wind was much less here - so the nelson crag plan was a go. Besides the wind, the weather was perfect and the report was calling for high pressure all day - we said lets go for it. The alpine garden trek was fun and for those who never did it, it is a fairly level walk that follows above the raymond cataract (sp?) and huntinton ravine. The wind was not bad at all from turn off to alpine garden until ball crag.
Now here is where things get interesting - right before the start of huntington ravine, we came across a 3 foot "windblown snowpile" not about 5 feet off the trail which was very un-natural looking. I am pretty sure this was the remnants of the snow cave that the 2 folks earlier in the week that had been rescued - built. (if anyone esle can comment on that - it would be great). There wasn't much snow in this section and looked like the snow was put there. I wish I had a picture of it - but I don't.
Once on the huntington ravine trail, it starts some fun climbing on some snowfields that are not all that steep, but steep enough that you would need a self arrest if you slipped or your going to fall a bit. There a few of these and this was the best part of the day - wind was light again in this section and it was just fun snow climbing up the summit cone.
At the intersection of Nelson Crag, the wind started picking up again and we had a feeling it would. As we got higher towards ball crag it really started cranking and both of us were being blown around pretty good. It knocked me on my arse more than once and there were more rocks than ice here, so it got a little hairy there for a 30 minutes or so, but once over ball crag, the winds moderated a bit - at ball crag they must have been sustained at 50mph with gusts 60-70mph.
We then made it up and over the summit a bit before noon found a sheltered location and got some water, food and then cold - really fast - so we started down.
Went down tucks and an we were feeling strong and good overall, wind died down going down tucks and we decided to take boot spur down and not deal with the crowds going down lion head. That was pretty uneventful, just a nice basically level stroll to boot spur and from the top of boot spur to the boot spur link it was pretty mixed by rock and ice and generally a pain in the arse to descend. The winds got high once again. Boot spur link was easy to get down, but it was icy and steep on the upper part and one could take a good tumple here. We were right in front of beginner class from EMS or something and they were right on top of us coming down and I was just waiting for one of them to take a fall and slide on top of me - but it never happened and they got down just as good as we did. But the whole way down I was a little nervous about it becuase I remember when I took one the those classes, I took a few tumbles.
Took the crampons off at the boottom of boot spur link and cruised back to pinkham extermly delighted about the trip. Most certainly, one of my favorite days up there. It was all around a good successful, fun trip. Great day on the rockpile.
The goal was to go up lions head, take alpine garden to huntington and then nelson crag to summit. If you have the time and weather is good, I highly recommend this route. Less people (we didn't see anyone else from lion head until the summit) and I think the route is just more interesting with climbing multiple snow fields (not really that steep) up the cone. Personally, I think it blows away the regular tucks trip up. (which is also good - don't get me wrong)
anyway.... I'll get to the report. Tucks all the way to fire road was nice, packed, and fast going - as it usally is this time of year. We made really good time and I actually like to crowds on this lower portion - nice to chat with people, etc... Lions Head was in decent shape, the first couple of "pitches" were the "crux" of the route today - this can be pain with loads of people (which it was was today) with a lot of waiting on the steep ice sections, but thats OK - thankfully it wasn't too cold (by white mountain - january standards) - probably around 10 degrees or so). No wind at all up until this point. Folks were cool and eveyone was moving at a decent pace so waiting was minimal . We got over the steeper ice/snow sections and then it was a easy nice snow climb to treeline.
Right around treeline the winds started cranking to 40mph or so, so we put on out layers, gore-tex, face masks etc, had some water, food, and set out. We started doubting the alpine garden trek due to the winds.
We decided to get to the intersection to the alpine garden cairn and make a call there. The wind was much less here - so the nelson crag plan was a go. Besides the wind, the weather was perfect and the report was calling for high pressure all day - we said lets go for it. The alpine garden trek was fun and for those who never did it, it is a fairly level walk that follows above the raymond cataract (sp?) and huntinton ravine. The wind was not bad at all from turn off to alpine garden until ball crag.
Now here is where things get interesting - right before the start of huntington ravine, we came across a 3 foot "windblown snowpile" not about 5 feet off the trail which was very un-natural looking. I am pretty sure this was the remnants of the snow cave that the 2 folks earlier in the week that had been rescued - built. (if anyone esle can comment on that - it would be great). There wasn't much snow in this section and looked like the snow was put there. I wish I had a picture of it - but I don't.
Once on the huntington ravine trail, it starts some fun climbing on some snowfields that are not all that steep, but steep enough that you would need a self arrest if you slipped or your going to fall a bit. There a few of these and this was the best part of the day - wind was light again in this section and it was just fun snow climbing up the summit cone.
At the intersection of Nelson Crag, the wind started picking up again and we had a feeling it would. As we got higher towards ball crag it really started cranking and both of us were being blown around pretty good. It knocked me on my arse more than once and there were more rocks than ice here, so it got a little hairy there for a 30 minutes or so, but once over ball crag, the winds moderated a bit - at ball crag they must have been sustained at 50mph with gusts 60-70mph.
We then made it up and over the summit a bit before noon found a sheltered location and got some water, food and then cold - really fast - so we started down.
Went down tucks and an we were feeling strong and good overall, wind died down going down tucks and we decided to take boot spur down and not deal with the crowds going down lion head. That was pretty uneventful, just a nice basically level stroll to boot spur and from the top of boot spur to the boot spur link it was pretty mixed by rock and ice and generally a pain in the arse to descend. The winds got high once again. Boot spur link was easy to get down, but it was icy and steep on the upper part and one could take a good tumple here. We were right in front of beginner class from EMS or something and they were right on top of us coming down and I was just waiting for one of them to take a fall and slide on top of me - but it never happened and they got down just as good as we did. But the whole way down I was a little nervous about it becuase I remember when I took one the those classes, I took a few tumbles.
Took the crampons off at the boottom of boot spur link and cruised back to pinkham extermly delighted about the trip. Most certainly, one of my favorite days up there. It was all around a good successful, fun trip. Great day on the rockpile.
