Which Trails Get Broken Out The Fastest In The Whites

[TJsName]

The Internet has forever changed winter hiking, removing the challenge and uncertainty. When I finished the winter 4000 footers, (nearly two decades ago), I seldom encountered winter travelers, let alone a broken trail. A summit reached after a full day (or more) of breaking trail on 30" snowshoes was an achievement to be savored and one that makes me severely nostalgic.

I don't think the challenge has been removed, but perhaps you are just in much better shape than I.

An unbroken trail is an almost sure sign of solitude ahead. Many of the 4000'ers can be done via less popular routes, and there are hundreds of miles of trails that don't gone anywhere near the most popular peaks.

 

[peakbagger]

Sounds to me that there should be a winter redline patch so that folks who want to break trails will have many

 

[DougPaul]

It is downright amazing how the mindset for all of us winter hikers -- I'm not trying to single you out, DayTrip, because I see this in myself too -- has changed from "I'm very lucky if the trail is already broken" to "I'm very unlucky if I have to break out 12 inches of snow on a packed tread." The default assumption is that we can almost always make the summit.

I understand the reasons: more people, less snow. I don't begrudge anyone their packed trails, but I do miss the challenge and uncertainty.

Don't forget all the beta... Is this or that trail broken? Do I need to carry X? (where X=snowshoes, ice axe, and/or crampons etc) Where can I get a GPS track for the trail?

Back in the good old days, we just talked to our hiking friends, watched the weather reports, carried everything in the car, and decided what to carry at the trailhead. Sometimes we reached our goal and sometimes we didn't...

It isn't an adventure if the outcome is certain. (Approximate quote from an unremembered source.)

Doug

 

[Michelle]

Sounds to me that there should be a winter redline patch so that folks who want to break trails will have many

Hmmmm! Now that would be a fun challenge!!

I went up Carter Dome yesterday and looked at the untouched Black Angel trail..........thought to myself............now, that would be fun! Then thought about the roadwalk to where the car would be and decided..............maybe not so much fun!!

 

[Raven]

There's an easy solution to all of this.

Hike without reading online hiking forums if you don't want to know what's broken or not. I really don't change my plans based on current trail conditions but the cat's out of the bag and we are not going back.

On another forum I recently saw the term "NETC lampreys."

 

[JimC]

If It Isn't Broken Out, I Will Not Go!

So, when you have broken out a trail, please email me so that I can go do it.

This will relieve me of any future breaking out obligations and I can avoid hikes that might require this effort.

Breaking it out is just such a chore.

Thank You!

Bazinga!

 

[Driver8]

I get that. I drive up from CT for all my hikes and also hike solo so I'm not "sharing the fun" with a group like many of you do. My opportunities to hike are limited (especially in winter) and as such my conditioning level is nowhere near many of the people on this site at this time of year. So when the stars all align and the weather looks reasonable, I'm actually off of work and the ride up is doable I try to get up there and actually enjoy the day, not torture and frustrate myself until I curse my fitness level and throw in the towel. If the hike I chose is unbroken so be it. I take it like a man and slog through it. But if it is already broken out I am very thankful. I try to get as many factors working in my favor on a hike whenever I go, especially in winter where I only have a few years of experience right now.

And I have broken trail several times before, most recently on Jackson in 15" of powder many weeks back for about 1.5 miles before stopping for rest (official pack off, food and water rest that is - I stopped MANY times). There was many a zealous thank you sent my way as some larger groups overtook me and continued on (which allowed me to summit too). I appreciate the hard work others do ahead of me and I'm happy to take a crack at it as well when my number is up.

I'm with my fellow nutmegger, Daytrip. We pay a significant tax of eight hours plus driving, more in snow, etc., just to get up to the Whites. If it's a day hike, that's arduous even in the warm half of the year. I reckon those who live closer have the benefits of much closer and more frequent acquaintance with the mountains and pay, if you will, most frequently the concomitant tax of usually breaking out the trails. As I gain experience and knowledge and fitness, I will join in breaking out routes, but for the time being I'm happy to follow others' leads.

 

[cushetunk]

Sounds to me that there should be a winter redline patch so that folks who want to break trails will have many

As long as there aren't any namby-pamby criteria for what counts as trailbreaking, that sounds like a good challenge for someone else. Not for me, though. I've got way better things to do with my time.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Broke out Isolation yesterday in a party of three. There were two soloists and two groups of two also out there so we formed a bit of an alliance and while not everyone led through the engine hill thigh deep mile and a quarter, they did help pack the track making the return trip take less than half as long.

I invite you all to go out there and enjoy the track much as I have enjoyed the tracks of those who beat me to it.

Tim