Jema’s first trip to Mt Washington (and any east coast mountains), and my first time back following a couple years off. More photos are in the Flickr gallery.
After some concerns amid the cold snap last week, we had almost perfect conditions for our midnight hike in to Hermit Lake and a beautiful climb to the summit the next day: Comparatively low winds, and high freezing temperatures keeping the snow hard but not being exceptionally cold. Straightforward trip up the Lion’s Head winter route and Tuckerman Ravine trail, except heavy snow buildup created several more and much longer sections of axes+points climbing than I remember ever seeing on the Lion’s Head route previously.
Next day was turning a bit warm and overcast, but great for a solid workout on snowshoes breaking deep tracks across Raymond Path, one of the lower trails through the woods that’s usually almost wholly unused in winter and I really like. Bonus points for multiple sketchy creek crossings.
Final day’s short hike out featured… 50 degrees and pouring rain??? Have been rained on before here, but not to this extent and temperature. Absolutely sodden and soaked conditions, would have been a long slog of constant deep postholing without snowshoes.
All in all, exceptionally lucky on the timing and a superb trip.
More photos are in the Flickr gallery.
