Welcome to winter
Yes, I know it’s only October, but yesterday’s hike was wintry enough. I knew it was going to be cold and snowy in the mountains and I was prepared for it but it was still an experience. I left from my house at 7am with the intention of hiking Mt. Liberty. It’s a tall but not too tall mountain and is approached by a relatively straightforward 3 mile trail. I thought that would be a good test of my winter gear without getting me into too much trouble. Unfortunately as I approached Franconia Ridge, I happened to look up towards Mt. Lafayette which is the big mountain on the ridge. It looked so inviting with all the snow and wind that I just had to try it.
I started out solo from the Old Bridle Path trailhead around 9am with all my cold weather clothes, hat, and mittens on. The temperature was somewhere in the 30s with a light breeze. There was snow on the ground and in the parking lot. All the moutains around me were white on top. I set out on the Old Bridle Path with a couple other people, but they turned off at the Falling Waters trail. I guess they were going to head up and do the classic loop while I continued on just towards Lafayette. From this point until I turned around, I was alone.
It was fairly slow going as every fifteen minutes, I had to stop to take off or put on a piece of clothing. Add to that the challenging nature of the trail and stopping to take pictures, and I was only going a little faster than 1 mph. As I climbed, I decided that if I didn’t reach the summit by 12:30, I would turn around. This was not only because of my speed, but the fact that the sky to the west was getting cloudy. I didn’t want to get caught out in the cold during a storm with no headlamp. Anyway, I kept hiking. Once I got to the ledges near the place known as “the three agonies”, the fantastic view opened up to the peaks 1500’ above me. Franconia Ridge was covered in snow and ice. The only sounds besides me were the birds and a stream somewhere in the valley far below. It was somewhere around this point where the trail got pretty icy and I had to put the crampons on. This was my first experience with this and I learned plenty from it. When the trail is icy, they’re great because of how well they bite into the ice. You can walk straight up an icy patch of rock with no problem. However when there is no ice, they are extremely awkward to walk on and make lots of noise. You can just tell you’re tearing them up.
I finally got to the AMC Greenleaf hut around 11:45, nearly three hours after I had started. With the summit still a mile away and an icy 1000’ above, I decided that there was no way I could summit and get back to my car before darkness started to set in. I was also getting a little nervous about the sky. I decided instead that I would enjoy the alpine area around the hut. I stood around a while eating a bit, taking pictures, and watching people climb up the icy summit way above me. Then I strapped the crampons back on, put on my pack, and headed down. Leaving was difficult but since I was on my own, I had to be a little conservative. I wished I could have stayed longer or gone up higher. Maybe next time. The way down was straightforward. I met a lot of people coming up and the general consesus among them was to turn around at the hut as well. I cruised down after I got past the ledges, stopping only intermittently and only for a brief minute each time. By 2pm, I was back at the car and regretting my decision to not try for the summit.
So what did I learn from this trip? First, that it’s very slow going in winter. I may be able to average 2 mph in summer, but my winter speed might be as slow as half that. Part of this is having to keep changing layers, but part is that hiking in the cold is just tough work. Second, I need to plan simpler trips. Going for an 8 mile loop with 3500’ of elevation gain is probably not the smartest move the first time out. I should have stuck with my original plan of Mt. Liberty. Third, start extra early. I thought that since I was going to Franconia Notch, I could leave a little later and still start at the same time I usually do. Well I started at the same time, but starting earlier would have ensured that I could reach the summit. Fourth, layers really are the key. I could still go with a medium weight long sleeve shirt, and perhaps a face covering if it gets a lot colder. I was fine on this trip but I can see how it might get difficuly. Finally, I could really use a headlamp to make me less nervous about getting down before dark.
All in all, it was a great trip despite not getting to the summit. I think I played it smart by bailing when I did. And I still learned a whole lot about winter hiking without getting in over my head. With a few more gear modifications and some extra people, I should be able to go on several hikes this winter. The scenery and quiet were especially amazing. Perhaps I am now hooked on hiking in the cold. We’ll see when it gets much more serious up there.