March 2019 Mt Chocorua
Beginner-accessible winter trip in the White Mountains, overnight on Mt Chocorua (3500ft summit)
N.B.: Prounciation is "sho-CORE-oh-uh."
Highlights
Above-treeline winter experience without sustained steep or technical trails
- Most of trail is in snow-covered forest
- Bald summit with great views on clear day
- Frozen Champney Falls (popular ice climbing location)
- Overnight in (unheated) primitive cabin for easy camping
- Mostly gradual, pleasant trails
Itinerary
Three-day trip, March 8 to 10, 2019
- Drive Friday, stay in hostel or hotel
- Hike in Saturday, stay in unheated cabin
- Hike out Sunday, drive home
8 hour drive from Philadelphia to N Conway, plus stops
20 minute drive from N Conway to trailhead
Conditions
Trail Reports
Daylight
March 8
Weather Forecasts
- Weather Channel for North Conway, 10 days out
- Temperature decreases roughly 3.56 degrees per 1000ft
- N Conway is at 525', Chocorua is 3490' tall, ~3000ft of gain -> summit is likely ~11F cooler, before accounting for wind and other effects
- Mountain Forecast for Chocorua, 6 days out
- Note that this defaults to Celsius
- Mt Washington Observatory Valley Forecast, 48 hours out
- Mt Washington Observatory Higher Summits Forecast, 48 hours out
Route
CalTopo Map
Saturday
Ingress
- Champney Falls Trailhead -> Champney Falls Tr -> Piper Tr -> Mt Chocorua -> Brook Tr -> Liberty Tr -> Jim Liberty Cabin
- 4 miles, +2300ft/-700ft
- All but guaranteed to be packed down, caveat fresh snow
- If weather or trail conditions above treeline are bad, can bypass the summit via the West Side trail
Option: Three Sisters
- Based on time available after arrival at cabin
- 3 miles total out and back, +750ft/-356ft outbound
Option: Mt Paugus
- Based on time available after arrival at cabin
- Would facilitate checking trail conditions for Sunday
- 7.3 miles total out and back, +2200ft/-2000ft outbound
Sunday
Egress
- Jim Liberty Cabin -> Liberty Tr -> Brook Tr -> Bee Line Tr -> Bolles Tr -> Champney Falls Trailhead
- 6 miles, +1300ft/-2900ft
- May not be packed down
Hazards
Cold
Trail can have substantial ice coverage
If the cabin is full, will need shelter and to hike some distance to setup camp
- Have to get out of the Forest Protection Area around the summit and cabin
Area around Champney Falls itself can have obscured water underfoot
There does not appear to be any meaningful avalanche risks on the route
Could backtrack quickly to cars if needed
Preparation
Fitness
Hike for ~4 hours at casual pace with light pack (clothes, sleeping bag, snacks, water)
- Mostly uphill, but no sustained steepness and no vertical climbing
Gear
General gear list
- Good amount of gear available to borrow
- Coordinate group gear over email
Mountaineering boots, crampons, axe required
- Good chance crampons won't be necessary, but definitely might be depending on ice
- Snowshoes alone might not be enough, e.g., if thin layer of snow over ice
- Rent from IME or other outfit in N Conway if necessary
Snowshoes helpful, definitely some in group should have to break trail
- Not likely inbound caveat fresh snowfall, but likely outbound
Logistics
Cost
~$35 in lodging per person for Friday night
- Assuming one hotel room split ~four ways, or hostel for similar price
Rental gear if necessary
- Mountaineering boots and crampons $55 for 2 days
- Mountaineering axe $25 for 2 days (but talk to Joe first)
- IME is probably leading rental option
Shared gas + tolls
Personal food
Lodging
White Mountains Hostel
- 36 Washington Street, Conway, New Hampshire, 03818
- 1-866-902-2521
- $34 dorm, ~$50--70 private
Jim Liberty Cabin
- Free, first-come/first-served
- Half mile from summit of Mt Chocorua
- Three triple bunks, sleeping nine
- Toilet 300ft down Liberty Trail
- Unheated
