what are your estimates we will be ice free on the summits (sans mtw)

[Brambor]

Considering the crappy winter we had - what are your estimates we will be ice free on the summits (sans mtw)

 

[JustJoe]

I think the bigger question is, how long will the serious ice flows on shaded trails hang around?

 

[Brambor]

That was essentially my question only you were able to write it down better

I think the bigger question is, how long will the serious ice flows on shaded trails hang around?

 

[HH1]

Memorial Day weekend

 

[TJsName]

I read the question as 'when will post holing not be an issue'? My last post hole last season was in early June on a mostly snow/ice free hike. I suspect that will come 4-6 weeks earlier this year, so I'm going with early May.

 

[peakbagger]

Shady trails like Desolation and many in the Great Gulf take a long time to melt and generally there has to be consistent temps above freezing at elevation for the ice to burn off.

There will be minimal post hole season as even the snow below treeline is already pretty shallow. Given the current long range forecast of 5 to 10 days of below average April temps, I would still guess early May.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

There isn't enough snow anywhere on the Franconia Ridge loop to posthole. The danger, as mentioned above, is the shaded ice bulges. I actually barebooted from Little Haystack to treeline above Greenleaf Hut on Sunday, 3/27.

Tim

 

[Snowflea]

...But, if you go off the beaten trail, there IS enough snow to posthole!

Had to abort an ambitious Lafayette-Flume-Owls Head adventure on Saturday because I'd decided not to schlep snowshoes for the "Roing Route" bushwhack. Bad idea. Temps warmed enough that beautiful sunny day that I was sinking in about 8-10" and decided to *Retreat!* before it turned into a total dumb drill. (Then woke up at O'dark thirty to snag Owls Head Easter morn.)

BTW... met two young guys on Flume who'd managed SOMEHOW to ascend Flume Slide Trail sans spikes/crampons/axes, in what I would describe as Chukka boots. I suggested they descend Liberty Spring Trail and offered to sell them my spikes for $500.

 

[egilbe]

Hiked the Baldfaces this weekend. Went up Slippery Brook trail to bypass the ledges. Coming down North Baldface was some serious ice flows. Too steep for our Hillsounds, so we bushwhacked around the trail to at least use trees to slow our slide down some sections. Met a hiker coming up who said he ascended using Microspikes, but he had crampons with him. First time I wanted Crampons and an ice axe this year. If we had come up that way, we would have turned around. North facing slopes were Ivey, South facing slopes were mostly snow and ice free, except for the shady spots. Wore the Hillsounds for 90% of the hike. Now they need to be touched up with a file again.

 

[TJsName]

...But, if you go off the beaten trail, there IS enough snow to posthole!

Had to abort an ambitious Lafayette-Flume-Owls Head adventure on Saturday because I'd decided not to schlep snowshoes for the "Roing Route" bushwhack. Bad idea. Temps warmed enough that beautiful sunny day that I was sinking in about 8-10" and decided to *Retreat!* before it turned into a total dumb drill. (Then woke up at O'dark thirty to snag Owls Head Easter morn.)

BTW... met two young guys on Flume who'd managed SOMEHOW to ascend Flume Slide Trail sans spikes/crampons/axes, in what I would describe as Chukka boots. I suggested they descend Liberty Spring Trail and offered to sell them my spikes for $500.

Is that this route (link) or something else? http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?17829-Bushwhack-Mt-Flume-to-Lincoln-Brook-Trail-7-29-07

 

[sierra]

...But, if you go off the beaten trail, there IS enough snow to posthole!

BTW... met two young guys on Flume who'd managed SOMEHOW to ascend Flume Slide Trail sans spikes/crampons/axes, in what I would describe as Chukka boots. I suggested they descend Liberty Spring Trail and offered to sell them my spikes for $500.

You need to work on your salesmanship skills. Should have told them, buy 1 500 bucks, get one free!

 

[Snowflea]

Is that this route (link) or something else? http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?17829-Bushwhack-Mt-Flume-to-Lincoln-Brook-Trail-7-29-07

Not exactly. Mats went back and found a better route, one that I have navigated twice, once in the winter and once in the fall. Beginning near the Flume-Liberty col, head ENE staying well below the ridge that runs E off Liberty. The woods weren't too scrappy. When I did it on the autumn trip, I recorded 1 hr 24 min from Franconia Ridge Trail to Lincoln Brook Trail. I was not pushing but not lolly gagging either.

Sierra, you make a good point. Heh, heh! Still can't figure out how those two made it up Flume Slide Trail and the fact that they kept going up it!!!

 

[TJsName]

Not exactly. Mats went back and found a better route, one that I have navigated twice, once in the winter and once in the fall. Beginning near the Flume-Liberty col, head ENE staying well below the ridge that runs E off Liberty. The woods weren't too scrappy. When I did it on the autumn trip, I recorded 1 hr 24 min from Franconia Ridge Trail to Lincoln Brook Trail. I was not pushing but not lolly gagging either.

Ahh, thanks! I've done Lincoln Slide a couple of times, but have wondered if there was another way to duck down. I'll add it to the list!

 

[sierra]

Barring any major storms, I'll say May 1st.