"Mt. Washington in Winter"

January 8th, 2006 White Mts. (Washington)

Trail:  Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Lion's Head (Winter Route)
Peak Elevation:  Washington (6288')
Total Elevation Gain: 4300'
Total Miles:  8.4 miles

It had been a month since I last hiked, which is waaaaaay too long. But what a great trip to come back with. Excellent conditions and company made for a killer hike up Washington today, my first time summiting it in the winter. I've now climbed it in all four seasons and seven times total, which I thought was pretty cool.

I arrived at Pinkham Notch at 6am and made my way up the Tuckerman Ravine trail to the trail junction at Lion's Head. The plan was to meet up with some friends here who were staying the night at the Harvard Cabin or Herman Lakes Shelter, depending on availability.

I only had to wait 10 minutes before Giggy and Spencer appeared and introduced themselves. I had talked with both several times via VFTT and email, but had never met them face-to-face until now. Both are great guys and a blast to hike with. After we exchanged pleasantries, we made our way a few hundred yards up the trail to meet up with MEB, KMac and Marsha. I've hiked with MEB several times, and had also exchanged emails with KMac (great meeting her as well!), but had never met Marsha. It was her first time going up Washington, so this was a real treat for her. Since she's an accomplished triathlete, she definitely was physically up for the task and did great.

I had never done the winter route up Lion's Head, so that was a treat. The normal route is closed during the winter, as it is more avalanche prone. However, the winter route is much steeper, so that was a fun challenge.

Once we got up to Lion's Head, the wind could be felt with greater force. Fortunately, it was only blowing around 30 mph and temperatures were around 8 degrees, according to the Washington weather records. Just as great, we had great views from here and through much of the Alpine Gardens.

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We hit the final uphill stretch to the summit, where the visibility got pretty bad thanks to clouds and blowing snow. Visibility was only about 50-100 feet, so we proceeded with much caution. However, we still made great time up and were soon at the summit.

Each of us tagged the summit marker and then made our way to the alcove at the Adams Summit Building, where we enjoyed a break from the wind, talked and ate snacks. Mary Ellen of course had some awesome chicken which she shared. Her chocolate peanut butter balls were also to die for.

We then got moving again and headed down the way we came. Visibility was much better coming down and when we reached the Alpine Gardens we were once again out of the clouds and were afforded great views of the surrounding landscape. Giggy and I had an interesting discussion on summit guides (we ran into a group going up) and I was amazed at how ridiculously expensive it was to hire one. To each their own, I guess.

We soon rejoined the Tuckerman Ravine trail and headed over to the Harvard Cabin where the others had stayed the night before and left some of their gear. After retrieving it, we skipped on down the well-packed trail and were soon back at Pinkham Notch. We ate at the Moat Pub in North Conway afterwards before heading our separate ways home.

Great trip, and thanks for having me along everyone. I had a blast and wish I could have been there for the rest of the trip during the days prior. See some of you next weekend!